Benjamin F. Wilson Movies

Here we go again with plot number 3729-B. Golden-hearted chorus girl Sally Casey (Priscilla Bonner) is in love with wealthy Chet Randall (Rex Lease), and the feeling is mutual. Randall's snobbish father (Ben Wilson) staunchly opposes the romance. Sally saves the day -- and her impending marriage -- when she reveals that Randall Sr. is himself carrying on with nightclub hostess "Alabam" Kenyon (Rosemary Theby). The last-named character was obviously based on "Queen of the Nightclubs" Texas Guinan, whose asking price was a bit out of the range for the producers of Girls Who Dare. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Riding somewhat on his more famous brother Jack's coattails, Al Hoxie starred in eight Westerns produced by William Pizor for release by low-budget corporation Krelbar. The initial entry in the Pizor series, His Last Bullet tells the none-too-original story of Tom Randall, a miner whose brother and partner is murdered by a claim-jumper (Houston Ellis). Taking a job as a ranch hand, Tom discovers that the villain who has been threatening his employer is the same man who killed brother Phil. When the rancher refuses to part with half of the ranch, the villain kidnaps his daughter (Peggy O'Day). The resourceful Tom manages to rescue the girl and is later presented with a share in her father's ranch. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Cowboy Arthur Weston (Dick Hatton) sulkily observes his girlfriend Mary Osbourn (Elsa Benham) doing the Charleston with smooth city-slicker Stephen Stanton (Robert Walker). The latter is in reality the leader of a gang of cattle rustlers, a fact the stubborn Mary refuses to believe. It takes the combined efforts of Weston and marshal Harry Beal (George Kesterson) to bring the villain and his gang to justice. Kesterson, who later acted under the name Art Mix, tracks down Stanton's henchmen (Al Ferguson and Cliff Lyons from an airplane, a rather spectacular climax to an otherwise extremely low-budget silent western. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Romance, betrayal, and forgiveness at a cavalry outpost were the ingredients in this low-budget silent Western directed by and starring Benjamin F. Wilson. Wilson played Captain Teale, who, while stationed at a small garrison in Indian Territory, falls for the commandant's daughter (Neva Gerber). The girl's brother (Bill Patton), thought dead by his family, proves to be a villainous renegade. The young man assumes another identity and returns to the fort to create endless problems for the inhabitants. When the Indians attack the fort in reprisal for the villain's dirty deals, he is mortally wounded. Confessing all, the young renegade is forgiven and, according to a subtitle, dies "in peace with God and himself." B-Western hero Bill Patton earned a rare unsympathetic role as the young renegade in this otherwise standard low-budget Western. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The action melodrama team of Ben Wilson and Neva Gerber strikes again in this low-budget silent western. Wilson is a rancher who accidentally blinds his rival's stenographer (Gerber) during a battle with a gang of land grabbers. The loss of sight proves temporary, however, and the two fall in love. As usual, Wilson produced the film himself but left the directorial chores to Jacques Jaccard. Although they were assumed to be man and wife off-screen, Wilson and Gerber were only business partners. In fact, Gerber was engaged to William Desmond Taylor when the flamboyant director was found murdered in February of 1922. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Stunt innovator Yakima Canutt had already been making his presence known in films for several years by the time F.B.O. starred him in a series of Westerns. This one was the first, and since Canutt wrote the story himself (with the help of George W. Pyper), it's loaded with the kind of masterful stunts at which he excelled. Scar Hanan (Canutt) sets out to find his father's killer -- the same man who has cheated him out of some property -- and gets a job on a ranch belonging to Bart Hutchins (George Lassey). Hutchins frames him as a rustler and has him arrested. Hanan escapes during the trial and heads for South America. He stops in Los Angeles, however, long enough to save Marion Fleming (Dorothy Woods) from a runaway horse. He meets her father, Dr. Craig Fleming (Palmer Morrison), and it turns out that he was a partner of Hanan's father. The doctor removes the scar from Hanan's face so that he can return to the Hutchins ranch. Julia Creighton (Helen Bruneau) claims the property belonging to Hanan with a forged deed, and she finally confesses that Hutchins is his father's killer. Marion and her father arrive, as does the sheriff. They prevent Hanan from doing in Hutchins, and instead bring him to justice through the courts. Marion reveals that she loves Hanan, and they end the film together. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Lower-echelon silent screen cowboy Dick Hatton starred in this average oater independently produced by Ben Wilson for release by the Arrow exchanges. Hatton played that standard silent screen character, the Eastern dandy who toughens up on a Western ranch. One of the least impressive of silent screen heroes, Hatton was helped immensely in this film by a fine supporting cast that included stunt-rider Marilyn Mills and, as the ubiquitous crooked ranch foreman, Yakima Canutt. As an inside joke, Canutt's character was given the name of prolific Western villain Bud Osborne. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Action star Ben Wilson enjoyed a modicum of success as an independent producer in the 1920s. One of Wilson's least typical outings (there were no chase scenes or last-minute rescues) was 1924's Gambling Wives. Marjorie Daw plays Ann Forrest, the wife of chronic gambler/philanderer Vincent Forrest (Edward Earle). Tired of being the object of pity and ridicule, Ann offers her affections to Van Merton (Ward Crane), the paramour of gambling casino owner Mme. Zoe (Hedda Hopper). A last-reel act of violence awakens the Forrests to their foolishness. Gambling Wives is worth noting because of the presence of two Mack Sennett veterans: director Dell Henderson, and "supporting player" Buddy the Dog. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Obscure silent screen cowboy Dick Hatton both starred in and co-wrote this equally obscure oater produced by Ben Wilson for Arrow release. Pressured into an unwanted marriage, Eastern society girl Marilyn Mills hightails it out West and falls for a rough-hewn cowpoke (Hatton). The jilted suitor (Philip Sleeman) is hot on her trail, however, but a final shootout settles the matter once and for all. Leading lady Mills was a Dutch-born equestrienne whose horse, Beverly, was prominently billed in this film. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Cowboy Ben Wilson arrives at Arthur Mackley's ranch just in time to prevent the daughter of the house (Marjorie Daw) from marrying scoundrel Reed Howes in this low-budget Western which benefitted from a strong supporting cast. There is the inevitable crooked ranch foreman, of course, played by stunt-man Yakima Canutt. At one point in the film, Canutt actually appears to get stoned on marijuana, a first (and last) for a B-Western. Co-star Reed Howes was perhaps Hollywood's most handsome actor, known prior to his screen debut as the model for the "Arrow Collar" ads. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Falsely accused of murdering a prospector and on the lam from the law, rancher Jess Dean (Yakima Canutt) not only tracks down the real culprit (shifty-eyed Wilbur McGaugh) but earns the love and respect of his enemy's daughter (Aly Murrell). Directed by prolific western performer Paul Hurst, this independently produced silent western was one of the earliest starring vehicles for legendary stunt-coordinator Yakima Canutt. Cannutt's career as a leading man didn't survive the changeover to sound, but his stunt work made a lasting impression on the film industry and earned him a special Academy Award in 1966 "for creating the profession of stunt man as it exists today." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Louis King directed this minor William Fairbanks oater, in which the athletic star plays Duke Steele, a prospector whose life is saved by an elderly colleague, Silver Sleed (P. Dempsey Tabler). When his rescuer's wife and child are kidnapped by an evil dance-hall proprietor (Al Hart), Steele goes into action with a vengeance. Co-star P. Dempsey Tabler became the screen's second Tarzan, in The Son of Tarzan (1920). Needless to say, the middle-aged British Thespian was slightly miscast. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Independent producer-director Ben Wilson was the one who suggested Hartford Hoxie change his name to plain Jack Hoxie. The two met on the serial Lightning Bryce (1919), and Wilson signed the brawny cowboy to a series of 13 cheaply made but fairly popular western melodramas. Wilson even secured European distribution deals for his little oaters, and Hoxie was well on his way to stardom, a stardom that would culminate at Universal in the mid-1920s. The Marshal of Moneymint was Jack's final film for Wilson and was a plain western story about a volunteer lawman (Hoxie) who rids a mining town of the unscrupulous Velvet Joe Sellers (Claude Payton and his gang of claim jumpers. Following this film, Hoxie and Wilson parted ways, the former finding a new home with yet another Gower Gulch producer, Anthony J. Xydias. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide