The Cowboy and the Flapper

A routine western programmer from 1924, "The Cowboy and the Flapper" will likely appeal primarily to silent-film fans, who are always starved for movies that survive from the pre-sound era. However, the plot is slim; the strapping hero, Dan Patterson, played by western star William Fairbanks, finds himself caught up with a gang of bank robbers, who mistake him for another criminal. Meanwhile, the grimy unshaven outlaws kidnap Dorothy Revier, who plays Alice Allison, the "flapper" of the title, who seems to have wandered off a local dude ranch. Directed by Alan James, the short film plays out predictably and comes up short on action. Although the image is clear, the surviving print has enough scratches and tears to intrude at times.

Fairbanks and Revier are adequate in undemanding parts, and the unsavory gang members are appropriately unsavory. Described as a "vamp," Revier projects little of that quality here, and her title "Queen of Poverty Row" seems more apt. Fairbanks, no relation to Douglas, has the physical assets for a western hero, but, like Revier, lacks charisma and is a colorless, if pleasant looking, leading man. While Fairbanks retired at the end of the silent era, Revier survived the transition to sound and made B-grade talkies throughout the 1930's. While "The Cowboy and the Flapper" is no classic, the film has historic value and interest as an example of the silent western genre and for its largely forgotten stars.