O Passo da Morte

I would like to call the attention of viewers of this fine film to the unusual use of camera movement. In most B westerns of the 1930s the camera was very static except in chase scenes. Not so here. As a for instance, note the scene where George O'Brien rides into town - the camera picks him up and is pulled backward around a corner and then pans to catch his dismount. Not easy to execute but fun to watch. There seems to have been an informal "contest" in the 1931 - 1932 time frame to break away from cameras nailed to the ground and get them moving. Many examples exist but few were done in this type of film. Although some outdoor shots are obviously Southern California, many more were made closer to the scene of the original book, Utah. No buttes and mesas in SoCal! The themes addressed in this film are enjoyably adult and the ending thankfully avoids the cliché of the hero kissing his horse and riding off into the sunset.

After about a twenty-five year stretch I re-watched "Riders of the Purple Sage" (1931) with George O'Brien. I'm a great fan of the 1925 silent with Tom Mix, a Western that really showcased the best of Mix and the silent Western. O'Brien stars along with Marguerite Churchill, Noah Beery, Sr., Yvonne Pelletier, James Todd, Stanley Fields, Frank McGlynn, Jr., and others. The photography in many places is absolutely superb! The story is exciting and well mounted by director Lynn Reynolds. All the actors give very high caliber performances. If one is familiar with the 1925 version, the story will slightly disappoint because it doesn't give enough early material to focus just who Lassiter (O'Brien) is, or why he's the man he is now, or what his purpose of being where he is - is. Nevertheless, the way the story's told here makes the mystery of Lassiter really play out, and O'Brien is just the man for the part. He gives a great performance. The show only lasts 56 minutes, and it's 56 minutes crammed full of good action wrapped around a really great story. The one disappointment for me - and I'm comparing it again with the 1925 silent - is that the secret valley is barely seen at all, and nothing like the ideal place it was made to seem to be in the silent. Oh, well, it is still a wonderful Western, one of O'Brien's best! Recommended for those who love the oaters.

Top.

George O'Brien saves the day in this wonderful Zane Gray film. Though time has not been good to this copy(some spots are very choppy) it is still a VERY enjoyable movie.

The story is that the bad guys in the area are trying to run this girl out of town. Seems she has control of land that they need. They run her cattle off cliffs and shoot her men. What is a girl to do?

Then along comes George O'Brien who wants to help her out by shooting the bad guys. This girl will have no violent acts done on her behalf, she says it solves nothing. Will she stick to her beliefs or give in?? Will evil overcome good?? I won't spoil the ending but it is great. If you get the chance, watch it! It'll take you back to Saturday afternoons at the movies when you were a kid. Enjoy the show partners!

I agree with the previous reviewer, but wanted to add that there are some nice scenes/ideas involving clever use of the rocky landscape and a waterfall, and some surprisingly well shot action scenes on horseback and with stampeding cattle (shot from below!). I have the Sinister Cinema DVD, quite likely the same 'choppy' copy as the other reviewer, which I believe is taken from an old 16 mil copy. It is very worn, has very bad sound with lots of background noise, and is missing many frames and even significant chunks of dialogue in places, but it was STILL good fun and well worth seeing. George O'Brien (star of Murnau's Sunrise) makes a charming cowboy hero and Marguerite Churchill (the sassy secretary in Dracula's Daughter) is fine as the pacifist damsel in distress with a cute toddler O'Brien befriends in a nice fatherly scene. The two of them found some serious off-screen chemistry, got married and had a couple of kids. A solid 7.5. Recommended.