Fe-As-Ko

All it takes for Leviticus to become obsessed with The Game is watching two boys play catch with a baseball. But having inherited a ranch, Levi can do more than the average newcomer to America's pastime: not only can he join a team, he can be wrangled into buying a team for himself.

In The Royalscope Fe-As-Ko, Northwest cattle rancher Royal Leckner finds himself in the middle of another fe-as-ko, this time in 1915 Hollywood. Dreams of stardom for her daughter, Elsie, and for herself entice Royal's wife, E.M., to buy a silent film company. She quickly renames it Royalscope Productions in order to convince her fuming husband it's a gift. When Royal arrives in Hollywood with his two young sons, Chick'n'Tad, everyone gets into the act. There's a nefarious-looking director who might be a crook -- or just a failure. A handsome but shady leading man who might be after Royal's daughter -- or more of his money. A young English professor and scriptwriter who might have dreams -- or designs -- of his own. And then there's Western film star William S. Hart, who happens to look very much like Royal. Or is it the other way around? And whose side is he on? It's hard to tell with all the acting that's going on. Through the homespun storytelling of Royal Leckner, the silent film era of Hollywood takes on a whole new life. Vanity hasn't been this much fun since Thackeray wrote Vanity Fair . Randall Beth Platt has once again taken a fresh, warm, and funny approach to the Old West. And Hollywood to boot.

When the owner of Oregon's largest cattle ranch - the Four Arrows - is shot by his horse in a freak accident, Royal Leckner suddenly finds himself charged with teaching the owner's retarded son to take over management of the ranch.