The Great Divide

This is the sound remake of the M.G.M. Silent feature of 1925 which allegedly was a hit play in 1906. The film was shot both as a silent and in sound. Not a unusual practice at that time since outside of large cities most theaters had not been retrofitted for sound. This was particularly true with Warner Brothers/1st National since they were using sound on disk, rather then sound on film, like FOX, M.G.M., R.K.O. and PARAMOUNT.

Coming from the Stage and a early silent film most likely explains the rather 'stagy' and stilted performances by the actors. Ian Keith, normally a competent supporting actor is out of sorts as a romantic lead. Dorothy Mackaill a popular Silent Star who transitioned easily too 'Talkies' is lost here with a poor characterization and script. Finally Myrna Loy is still stuck in Her exotic period which She would finally escape from by the mid 1930s' over at M.G.M. Only Claude Gillingwater had a grasp of His character a stodgy businessman. A role He would continue to play His entire career.

Throw in some unrecognizable songs which I doubt were ever popular, you have one of the early sound quasi-musicals. Thus explaining the fall in popularity of movie-musicals. Which would not be reborn until Busby Berkeley at Warner Brothers and Astaire and Rogers at R.K.O. revitalized the genre. This is best watched as a curiosity piece. In just three (3) years such crude efforts will be totally eclipsed.

This one is worth watching for several reasons. Even though the sound mix is Vitaphone, it shows how a skilled hand could give the perception of motion and movement and an "outdoor-like" quality to a film even if none of these things were actually possible at the time.

Also, this one is actually a semi-musical, but so sneakily a musical that not even film historians mention it as such. It keeps the numbers short and to the point and fitting for the plot. The plot is pretty simple too. Set in the present -1929 that is -Ian Keith plays Steve Ghent, a miner where the Continental Divide reaches Mexico. Steve is selling his mine after 15 years of being sole proprietor. Before he signs the final papers transferring ownership and leaves town he decides to visit the local annual "Fiesta" one last time. Simultaneously, the daughter of his old partner, Dorothy McKail as Ruth Jordan, is traveling with a group of people, one of which is the buyer of Steve's mine. She also decides to visit the fiesta.

Steve and Ruth have a chance meeting at the Fiesta and Steve decides to have some fun with her and pretend to be a Mexican bandito. Of course, he is neither. He doesn't have much trouble wooing her, and he finds all of this amusing until he finds out she is his old partner's daughter. Understandably, Steve is disgusted with the way Ruth has turned out - a loose mouthy thrill-seeker. Not so understandably he decides kidnapping her and forcing her to rough it in the wilderness is the way to mend her character. Steve should have realized that the men of the town, still steeped in the values of the old West, will not look kindly upon a man kidnapping a lady no matter what his motives and tend to have only one solution to this problem if they catch up to him. A hint - it involves a tree and a rope. How does this work out? Watch and find out.

Fun things to look for - Claude Gillingwater as the future owner of the mine playing his familiar feisty character. Also look for Myrna Loy, who must have been soooo glad when her contract with Warner Brothers was up and she could try to branch out into roles other than clingy vengeful vamps who never seem to be able to attract the objects of their affection. In this case it is Steve who treats her like she is a rattle snake. All in all a fun film that moves along briskly, particularly for an early talkie.

Despite Myrna Loy's wonderful niche as a smart, sweet and somewhat sexy girl-next-door type in the 1930s and 40s, early in her career MGM had no idea what to do with this actress and had her appearing in many bizarre roles--roles which today just seem ludicrous. But hindsight is 20/20...although it's easy to laugh at her playing Chinese ladies ("Mask of Fu Manchu"), a murderess ("Thirteen Women"), the witch, Morgan le Fe ("A Connecticut Yankee") and a Mexican-American with a crazy accent here in this film. This is reason enough to see this early western talkie as Loy seldom made bad films or embarrassed herself like she did in this one! It is fortunate that TCM showed the sound version...otherwise so much of her odd performance would have been lost!

Speaking of sound. 1929 was still early in the talking picture business and the sound here is scratchy. Additionally, they decided to make this a singing cowboy sort of western and the songs are pretty crappy. I don't hold this against the film...the medium was young and the sound was tinny in all movies in 1929. In fact, to have singing they hadn't even worked out having the singers sing to recorded music and they had to literally have an orchestra just off camera playing live to have music in films! So cut the film a bit of slack...even when the hero sings with his incredibly high voice and when Myrna croons (though I doubt if she's actually singing)!

As for the plot, Steven (Ian Keith) is going to sell his mine located near the Mexican border and move. So, he decides to go to the local fiesta for one last time and there meets Ruth (Dorothy Mackaill) and is shocked that she is a haughty, decadent jerk- face...and she also happens to be the daughter of his old partner that died long ago. Deciding to teach her a lesson and make her a better person, he does what any normal, sane person would do...he kidnaps her!! He thinks that forcing this spoiled lady to spend life in the great outdoors is just what's needed to reform Ruth!* Fortunately, she comes down with a case of the Stockholm Syndrome and all is well by the end of the picture.

So is all this any good? Well, for 1929 it's okay. When seen today, it comes off as silly and very dated. The actors tried hard (Myrna tried TOO hard) and such silly and inconsequential films would become passé even by 1932 or 1933. Worth seeing if you are a film historian or you like seeing famous stars in god-awful performances...otherwise it's an easy film to skip.

*NOTE: Do NOT take Steven's advice! Although this invariably works out just fine in films, you're likely to earn at least 10-15 years in prison for such a lesson! Kidnapping is wrong...and punishable in a Federal penitentiary. Repeat after me...'Kidnapping is against the law and punishment will be swift and sure'.

Mackaill is natural, gutsy and pretty (a good friend of and with an uncanny resemblance to the much more beautiful Marion Davies) as always but even her commitment can't save this tired, conventional and totally predictable bore. All the other performances are bad, particularly Loy's. Sure her part stinks, but she is worse, much worst than the role she is given. I like Keith's stagy ways, but they don't help here. Not one thing happens in this movie that isn't telegraphed from the credits and the presentation (other than Mackaill's work) doesn't do a thing to freshen or enliven the construction or the dialogue. Musical numbers range from mildly eccentric (the male lead's two comic pals) to boring Mexicana. If a director's job is to control, coordinate and inspire the performances and create tension and pacing (it is), then the direction here is extremely deficient. For Mackaill fans only - and then with fair warning.

Steven Ghent (Ian Keith) decides to sell the mine he's owned for fifteen years, located at the border of Mexico where the Great Divide ends. To celebrate he attends a fiesta where he meets a racy young woman (Dorothy Mackaill). But because he is dressed in a Mexican costume, she assumes he is Mexican. After he sings a song she wonders why he's lost his accent. As the two dance, she draws the ire of a jealous local girl (Myrna Loy) who loves Keith.

After he realizes that Mackaill is the daughter of his dead partner, he is appalled that she has become a flapper and travels around with a crowd of moochers. He decides to kidnap her and take her into the great open spaces of the American West. Slowly, she comes to love the country and him.

Dorothy Mackaill is beautiful and has a nice breezy delivery, sort of a cross between Barbara Stanwyck and Evelyn Brent. Ian Keith is good here and reminds me a lot of John Gilbert in his line delivery. Myrna Loy was still stuck in her "exotic" period but is fun as the flashy Manuella. Co-stars include Creighton Hale, Lucien Littlefield, Claude Gillingwater, George Fawcett, and Jean Lorraine.

This was filmed in 1915 with Ethel Clayton and House Peters and in 1925 with Alice Terry and Conway Tearle.