The Kentucky Derby

With the advent of the release of Kino-Lorber's three film Blu-Ray set of Reginald Denny, and my great enjoyment of all of the films, I went in search of other Denny silent vehicles. I've found a number of them, and last night watched "The Kentucky Derby" (1922), one of his earliest features, and made the same year as his successful string of short films that formed a sort of serial, called "The Leather Pushers". "The Kentucky Derby" also stars Lillian Rich, Emmett King, Walter McGrail, Gertrude Astor, Lionel Belmore, Kingsley Benedict, Wilfred Lucas, and others. The only thing missing from this actioner is the kitchen sink! Although it is about the Kentucky Derby, that particular incident in the film is perhaps 1/20th of the show. Begins with Denny and Rich eloping to New York against the wishes of Denny's father - but - with the help of some very "distant relatives" who've come to Kentucky, and are now employed by Denny's father to help him run his finances and his business of horses. Of course there's a rival to Denny's father, the Colonel (of course), and of course his rival is also the Colonel. Both are rivals only at the race track, and actually they're very close friends. But each has a horse...and those horses will eventually compete against each other...in the Kentucky Derby. Meanwhile, in New York, Denny disappears...!!! I say, disappears... Only, we see that he's been shanghaied and taken unconscious aboard a boat that remains at sea for three years - and, as far away as the China Sea. Denny's tough as cob, but he's kept at bay while the horses grow up - all this to have the Kentucky Derby lost to the rival so that the betting goes against Denny's father and wins his "distant relatives" a humongous bundle of moolah so they can then take off and disappear out of all the K - Y lives. I did say "three years"... If this all sounds simply preposterous, it is! And it was so fun to watch. It has a nice ending, and the film only lasts 60 minutes (there are a few things probably missing, too, but they're not a problem for any continuity). Glad I had the chance to view this obscure little thing. Shows Denny's progress from an actor doing shorts becoming popular with the crowds to his getting a small chance - until...

Crooked Walter McGrail takes advantage of his name to impose on Kentucky Colonel Emmett King, steal the cash in his safe (including $20,000 of King's and competing Kentucky Colonel Lionel Belmore's bet over which foal will win the Kentucky Derby in a few years), and blame poor nephew Reginald Denny, who is shanghaied by skipper Wilfred Lucas for the China Trade. Three years go by, the Derby is about to be run, King's jockey has been fixed by McGrail's partner, and Lucas' ship is about to sink somewhere in the middle of the ocean. Can Denny survive, learn the truth, get to Kentucky in less than a week, get an honest jockey to ride the horse, save the nearly bankrupt King with a Derby win, convince him of the truth, and rescue his wife, Lilian Rich, and their daughter?

It's not a comedy, which may surprise people who know Denny in this period as a light comic actor. The production is eked out with shots of colts in pastures, a total of three servants in Blackface, and the big race thoroughly edited into reaction clips. Despite being a major production for Universal, it's a rather minor picture.

Given my utter lack of interest in horse racing and Kentucky-fried colonels, I haven't much to say about its excellence, except that it shows very little of character or story of interest, except for those who are fascinated by horse racing.

Preceding Denny's career as comic actor, this racing melodrama goes from plantations populated by Kentucky Colonels and compliant darkies through having our hero Shanghaied, sea going adventures and confronting the impersonator who is planning on fixing the big race. It moves along quite well but it's far fetched plot is not helped by imperfections of 1922 film making technique.

The shooting is lengthened by Churchill Downs locations which contribute to the jerky race climax. Denny emerges credibly and it's curious to see Lionel Belmore a decade before he became ubiquitous in horror movies.

Circulating copy appears to be missing small sections.