Starting out as a Mack Sennett bathing beauty (along with Phyllis Haver who also has a small role) Olive Borden's exotic beauty soon caught the attention of Fox Studios and Tom Mix and after appearing as his leading lady in a couple of westerns she was then given the much sought after role as Lee in John Ford's "3 Bad Men". Although often confused with "Three Godfathers" by Peter B. Kyne it was actually based on the novel "Over the Border". It was a very unusual western for John Ford, blending tradition with romance. The sentimental subplot (which in my opinion is the heart of the whole movie) involving Tom Santschi out to wreak revenge on the man who seduced his sister was a theme William S. Hart would have been proud of even though by the mid 1920s Hart was making his last movies, having been thought to be too old fashioned among the younger, slicker cowboys such as Tom Mix and Hoot Gibson. Despite the popularity of "3 Bad Men" it was Ford's last Western for 13 years.
Dan O'Malley (George O'Brien) is just one of thousands hoping to make a new life for himself in the Dakota land rush. After a very cute scene involving a broken wagon wheel he makes the acquaintance of Lee Carleton (beautiful Olive Borden) who is on her way to Dakota with several race horses. The stunning scene that introduces the "3 Bad Men" with the only lighting from the rising sun is just glorious. "Bull" Stanley (Santschi) is a bit different to his two companions - his continuous wanderings are part of a relentless search for the man who ruined his sister.
Lane Hunter (Lou Tellegen) is a typical western movie sheriff - upright to the town's unknowing citizens but also head of the local criminal gang whose crimes include horse stealing. When his gang tries to steal the Carleton race horses, the "3 bad men" get involved and they become Lee's "3 bad men" when she hires them to see her through to Dakota. They come to regard her as their daughter and as well as looking after her are also on the look out for someone who is good husband material (George O'Brien re-enters the movie). Lee is also on the end of Lane's slimy advances and little does "Bull" know he is the man his sister, Millie, wrote so glowingly about. Unfortunately for her she was quickly discarded and now lives in the town's bordello - although as played by Priscilla Bonner she is completely untouched by the vice around her.
A little slow initially the movie builds up to a major action sequence in the magnificently staged land rush scene with some sweeping shots of the race of the covered wagons ("Cimmaron" must have copied it) and picking up the pace in the last 30 minutes when old scores are settled. Another scene at the very start has an old Indian chopping down a tree to reveal a spectacular view of the West - lake, forest, Indian settlement and mountain peaks towering to the top of the screen. Yet another scene has that old standby - the burning of the church. Millie has overheard Lane's plot and rushes to the church to warn the preacher (Alec B. Francis) but too late as the outlaws send burning wagons down the hill. "Bull" is reunited with his sister in the ensuing riot, just long enough for her to tell him the name of her seducer!!
The movie was initially planned as a blockbuster vehicle to star Fox's three big action stars - George O'Brien, Tom Mix and Buck Jones but that idea was eventually dropped and Tom Santschi, who really looked like he came out of a Matthew Brady photograph, was substituted instead. He had been a Western actor from the earliest days, having appeared in "The Spoilers" (1914).
I could swear I saw John Wayne as a young bugler boy, just before the land rush. Can anyone else recognise him?
Dan O'Malley (George O'Brien) is just one of thousands hoping to make a new life for himself in the Dakota land rush. After a very cute scene involving a broken wagon wheel he makes the acquaintance of Lee Carleton (beautiful Olive Borden) who is on her way to Dakota with several race horses. The stunning scene that introduces the "3 Bad Men" with the only lighting from the rising sun is just glorious. "Bull" Stanley (Santschi) is a bit different to his two companions - his continuous wanderings are part of a relentless search for the man who ruined his sister.
Lane Hunter (Lou Tellegen) is a typical western movie sheriff - upright to the town's unknowing citizens but also head of the local criminal gang whose crimes include horse stealing. When his gang tries to steal the Carleton race horses, the "3 bad men" get involved and they become Lee's "3 bad men" when she hires them to see her through to Dakota. They come to regard her as their daughter and as well as looking after her are also on the look out for someone who is good husband material (George O'Brien re-enters the movie). Lee is also on the end of Lane's slimy advances and little does "Bull" know he is the man his sister, Millie, wrote so glowingly about. Unfortunately for her she was quickly discarded and now lives in the town's bordello - although as played by Priscilla Bonner she is completely untouched by the vice around her.
A little slow initially the movie builds up to a major action sequence in the magnificently staged land rush scene with some sweeping shots of the race of the covered wagons ("Cimmaron" must have copied it) and picking up the pace in the last 30 minutes when old scores are settled. Another scene at the very start has an old Indian chopping down a tree to reveal a spectacular view of the West - lake, forest, Indian settlement and mountain peaks towering to the top of the screen. Yet another scene has that old standby - the burning of the church. Millie has overheard Lane's plot and rushes to the church to warn the preacher (Alec B. Francis) but too late as the outlaws send burning wagons down the hill. "Bull" is reunited with his sister in the ensuing riot, just long enough for her to tell him the name of her seducer!!
The movie was initially planned as a blockbuster vehicle to star Fox's three big action stars - George O'Brien, Tom Mix and Buck Jones but that idea was eventually dropped and Tom Santschi, who really looked like he came out of a Matthew Brady photograph, was substituted instead. He had been a Western actor from the earliest days, having appeared in "The Spoilers" (1914).
I could swear I saw John Wayne as a young bugler boy, just before the land rush. Can anyone else recognise him?