By 1925, silent western star Tom Mix had been a headliner for a decade, first in short films and then, from 1918 onward, features. This is one of Tom's collaborations with his frequent director Lynn Reynolds and possibly their most famous film together. Mix was at the top of his career at this point, and with the advent of sound films would slide into b westerns. Reynolds would continue directing until 1929, when he shot himself.
This is an adaptation of a Zane Grey novel that has been turned to films several times over. The first one, by Frank Lloyd, has been lost to history making this the oldest surviving take. It is a classic story-line with a big time interval in the narrative. Woman named Millie (Beatrice Burnham) catches the unwanted attention of an evil judge (Warner Oland), who has Millie and her daughter Bess taken. Millie's husband dies swearing his vengeance, and the guy executing this final wish is Millie's brother Jim Lassiter (Mix), who spends years looking for the lost Bess, who has been separated from Millie.
The narrative is told neatly in an hour without a feeling that things got rushed. The film showcases Mix at the top of his game, and there was a fair amount of action. As was the case in most silent westerns, the character work is very thin. The villain is literally trying to kick a child. But if you con't come in expecting "The Searchers" level of depth and character study, this film should get the job done.
