The Prairie King

Another of the terrific comedies that Hoot Gibson starred in for Universal before they dropped his contract in a panic at the dawn of the sound era -- I suppose as he wasn't a relative of Carl Laemmle, it was ok. this one shows Hoot displaying his easy-going charm as he and two other claimants compete for a valuable gold mine. There are a couple of brilliantly composed scenes, particularly the Mexican fiesta that turns into a duel, but it all comes down to good writing and Hoot Gibson's star power, and it delivers.

Some of the joke may be considered offensive today, although given who utters them -- vile, despicable claim jumpers -- jokes that the gold vein is so deep that "It goes to the roots of the chop suey tree" can be viewed as in character. Besides, standards of decency have not universally risen -- there are no bullet-ridden corpses oozing sticky blood here. What use is a movie without people oozing blood? Well, there are a few laughs, a plot that makes some sense an some good thrills here that don't involve computer faking. Take a look.

This Gibson fare shows him at his best with 'Breezy ' Eason directing his usual fast paced style . Gibson's humor and laid-back style in this film show why he was a top Universal star during Silent Days . The action is all bloodless although there is some shooting . 3 people have done a favor for a mine owner who struck it rich . He leaves the mine to all 3 with the one in possession as the owner . However the will contains a secret provision that none of the claimants are aware of . Murdock tries to trick Barbara Worth out of the mine not aware Gibson is a claimant also . The Duel at the fiesta is an absolute masterpiece for what it is . The cutting in that scene shows a real knowledge of building tension by the use of different cuts and camera angles . No Gibson fan will be disappointed with this well-done feature . The finale is a Hoot ( no pun intended ) If you've not seen Gibson in silent films , this film will help you understand his popularity . There is a very good script , snappy direction , and the excellent use of titles for humor as well as the visual . One remark still puzzles me - " When you get to the bottom of the shaft , send me a diaphram of a Chinse laundry ". Did they misspell a title that should have been diagram ? Oh well . Doesn't detract . Worth the watch