A Grande Emboscada

Great K&A Train Robbery, The (1926)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

The K&A Train Company are being robbed left and right so the president hires a detective but he thinks the guy has chickened out. It turns out that the detective (Tom Mix) is actually on the case but hiding his identity because he knows that it's the president's secretary who is tipping off the bad guys. Now the detective must try and not only stop the bad guys but find a way to make sure the latest gold delivery gets to the bank. If you've ever seen a movie serial then you know the final three or four minutes is where the film really comes to life as the action picks up and it leads to a tense cliffhanger. That's pretty much what this film is as it runs just over an hour and for the most part it's just one action packed scene right after another and I couldn't help but think of the final minutes of a serial but here those exciting final minutes lasts the entire running time. It's easy to see why this movie was so popular back in the day because it features Mix doing everything he was loved for and at a pace probably a lot faster than most people had ever witnessed. Many reviewers mention how fast this movie is and it is rather amazing to see how much they packed into such a short time. The opening sequence runs twenty-minutes as the train is on the way, the robbery are set up and ready to go and then we see Mix who is hanging off a cliff waiting for his time to shine. This sequence runs twenty-minutes and features a build-up, the action and then the pay off. This is a tremendous sequence that contains so much action and drama that the middle portion of the film somewhat feels slow in comparison and yet it's still ten times faster than your typical Western. This earliest sequence certainly makes the film one of the most memorable Westerns of the silent era. There's a stunt where Mix (probably his double) goes from one cliff and has to ride down the rope to a horse waiting on the ground. This looks incredible and is just one example of why stunts in the silents were so dangerous but at the same so amazing to watch. Mix, needless to say, fits the role of the good cowboy without any problems and delivers another winning performance. Tony, his horse, is also in good form and gets to do a couple stunts himself. Dorothy Dwan plays the love interest, Will Walling her father and Carl Miller plays the snake informant. Apparently a young John Wayne is also in the cast but I couldn't spot him. THE GREAT K&A TRAIN ROBBERY was legendary in its day but it seems to have been forgotten by many today, which is a real shame because silent fans will certainly eat this up but the thing is so fast and action-packed that I can't help but think many others would get a kick out of it.

Popular actor Tom Mix was a veteran of the screen by the time John Wayne's first appearance in front of the camera, debuting in a short for Selig Polyscope's 1909 "The Cowboy Millionaire.'" By the time he was in October 1926's "The Great K & A Train Robbery," Mix was Hollywood's top Western actor, pulling in well over $7,500 per week. Wearing his trademark wide-brimmed white hat and wearing flashy clothes, Mix performed all his physical stunts. He's first seen in "The Great K & A Robbery" dangling high above the Colorado River eavesdropping on a conversation between two baddies on the edge of a cliff. Once Mix gets the lowdown on what those two desperados are up to, he proceeds to get on his trusty horse, 'Tony the Wonder Horse,' a celebrity in his own right, to chase after a speeding train with Madge Cullen (Dorothy Dwan), on board. She's the object of a kidnapping scheme by the gang looking to cash in on a big ransom payback.

Based on a Paul Leicester Ford 1896 novel, "The Great K & A Robbery," the film sees Mix as a detective investigating a series of robberies on the K & A Railroad. He discovers the president of the rail company's secretary is an insider working in cahoots with the bandits responsible for holding up his employer's trains. All the exterior action takes place in the rugged terrain of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where scores of that town's citizenship came out to watch Mix perform his daredevil feats before the camera.

By the time the silent film era ended, Mix had been in 282 movies. His transition to sound was not quite as successful, since, because of a previous accident where a bullet entered his throat, as well as several broken noses over the years from stunt work, Mix's voice didn't have that strength of authority required for a macho cowboy he had been portraying all those years. He did make nine films for Universal Pictures when talkies entered the pictures. But his extravagant spending and a purchase of a circus which his daughter ran into the ground, resulted his finances being squandered away. In 1940, while driving to visit a sheriff in Tucson, Arizona, Mix swerved to avoid construction barriers marking a washed out bridge. A heavy suitcase in the backseat hit him square in the back of his head as his car overturned in a gully, breaking his neck. He was instantly killed at the age of 60.

I am not a fan of silent movies and I didn't know this was a silent film when I started watching. But... it got me from the start. Tom Mix was 46 when he made this film and he did his own stunts! The opening stunt with the ropes over the raging river got me into the film. His horse " Tony " is really good. How did they get him to go across a rope bridge? Apparently Mix rode Tony for many years. The story is predictable but well done as well. The train scenes are fun to watch and although there are some scenes which seem to me over acted I found it a really enjoyable film. It is also interesting to see the furnishings of the railway cars and the steam engines, which are so obviously authentic for their time. It's a duster, not a great movie, but fun to watch. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. There are so many little things of interest throughout the film which give one a glimpse of what life was like - way back when.

For those interested in American silent movie history, this film provides a rare look into movies as popular culture. Sadly, 95% of all silent fims made, have been lost through nitrate decomposition or outright destruction. This film made in 1926, is a rare survivor of the cowboy genre targeted for a youth audience. The plot to say the least is simplistic. But it was loaded wonderful stunts, constant action and spectacular scenery. Tom Mix was a hugh boxoffice draw, and as well know then, as was Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, or Mary Pickford. If you're curious to see a film that might well have thrilled your great grandfather and great grandmother when they were kids, check out *The Great A&K*.

It remains true that some of the greatest cinema ever produced came from the silent era; it's also true that some titles of the time can be fairly described as "simpler entertainment for a simpler time." Especially with storytelling that's rather direct and relatively unsophisticated, one may reasonably argue that this 1926 western probably doesn't fall into the former category - though for all the hard work and cleverness that went into it, 'The great K & A train robbery' is absolutely more than any mere reflection of the latter. Even within the first several minutes there is a great deal to greet us that readily impresses, and one quickly begins to fall in love. I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it an complete must-see, yet this is a classic that mostly holds up tremendously and is well worth checking out if you have the opportunity. While we may debate the specifics of whether or not the sum total is "flawless," for the level at which it operates, I'm happy to say the distinction means little.

The filming locations are utterly gorgeous, and the wear of time on the surviving print hasn't diminished their visualization in the slightest. Within the natural settings in Coloradan landscapes, and the excellent constructed sets, star Tom Mix, "Wonder Horse" Tony,' and the other stunt performers execute a variety of dangerous, genuinely thrilling maneuvers, some of which definitely would not be done the same way in subsequent years as considerations developed of safety and animal labor. The stunts and effects are truly superb and all involved are to be commended for such outstanding work - including director Lewis Seiler and cinematographer Daniel B. Clark, whose keen minds and eyes consistently supply a wonderfully active, dynamic, vivid spectacle. No, not every passing moment is a major to-do, but even quieter scenes are orchestrated with an intelligence and finesse that's deeply gratifying. It very much comes across how much passion and care went into the production, and what joy these folks took in making pictures and telling stories. Even if it's not perfect, this exemplifies why we love movies.

True, there's some questionable, indelicate language concerning Curtis McHenry and his character, and one could easily take issue with some of the writing - such as, chiefly, the somewhat contrived, obligatory romantic element. But these are echoes of contemporary society, and matters of oversimplification; though worthy of discussion, they do not substantially take away from the terrific value 'The great K & A train robbery' can otherwise claim. That value further includes splendid, nuanced acting from all on hand, among them Dorothy Dwan, Will Walling, and Carl Miller, not to mention Harry Gripp and Mix. Working from Paul Leicester Ford's novel, John Stone penned a fantastic screenplay with strong scene writing to flesh out a duly compelling narrative. Even the costume design, hair, and makeup are swell. It bears repeating, though, that this is a feature with a mind for wowing the audience, and it ably succeeds with those marvelous filming locations, effects, and stunts, deftly realized through smart direction and cinematography. There's some drama in this western, yes, and romance, but at its core this is almost more of an action flick, and with some light comedy on top the result at worst only just stops short of being fully perfect.

I can understand how older cinema doesn't appeal to all comers; I'd have said the same of myself at one time. With sufficient strength and obvious skill, however, some fare supersedes any bounds of personal preferences, and I'm inclined to believe this might be an example of a title that may help to bridge the gap for folks who don't generally sit for the silent era. We can and should talk about some facets with a mind for how things have changed over time, or needed to or should change, but by and large this is stupendously fun and well made all throughout its minute length. It's exciting and absorbing, keeping us firmly locked in, and from one scene to the next there's so much for us to take in that the film quite warrants another view just so we can have more of a chance to see every brilliant detail. In all honesty, I dare say this is more riveting and satisfying than vast swaths of all those pictures that have followed in the past ninety-eight years, be they western, action, thriller, sci-fi, or anything else. I assumed I'd appreciate 'The great K & A train robbery,' but it's certainly far better than I could have hoped. I could scarcely be more pleased with just how good it is, and I'm happy to give it my very high and hearty recommendation!