Riders of the Purple Sage

Based on the novel by Zane Grey, the film stars Tom Mix as the gunslinger Lassiter who hunts down the men responsible for kidnapping his sister and niece years ago. His trek takes him to a ranch owned by Jane Withersteen (Mabel Ballin) who is having her own problems with cattle rustlers. The two plots eventually meet up, and the movie features a haunting finale, remaining true to the novel.

Mix is somewhat bland as the hero, and his outfit is a bit too "ornate." However, he does have a cute, playful scene with an orphan girl played by Dawn O'Day (who later changed her name to Anne Shirley). Warner Oland, as the main villain, is suitably hiss-worthy. IMDb lists Gary Cooper in a bit, but I couldn't find him. Possibly the real star of the film is the beautiful scenery.

During the climax, Mix, with O'Day hanging onto him, and Ballin had to climb up a granite wall. Although wires held them in place, Mix admitted he was not comfortable. "I felt ill at ease because of that little shaver on my back. I kept talking all the time we were climbing to divert attention but let me tell you I watched my step."

In the novel, the kidnappers and some of the other "bad guys" are Mormons. However, there is no mention of any religious organization in this film. The 1918 version, with William Farnum, is presumed lost, although some stills exist, so this is the earliest surviving filmed version. The 1931 version, with George O'Brien, is available on youtube. There is also a 1940s version with George Montgomery.

By 1925, silent western star Tom Mix had been a headliner for a decade, first in short films and then, from 1918 onward, features. This is one of Tom's collaborations with his frequent director Lynn Reynolds and possibly their most famous film together. Mix was at the top of his career at this point, and with the advent of sound films would slide into b westerns. Reynolds would continue directing until 1929, when he shot himself.

This is an adaptation of a Zane Grey novel that has been turned to films several times over. The first one, by Frank Lloyd, has been lost to history making this the oldest surviving take. It is a classic story-line with a big time interval in the narrative. Woman named Millie (Beatrice Burnham) catches the unwanted attention of an evil judge (Warner Oland), who has Millie and her daughter Bess taken. Millie's husband dies swearing his vengeance, and the guy executing this final wish is Millie's brother Jim Lassiter (Mix), who spends years looking for the lost Bess, who has been separated from Millie.

The narrative is told neatly in an hour without a feeling that things got rushed. The film showcases Mix at the top of his game, and there was a fair amount of action. As was the case in most silent westerns, the character work is very thin. The villain is literally trying to kick a child. But if you con't come in expecting "The Searchers" level of depth and character study, this film should get the job done.

Contrary to the general rule, The Book Is Always Better Than The Film, most of Zane Grey's stories adapted well to the screen and often much better.

Gray was rather a Writer of the Purple Prose and too often his great stories were therefore hard to read.

But, boy, as action-packed movies? They moved!

Director Lynn Reynolds used his camera for some beautifully framed shots, and even moved his camera to add drama to, for example, the hero's entering a scene.

And hero? Tom Mix was unquestionably one in this, with his own ability and his reputation and with the aid of Reynolds and the camera.

One cutaway of Mix's character almost caressing his pistol, in the holster, subtly made a very unsubtle point.

Leading lady Mabel Ballin has only 28 credits here at IMDb but she showed a real talent in expressing herself.

The rest of the cast, from villain Warner Oland to the as-usual-uncredited Hank Bell, shine and make this story -- made and re-made many times -- the classic that it is.

For some strange reason, VerdeValleyTV, who uploaded this at YouTube, continued the upload instead of stopping it at the end so the run time shows double the fact. WHY this kind of nonsense is so common at YouTube is a mystery to me. Maybe there is a better version. But "Riders of the Purple Sage" starring Tom Mix is a definite good watch, and I highly recommend it.

This is the old story, familiar to everyone who has seen more than three westerns. What is remarkable about this movie is the contrasts in beauty: superb scenes of nature fill the screen: towering mountains, cattle moving slowly over the sprawling prairies, high waterfalls filling the vistas shot outdoors. In contrast, the shots of 'civilization' are full of ugliness: broken palings of forts, ramshackle sheds that should fall down and disappear and cluttered interior shots. Even the heroine's home is made only half-decent by the plants that she has growing everywhere.

This contrast, between the beauty of nature and the ugliness of the works of man appears throughout the movie and makes the ending -- where Tom Mix pushes over a boulder that will simultaneously make it impossible for the bad men who are pursuing him, his heroine and Anne Shirley -- a child actor at this stage, appearing under the name of "Dawn O'Day" -- and seals them forever in a valley far from the works of man -- not only understandable, but inevitable. It's a silent movie and it works as a silent movie, where all you have are the images. Highly recommended, both as an introduction to Tom Mix and on its own merits.

There's an indelible magic to silent cinema that the sound era has just never been able to touch. By no means is every silent title equal; some of the greatest films ever made hail from the 1910s and 1920s, but there is plenty of middling fare from the same timeframe, too, and the occasional flop. Yet from burgeoning techniques and technology, to the use of intertitles and expression of older language, to depictions of a time far removed from our own, if not also very different values: unless there's a particular reason not to, it's hard not to kind of fall in love with any given flick. And so it is with 1925 western 'Riders of the purple sage,' the sort of movie which at many if not most points looks and feels like the type of classic that would be briefly mentioned if not showcased in a modern love letter to Hollywood like Damien Chazelle's 'Babylon,' or the Coen Brothers' 'Hail, Caesar!' The production is relatively simple, and so is the storytelling, yet there is nonetheless much to love in these fifty-five minutes, and it wants naught but to entertain. If you're someone who is keen on the rich heritage of the medium, there's really no going wrong here, and it surely remains more vibrant than no few of its brethren and successors.

A few words on the screen may portend the passing of years, cover for violence that was deemed by censors to be too bold for contemporary audiences, or represent the totality of some plot points. I can understand how some viewers have a hard time engaging with the silent era, and I'd have said the same myself at one time. Such earnest directness is part of the charm of the style, however, as we're related the tale of corruption and outlaws in the Old West, and the honorable few who seek to uphold justice and virtue. And despite the restraints and limitations this may have faced, nevertheless we're treated to some splendid stunts and effects, with swell touches of action to complement the drama. The filming locations are truly gorgeous, and I admire the detail that went into the sets, costume design,hair, and makeup. The acting doesn't make any major impression, but the players are unquestionably skilled and committed, and ably play their parts in the tableau. Why, I'd even go so far as to say that between Lynn Reynolds' direction, and Daniel B. Clark's cinematography, there are some especially excellent shots scattered throughout, and there's a certain casual, organic finesse to the orchestration of each scene and beat. Nothing about 'Riders of the purple sage' specifically stands out per se, but from top to bottom it's completely solid, with building suspense and excitement as the tale draws toward its conclusion.

I don't think this picture will be one to change the minds of any modern viewer who isn't already receptive to the silent; it's the avid cinephile who adores the art form, and treasures everything it has given us, who will get the most out of the experience. One may well argue that the storytelling tends to be a little too simple and uninvolved for its own good, with realization on celluloid, including even some choice poetic flourishes in the intertitles, that surpasses the quality of the root material. Him and haw as one may about the minutiae, however, I for one am firmly of the mind that this is wonderfully enjoyable. It's no revelation, but it also doesn't try to be. This is pure, straightforward entertainment first and foremost, and the fact that some facets are more distinctly fetching - stunts, direction, cinematography, the grand vistas themselves - is just a terrific bonus. What it comes down to, perhaps, is that the feature represents suitable if broadly unremarkable plot, rendered with fabulous skill and care. It's not something one needs to go out of their way to see, but as far as I'm concerned 'Riders of the purple sage' holds up quite well, and is very fun and pleasing in its own right. There are countless films in all the past one hundred years that only wish they could stand as tall as this does, proving that any one doesn't need to be a must-see exemplar to boast enduring worth. If you have the chance to watch, at just under one-hour long, this deserves your time.