Gold

Jack Hoxie had quite a career as a movie cowboy in the silents, but he had been off the screen for three years when he made GOLD. He's partners in a gold claim with whiny drunkard Lafe McKee, who sells out to Hooper Atchley (boo! Hiss!) and promptly gets shot, and his corpse robbed. Naturally, his daughter, Alice Day, thinks Jack has done it, so it's up to Dynamite the Wonder Horse to prove Jack's innocence, so he can get on to his next movie. A horse has to think of his future.

It's a thoroughly mediocre effort, despite the efforts of director Otto Brower to get a few interesting camera angles in. Hoxie looks every inch the cowboy star, but he can't act in the talkies for beans, and after his contract with Larry Darmour ran out the following year, he went touring in a live show and then retired to a ranch. Miss Day gave up the movies entirely. Brower would keep working and gain a reputation as a western director with some style, but never quite hit the big time.

One of the many things I liked about Gold was that the ending was not a foregone conclusion. Jack Hoxie looked like he was always digging a bigger hole against villain Hooper Atchley and the leading lady Alice Day. It all starts when Hoxie responds to some ribbing when he tries to tame his horse Dynamite, "Every once in a while, he just gets lonesome for a fight. Whenever I walk by him, I can hear him say you long legged maverick I bet I can throw ya clear over my head." He then teams up with the west's favorite old timer Lafe McKee to settle a claim dispute, but that only makes matters worse. I also liked his sidekick, inspiration for the character "Foghorn Leghorn" Jack Rube Clifford. Hoxie had good chemistry with Clifford and this combination might have extended his career in the talkies. Good to see some other western favorites, Tom London, Hank Bell and Bob Kortman.