Riders Of The Purple Sage
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DVD Cover Information
Primary Contributor: Tom MixDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: Black & White, NTSC
Studio: Sinister Cinema
Movie Reviews of Riders Of The Purple Sage
Movie Review: A Silent Hero
Summary: 5 Stars
Tom Mix was one of the great cowboy stars, and Riders of the Purple Sage one of his finest pictures. Zane Grey's western novel of a Texas Ranger looking for his kidnapped sister had a complex plot and an emotional pull perfect for the movies. One would think the silent art form might not suit such a complicated story with unexpected twists and turns, but in many ways, this is the perfect Tom Mix western. Amazingly well put together, the story is presented at a blistering pace by director Lynn Reynolds, yet doesn't seem rushed. Reynolds would die tragically a couple of years later and this surviving work showcases his talent behind the camera. It is both exciting and, in the end, quite touching and romantic, in that old-fashoined way where when a cowboy star like Mix kissed a girl, it meant they were spending the rest of their lives together.
Frank Erne (Arthur Morrison) and his wife Milly (Beatrice Burnham) are homesteaders trying to make a go of it with their young daughter Bessie (Seesel Anne Johnson), and finding it a strain on their marriage. Not helping matters are the attentions of attorney Lew Walters, who is trying to drive a wedge between the couple and have Milly for himself. Those who only know Warner Oland from his Charlie Chan films may not even recognize him as Walters, and be surprised if they do. He was actually the star of several silent serials before sound came along and he slid into the role of Earl Derr Biggers' famous sleuth.
Run out of town by the law, Walters and his henchmen take Milly and Besssie by force, shooting Frank as he returns to patch things up. Frank summons Milly's brother, Jim Carson (Tom Mix), and a promise to track down the men who took his sister and shot Frank lead to years on the trail, where he changes his name to Lassiter, becoming feared for his fast gun. The upright but deadly Lassiter will dispatch of the three who helped take his sister, and move on to Cottonwood, where Walters has become judge after changing his name to Dyer. Complicating his search is the lovely Mabel Ballin as Jane Withersteen. Highly regarded for her cold beauty, she had starred as Jane Eyre in 1921, and was very popular during WWI. In what would be her final year in pictures before retiring from the screen, she is lovely and warm as the rancher who turns Lassiter away from his guns for a time as he helps her top hand Bern Venters (Harold Goodwin) against those trying to run her in to the ground.
There is a sweet romance that blossoms which is aided by the adorable young orphan girl Jane cares for, Fay. Film buffs will remember Anne Shirley from King Vidor's Stella Dallas, but may not know she was a child actor dating all the way back to silent films. Her Fay is very cute, and helps bring Lassiter and Jane closer. Tully, who knows about Milly and Bessie, and wants to marry Jane, blackmails Dyer into having the court take Fay away from Jane. Meanwhile, Venters has discovered the masked rider of the sage is a beautiful young girl and has fallen in love with her. Beautiful Marian Nixon, who would marry sound director William A. Seiter and stay that way for 30 years, portrays the girl with an ache in her heart only the truth and love can mend.
A confrontation between Lassiter and the man who took his sister, and a reuniting of the two couples under siege will provide some revelations and a romantic and satisfying conclusion to this great silent western. Though some elements of the Zane Grey novel are toned down, the overall story is faithfully rendered, at a lightning pace. It is also beautifully shot by photographer Daniel Clark, making this a splendid vehicle for Tom Mix, one of the greatest cowboys ever to ride the purple sage. The dvd from Sinister Cinema is a terrific print, but if you can't track one down, it is also available from sellers on another label, on vhs. Riders of the Purple Sage is a wonderful way to remember Tom Mix, a hero when we needed one.
Summary of Riders Of The Purple Sage
A Ranger spends his prime years tracking a sister and niece who were abducted by a crooked lawyer. Tom Mix sacrifices everything to bring Warner Oland to justice in this romantic silent classic, based on a Zane Grey novel. Standard; Soundtrack: music score. Silent with music score.