Will R. Walling Movies

The Tim McCoy western Winners of the Wilderness was shot simultaneously with McCoy's War Paint, using the same locations for both. Boasting a larger budget than the average "B"-western, the film casts McCoy as a courageous Indian scout, determined to negotiate an honorable peace between the white settlers and his Native American friends. Though his efforts are undercut by various villains pursuing their own agendae, our hero finally prevails. The film's most startling sequence finds a nude male prisoner being burned at the stake by hostile tribesmen -- hardly the sort of thing one might expect in a film essentially designed for preteen moviegoers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Having scored big-time box office with his first Biblical epic, The Ten Commandments (1923), Cecil B. DeMille hoped to top this success with his 1927 The King of Kings. Inasmuch as he was now dealing with the life of Christ, DeMille had to be careful to serve up equal amounts of showmanship and reverence. The first creative challenge: how to "introduce" Christ in a tasteful manner? The answer: as a blind child is cured through Jesus' intervention, DeMille cuts to the child's point-of-view, slowly fading in on the kindly countenance of H.B. Warner as the Son of Man. Still, DeMille remained DeMille, especially in his handling of the character of Mary Magdalene (Jacqueline Logan). No longer a tattered streetwalker, Mary Magdalene is now a glamorous courtesan, replete with legions of gorgeous slave girls (one of whom is "bubble dancer" Sally Rand) and dressed in revealing Hollywood-style gowns. In fact, the film opens on this character, as she ruminates over the defection of her favorite customer, Judas Iscariot (Joseph Schildkraut), who is spending far too much time with Jesus of Nazareth. Upon visiting Jesus herself, she immediately repents, casting off all her prior sins. Once again, the efficacy of the Cecil B. DeMille formula is proven: redemption has no dramatic value unless the film shows viewers why the sinner needs to be redeemed. Once he's gotten his box-office considerations out of the way, DeMille adheres faithfully to the particulars of Jesus' life, betrayal, trial, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. (Again, however, the director improves a bit upon his source material: the storm that follows the Crucifixion is of the same spectacular dimensions as the parting of the Red Sea in Ten Commandments, while the Resurrection is filmed in vibrant Technicolor). To back up the authenticity of his images, DeMille -- with an assist from scenarist Jeannie Macpherson -- utilizes Scriptural quotes in his subtitles. And to avoid any untoward publicity while filming, DeMille required all of his actors to sign legal documents preventing them from indulging in any sort of "sinful" activity; this meant that poor old H.B. Warner had to steer clear of alcoholic beverages for nearly a year, though he more than made up for lost time after his contract ran out. Prepared to mercilessly lambaste The King of Kings, DeMille's critics were disarmed by his reverent, tasteful approach to the subject. Years after the film's release, a specially prepared 60-minute version of the 18-reel King of Kings was making the rounds of religious groups, church basements, and Easter-weekend telecasts. The film was remade in 1961 by producer Samuel Bronston and director Nicholas Ray, with Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Despite its Victrola-inspired title, His Master's Voice was a silent film (though it was released with an accompanying musical score, written by Gus Edwards, Howard Johnson and Irving Bibo, for the benefit of moviehouse pit orchestras). Rin-Tin-Tin wannabe Thunder the Dog stars as an army mutt during World War I. With Thunder's help, human co-star George Hackathorne overcomes his cowardice on the battlefield. Hackathorne then returns home to settle accounts with the crooked rival who stole his gal (Marjorie Daw). The novelty: His Master's Voice is related in flashback by Thunder himself, who is seen at the beginning and end of the film "telling" his story to his pups. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jackie Coogan stars as Mickey Hogan, the young orphan who is shipwrecked on his journey from San Francisco to Australia in this adventure drama. He and a black cat raft onto an isolated tropical island inhabited by cannibals. When the fiery youngster fights back, he is made the official god of war by the tribe. Mickey rescues two men and a young girl who inadvertently end up on the menu of the hungry tribe. He is rescued by a U.S. Navy destroyer and reunited in California with his friend Captain McDavitt (Will R. Walling). Tom Santschi, Noble Johnson, and Tote Ducrow co-star with Bert Sprotte and Gloria Grey. After the box-office failure of his previous film A Boy Of Flanders, Coogan re-established his considerable reputation with this performance. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Jack Holt stands out in this adaptation of the William LeBaron stage hit. A pair of con artists have published a book under the fictitious name of Robert Douglas. Now the IRS, the publisher, and various other organizations are after them and they must somehow come up with a "Robert Douglas." They find him in John Webster (Holt), a supposed literary agent, who has arrived in town with his assistant (and former safecracker) Eddie Maloney (Harry Depp). He takes the identity of Douglas, but when he discovers the motives of the men who hired him, he turns the tables on them. In addition, he gets involved with the campaign for governor, and helps the incumbent, Kendall (Charles Clary), to be re-elected. With Maloney's aid, he uncovers a fraudulent scheme that the manager of a lumber company was using against Kendall -- which was Webster's real purpose all along. In the midst of all this activity, he also manages to win the hand of Kendall's pretty daughter, Grace (Wanda Hawley). ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This Western -- which like many silent-era pictures was based on a Saturday Evening Post story (this one by Peter B. Kyne) -- was Jack Holt's second starring vehicle. The rough character he plays here suited him well, and he would continue to find success playing virile fighting men throughout his career. With the help of Red Barton (Wade Boteler), Phil (Holt) makes a spectacular escape from jail. He obtains a parson's outfit from a pawnshop and shortly thereafter winds up in a barroom brawl. One of the other brawlers is Chuckwalla Bill (J.P. Lockney), the newly elected mayor of the town of Panamint. Bill likes Phil's style and brings him in as the new pastor. To make his way in this tough Western town, the pseudo-preacher has to fight his way through the town's rough element. He wins the town's respect -- and the love of dancehall girl Sunflower Sadie (Mabel Van Buren). He also wins over the religious people of Panamint and brings the two opposing factions, good and bad, together. But then the law catches up with him and he has to go back to prison to finish his term. Sadie promises to wait for him, and when he finally is released, there she is, with open arms. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide