Broncho Billy's Sentence

'Broncho Billy' Anderson stars in this bizarre western. While the plot might seem a bit heavy-handed, I was impressed with Anderson's acting and the way the story was well-told without the use of intertitle cards.

When the film begins, Broncho Billy is a crook--and he steals some gold. While on the run from the law, Broncho Billy forces his way into a home and treats the folks pretty shabbily. However, the lady of the house is able to get a gun and shoots the crook! Billy, however, is able to stagger off and is taken in by a very religious couple. Their goodness lead to Billy's conversion and he soon turns himself in to accept his punishment. What's next? See the film.

While I thought the film was a tad heavy-handed, it told the story very well and Anderson was very effective in this odd anti-hero role. Well worth a look.

Starting with a cross-country chase, in which Broncho Billy, a bandit, attempts to elude capture, this film develops along conventional lines; Broncho Billy's reformation because of kind treatment at the hands of a minister. The Bible is conspicuously in evidence as the bandit is being transformed into a Christian. G.M. Anderson is supported by Virginia Ames, Ernest Van Pelt, True Boardman and Evelyn Selbie. - The Moving Picture World, February 27, 1915

The body of his enormous output is lost or inaccessible but in isolation this one reeler is impressive. It has the religious themes that make the films of William S. Hart or Sam Peckinpah intrigue and unexpected plot twists like Eames taking him out with the long gun. There are early and quite presentable versions of western business, like the chase that diverts through the river bed.

On top of this, Anderson proves to be a better actor than Hart, Tom Mix or his other contemporaries. The sustained take of him delivering a sermon for which there is no sound and no inset title is a considerable set piece.

These little films are fascinating and we can only regret that they are not the early stage of a major career. Anderson proved uneasy about offering himself in sustained characters. He shows up late in his final two reeler SHOOTIN' MAD, when his build had thickened and his acting become broader.