Tom Mix brings a lot of the Mix persona to this picture, which is at once a tough no holds barred old west yarn, and with real tears and good humor sprinkled in until Tom and the party with him are stranded in Death Valley. Then it turns tough as nails and the drama is cutting, using Mix's silent film expressions to it's best use. His face is much more full of expression and the minimal dialog is perfect. He IS an actor, not just a cowboy star, famous or otherwise. Fred Kohler is the perfect bad man in the desert, much like his role in "Hell's Heros" (1930) with Charles Bickford, but without the heroic self sacrifice. This could have been a graphic, much more violent film, but owing to the Mix following (children) it isn't, to it's credit. Tony, the horse is the improbable hero of this picture and we are cheering him at the end to. It's a keeper. Glad I bought it fully restored.
Review of The Rider of Death Valley
