If every other film that Tom Mix made were somehow lost, and only this remained, it would suffice to maintain his reputation as the best of the early film cowboys. Mix often gets criticized for the athleticism and tricks of his silent films, but the small body of his sound films entirely refutes that. In his rather grim talking films, Mix means business, and there is realism in both the drama and the comedy that only Buck Jones, in my opinion can compete with in his Columbia films of 1930-33. Unlike Jack Hoxie's six talking films, where the star in question looks like something from the 1910's dragged forward into the talkies and left to sink or swim, Mix is not a relict in his 1932-33 films. His age, demeanour, and carriage, as well as those jingling spurs, make us think of a man who has consistently been a star for twenty years, earned it, and deserves our attention. Tom Mix is the Old West personified and his experience and weariness only adds to his stature.
That being said, I think the other reviewers more than adequately covered the plot. Let me say, at seventy-eight minutes, this is NOT a B-western. Its subtlety and small cast might not make it seem to make the A-grade, but the story, acting, subplots, and attention to detail to say the least do not merit a grade B entry. This is just as much an A film as other early talkies like Hell's Heroes, The Virginian, and Law and Order.
That being said, I will focus on the realism. There is nothing flashy about this film. To be sure, Tom Mix's introduction to us is something heroic, but doesn't Tom Mix deserve that after twenty years on the screen? The plot is subdued, even standard, but it is arrayed with multiple layers of characterization and interaction that are portrayed far better than in a B film. Even the humor is subdued: it is awkward, as in the embarrassing "secret" that a previous reviewer noted. To the non-PC minded person, we can appreciate Tom's bashfulness about bathing a girl. The fact that this is not a knee-slapper in the film itself is proof of how realistically it is handled.. Would we really all start laughing about it, or just go along in embarrassed silence, not making Tom feel bad. That's what the film does: it portrays normal actions. I might also mention the difficulty that Kohler's character causes to the villain by being overly chummy with him when meeting Lois Wilson. Surely, the ill-concealed contempt is what we would feel as well.
Lastly, the desert scenes are harrowing and awful in their stark beauty. I have never felt so haunted by a desert film and its effects on the characters as this one. The setting reduces all: Mix, Wilson, and Kohler to mere putty in its hands. Amidst it all, we have a heart-wrenching scene involving Tom and Tony. Any person who knows the connection between the star and the horse, or even any animal lover will bleed in the heart at what is referenced. I can think of no other western where such multiple layering occurs in a scene between man and horse. I think I've written too much already, but I will close by referring obliquely to the ending. Again the starkness dominates, but lets in a ray of hope. Mix's films are not sentimental, and neither is the final scene. But, it doesn't have to be, and Mix and Wilson portray perfect restraint, and yet quite a bit of vulnerability given what they have been through. As the film ends, and you see "A Good Cast Is Worth Repeating," I can only hope that you will agree with me that rarely has that Universal end credit line been more relevant than for this film.
Savor this film for what it is: one of the best westerns ever made; and worthy of full restoration so that Tom Mix can be given his due for this true gem that he gave to us seventy-five years ago.
That being said, I think the other reviewers more than adequately covered the plot. Let me say, at seventy-eight minutes, this is NOT a B-western. Its subtlety and small cast might not make it seem to make the A-grade, but the story, acting, subplots, and attention to detail to say the least do not merit a grade B entry. This is just as much an A film as other early talkies like Hell's Heroes, The Virginian, and Law and Order.
That being said, I will focus on the realism. There is nothing flashy about this film. To be sure, Tom Mix's introduction to us is something heroic, but doesn't Tom Mix deserve that after twenty years on the screen? The plot is subdued, even standard, but it is arrayed with multiple layers of characterization and interaction that are portrayed far better than in a B film. Even the humor is subdued: it is awkward, as in the embarrassing "secret" that a previous reviewer noted. To the non-PC minded person, we can appreciate Tom's bashfulness about bathing a girl. The fact that this is not a knee-slapper in the film itself is proof of how realistically it is handled.. Would we really all start laughing about it, or just go along in embarrassed silence, not making Tom feel bad. That's what the film does: it portrays normal actions. I might also mention the difficulty that Kohler's character causes to the villain by being overly chummy with him when meeting Lois Wilson. Surely, the ill-concealed contempt is what we would feel as well.
Lastly, the desert scenes are harrowing and awful in their stark beauty. I have never felt so haunted by a desert film and its effects on the characters as this one. The setting reduces all: Mix, Wilson, and Kohler to mere putty in its hands. Amidst it all, we have a heart-wrenching scene involving Tom and Tony. Any person who knows the connection between the star and the horse, or even any animal lover will bleed in the heart at what is referenced. I can think of no other western where such multiple layering occurs in a scene between man and horse. I think I've written too much already, but I will close by referring obliquely to the ending. Again the starkness dominates, but lets in a ray of hope. Mix's films are not sentimental, and neither is the final scene. But, it doesn't have to be, and Mix and Wilson portray perfect restraint, and yet quite a bit of vulnerability given what they have been through. As the film ends, and you see "A Good Cast Is Worth Repeating," I can only hope that you will agree with me that rarely has that Universal end credit line been more relevant than for this film.
Savor this film for what it is: one of the best westerns ever made; and worthy of full restoration so that Tom Mix can be given his due for this true gem that he gave to us seventy-five years ago.