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THE SON-OF-A-GUN (1919, Golden West) G.M. “Bronco Billy” Anderson, Joy Lewis, Paul Willis. We expected Bronco Billy to be a tough western type, but he turned out to be a paunchy, hard-drinking, six-shooting troublemaker--and funny, too! Bill’s a pistol-packing boozer who hits the local saloon one day and starts trouble that spills over into a dance hall. There, his unruly behavior is suddenly calmed by a beautiful girl. Later, in a terrifcc scene, Bill saves the girl’s brother from card cheats. You think Chaplin’s movies had pathos? Wait ‘til you see the climax of this one. This film shows the talent and flare for character that made Bill the country’s first big western star. Highly recommended. Music score, 16mm.
DRAG HARLAN (1920 Fox) William Farnum, Arthur Millet, Jackie Saunders. Bill is a two-pistol wielding outlaw, lightning fast on the draw and known to have gunned down many opponents. Watch for a couple of tense, brutal gun duels. The plot has Bill pledging to take care of the daughter of a dying rancher. After rescuing her from bandits, he discovers a deadly conspiracy against her by the same gang. Farnum was a big silent western star, and it’s easy to see why. Music score, from 16mm.
NO MAN’S LAW (1928, Roach) Theodore Von Eltz, Oliver Hardy, James Finlayson, Barbara Kent. A great B western with top performances. Two desert thugs plot against an old miner and his daughter. The sexual overtones are beyond anything usually seen in old-time westerns. Kent has a very seductive skinny-dipping scene that lures Von Eltz and Hardy. The topper comes when Von Eltz lustfully approaches her as she lies in bed at night. The eye contact and facial expressions are unforgettable. Kent’s beauty creates a lustful electricity that exudes the same magnetic sexual innocence and loveliness that Marion Marsh had in Svengali. In a subtle way, this may be the most erotic B western ever. Yet, there is lots of action, including some great chases. It’s unnerving to see Hardy, one of the top comics of all time, playing a dastardly SOB. Not only is he a fugitive, but he attempts to rape or murder every cast member! (watch him try to dump Finlayson off a cliff!). Highly recommended. Music score, 16mm.
THUNDERING HOOFS (1924, FBO) Fred Thomson, Ann May, Charles Mailes. Although parts of other Thomson films exist, this is his only known full-length feature, and it is a fine example of one of the silent era’s top western stars. Fred shows tremendous athletic prowess, good acting ability, and a definite sense of wit in this charming film about a cowboy who falls for a beautiful Mexican senorita. The one thing standing in his way is that she is betrothed to a slimy villain. Music score.
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