Tom Mix Movies
Popular Hollywood mythology suggests that cowboy superstar Tom Mix was a superhuman Western legend who served as everything from war hero to hard-case deputy marshal. Mix did have a remarkable life and career, though many details of his numerous heroic feats were simply the indulgent fabrications of imaginative studio publicists, eager to create a larger-than-life Western mega-star. Mix did indeed serve as a Texas Ranger and was, in fact, a legitimate champion rodeo rider and a genuine true blood cowboy, and it was Mix himself that was responsible for his greatest accomplishments, not the active imaginations of starry-eyed publicists.Born in 1880 in Mix Run, PA, to a lumberjack father, he seemed destined from the earliest age to become something more than simply another working cowboy. Whetting his appetite for acting in a series of Wild West action shows, Mix was initially hired by the Selig Company as a cattle wrangler for Ranch Life in the Great Southwest (1910), though it soon became obvious that Mix aspired to roles of greater prominence in film. Refining his image as a flashy and energetic entertainer with a knack for accomplishing death-defying stunts, Mix was a born showman who, no matter who he had been cast or as which role he may have been playing, was always Tom Mix. His signature style embedded into every screen character, Mix won over audiences by always letting his colorful personality shine through his various roles (a trait that many later actors would emulate with varying degrees of success). Signing on with the Fox Film Corporation in 1917, Mix soon found the role that would propel him into stardom in 1920's The Untamed. Establishing Western conventions that would continue their influence on the genre for decades, Mix continued to star in a spectacular amount of popular, quality Westerns (often adaptations of Zane Grey novels) including The Lone Star Ranger (1923) and Riders of the Purple Sage (1925). The '20s were the peak years in Mix's remarkable career. Working tirelessly, Mix became the epitome of the Western superstar, and along with his popular horse Tony, Mix consistently thrilled moviegoing audiences with such breezy and fanciful stunt-filled adventures as Dick Turpin (1925) and The Great K&A Train Robbery (1926). Though the slumping popularity of Westerns in the late '20s momentarily put the brakes on Mix's particular niche, he bounced back briefly in the early '30s with a series of Universal adventures. Destry Rides Again and Rider of Death Valley (both 1932) were certainly entertaining films, but Mix's age had begun to betray his remarkably agile abilities that initially propelled him into stardom. Successfully touring with circuses, including the Tom Mix Circus, into the '30s, Mix continued to hold his reputation as a dedicated and enthusiastically energetic entertainer -- even inspiring a long-running radio show based on his fictional adventures -- until his death in an automobile accident on an Arizona highway in 1940.
~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
The fourth of Oscar-winning short-subject director Youngson's comedy compilations (the earlier ones were Golden Age of Comedy, When Comedy was King, and Days of Thrills and Laughter) is, amazingly, almost as full and fresh as those earlier efforts, containing highlights from such silent comedy classics as Chaplin's Floorwalker, Easy Street, Pawnshop and, best of all, Rink; Buster Keaton's Balloonatic and Daydreams; Harry Langdon's Smile Please, and the prototypical Laurel and Hardy team-up, Lucky Dog. Youngson's choice of material is unquestionably fine, and equally satisfying is the quality of the film clips, courtesy of archivist Paul Guffanti. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
A Texas Ranger (Tom Mix, in his last film) must stop an evil gang leader (Charles Middleton) who is trying to scare Indians from their reservation in order to profit from the land. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1933
Tom Mix once again goes up against corrupt Fred Kohler in this would-be epic Western filmed on-location at Kanab, UT. Retiring from a life of train robbing, Benjamin R. Jones (Kohler) takes over the ghost town of Stillwell, knowing full well that the property belongs to Molly O'Rourke (Margaret Lindsay). Enter horse wrangler Tom Mason (Mix), who smells a rat and does his best to unmask Jones as the crook he knows him to be. Molly at first falls for Jones' scheme, but confronts him when a general feeling of lawlessness sets in. The villain, alas, has an ace up his sleeve: Molly owes back taxes on her property, which is ripe for a takeover. The Fourth Horseman was the fifth of nine Westerns Tom Mix would make for Universal from 1932-1933 before an on-the-set accident basically ended his career as a series Western star. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margaret Lindsay, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1933
Rustler's Roundup was western star Tom Mix's final feature film; only the 1935 serial Mystery Rider remained before Mix bid adios to the movies. Our Tom comes to the aid of heroine Diane Sinclair, who is being victimized by swarthy Noah Beery Jr. Sinclair's dad has been murdered, and Beery Jr., perpetrator of the deed, now wants to get his dirty mitts on her ranch. You can bet that ranch that Mix won't let that happen! Walter Brennan, three years away from stardom, has a bit role. While filming Rustlers' Roundup, Tom Mix suffered an injury which kept the 53-year-old star off-camera for nearly two years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1933
Tom Mix goes up against a ruthless gang of rustlers headed by a crooked army colonel in this, his penultimate Western for Universal. When a vigilante group assembled by Colonel Charles Ormsby (John St. Polis) fails to make a dent in the rustlings -- primarily because Ormsby and the local sheriff (Frank Brownlee) are the secret leaders of the gang -- rancher Tom Munroe (Mix) is assigned by the governor of Arizona to look into things. With the help of local cowboy Lucky Dawson (Raymond Hatton), Tom discovers that young rancher Bernie "Little Casino" Laird (Arthur Rankin), the weakling brother of Norma Laird (Naomi Judge), is secretly a member of the gang. When the rustlers turn to robbing the stage, Mix manages to arrest Bernie and two henchmen (Francis McDonald and Robert Kortman), but all three are freed from jail by Ormsby. During a climactic shootout at the Laird ranch, young Bernie reveals that Ormsby and the sheriff are crooked and the entire gang is rounded up and arrested. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Naomi Judge, (more)
- 1933
The exploits of 18th-century British highwayman Dick Turpin have been immortalized in scores of poems, ballads, novels, plays and films. This particular version was adapted from Rockwood, a novel by Harrison Ainsworth. Victor McLaglen stars as Turpin, and while he might be a bit thick of beam for the role, there's no denying that he delivers the goods in terms of action and virility. Naturally, the film's highlight is Dick Turpin's legendary ride to York, which is filmed with reasonable excitement and accuracy (save for a few quick glimpses of contemporary telephone poles). Featured in the cast of Dick Turpin is Scotch comedian James Finlayson, the perennial foil of Laurel and Hardy, who appeared in several British productions between 1933 and 1935. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor McLaglen, Jane Carr, (more)
- 1933
Tom Mix makes like Hoot Gibson in the 1933 western Flaming Guns. Cast against type, Mix plays a cloddish sort who avoids using firearms whenever possible. When Ruth Hall's parents disapprove of her romance with Mix, the two lovers elope South of the Border. Flaming Guns was based on a story by Peter B. Kyne, who generally delivered more actionful fare than this. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1933
Tom Mix goes undercover as a prison inmate in this Western from Universal. The reason for Tom's masquerade is a bank robbery that wiped out his pretty boss, Nora Lane (Judith Barrie). The perpetrators, Doc (Donald Kirke), Spike (Raymond Hatton), and Big Ben (Eddie Gribbon), were all sent to the big house, but without revealing where they hid the loot. It is Tom's job to find out and a prison break offers him the perfect opportunity to do so. But the cowboy's disguise works all too well and soon both Nora and the law believe him to be in cahoots with the escapees. According to Hidden Gold's publicity, an actual forest fire was used in the film, the crew having been enlisted by the fire brigade during location filming in the hills north of Los Angeles. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judith Barrie, Tom Mix, (more)
- 1932
The 1932 Tom Mix version of Destry Rides Again bears no more relation to the original Max Brand novel than does the 1939 James Stewart remake. Thanks to his crooked partner (Earle Foxe), Jim Destry (Mix) is thrown into jail. Finally released, he "rides again" to prove his innocence and bring the guilty parties to justice. The action highlights include the hero's leap from a train to his horse and back again (it doesn't look as if doubles were used). Claudia Dell, best known to present-day audiences as Spanky's mother in the "Our Gang" films, is the heroine, while ZaSu Pitts, of all people, supplies the comedy relief. Though Tom Mix expressed displeasure with the film, Destry Rides Again remains one of his best talkies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, ZaSu Pitts, (more)
- 1932
A semi-sequel to Tom Mix's 1932 Destry Rides Again, Rider of Death Valley finds Mix protecting the gold-mine claim of little Edith Fellows. Fellows' father has met his end at the hands of villain Fred Kohler. Kohler confronts Mix in the wastes of Death Valley, hoping to leave Mix to perish beneath the merciless sun. In a climax reminiscent of Erich Von Stroheim's Greed, both men struggle over a half-empty canteen of water, as leading lady Lois Wilson looks on helplessly. Rider of Death Valley was the second of silent western hero Tom Mix's talking features for Universal, though it was released fourth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Lois Wilson, (more)
- 1932
The 1932 Tom Mix western talkie Texas Bad Man has much in common with the sombre silent efforts by Mix's former rival William S. Hart. Lawman Mix deliberately cultivates a reputation as an outlaw in order to infiltrate a gang of thieves. What sets this one apart from most budget westerns of its period are the believable situations and three-dimensional characterizations. In particular, Willard Robertson as the head villain delivers a performance that under different circumstances might very well have earned him an Oscar nomination. Also worthy of praise is the cinematography, courtesy of longtime Tom Mix associate Daniel Clark. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Fred Kohler, (more)
- 1932
My Pal the King may not be the best of Tom Mix's talkie westerns, but it is the one that comes closest to the spirit of his silent films -- and it's the one that everyone seems to remember the most. The scene is a mythical European kingdom, where 10-year-old King Charles (Mickey Rooney) yawns his way through cabinet meetings dominated by the scheming, covetous Count DeMar (James Kirkwood). Escaping his royal environs, Charles scurries to the town square (actually the village set from Frankenstein!) where visiting Wild-West showman Tom Reed (Mix) is leading a parade. Quickly befriending Tom, Charles and his entourage are invited to a special presentation of Reed's travelling circus. Reciprocating, Charles welcomes Tom into the palace, where the down-to-earth Westerner introduces the young monarch to the concept of democracy. Sensing that Charles is being swayed by Tom's egalitarian point of view, the evil DeMar kidnaps the boy and traps him in the catacombs of the Count's country estate. As Charles's underground prison slowly fills with water, Tom and his buddies race to the rescue. In the best tradition of Universal Pictures, My Pal the King offers a million dollars' worth of entertainment on a very modest budget; in addition, the film offers the modern viewer a tantalizing glimpse of what Tom Mix's real-life Wild West Show must have been like (among the performers is former Olympic champion Jim Thorpe). The film falters only when star Mix comes "out" of the picture, exhorting the kids in the audience to imagine what it must be like for King Charles to experience his first western show; impressive though he is on a physical level, Mix was never much of a verbal actor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Mickey Rooney, (more)
- 1929
The era's greatest western star Tom Mix had left his safe berth with the Fox company by 1929 and was struggling on poverty row. In this his third film for FBO (Film Booking Office), Mix plays Tom Manning, a cowboy framed for murder and bank robbery by bandit leader Ethan Laidlaw. As always, justice prevails, but Mix has to make a daring escape from jail to right the wrongs done to him. The leading lady, Sally Blane, was the sister of Loretta Young. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sally Blane, Albert J. Smith, (more)
- 1929
With less sumptuous production values perhaps, but with just as much savoir faire as in his earlier Fox Westerns, Tom Mix starred in this late-silent Wild West melodrama from poverty row company FBO as a ranch foreman assigned to escort his employer's daughter (Kathryn McGuire) from the big city back to the ranch. The girl, Ellen, is carrying the valuable Regent diamond, and the pair become the target of a gang of thieves led, it turns out, by Ellen's former fiancée Rodney (Ernest Hilliard). Still a name to be reckoned with, Mix was released from his contract later that year when FBO abandoned the outdoor units in preparation for a merger with RKO and sound films. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Kathryn McGuire, (more)
- 1929
Tom Mix's penultimate silent western, this film was executive produced by Joseph P. Kennedy (the father of the president), whose small-time FBO company was about to merge into the new RKO Radio conglomerate. Unfortunately, neither The Drifter nor Mix's final film for Kennedy, The Big Diamond Robbery (1929), were high points in a career that had brought the former Selig player fame and fortune as the most beloved western star of the 1920s. The Drifter incorporated several airplane stunts as Mix's deputy marshal goes after a gang of dope smugglers, the leader of which turns out to be aviator Albert J. Smith. Mix and a colleague (weasel-looking Barney Furey) go undercover on Dorothy Dwan's ranch, where they discover a hidden gold mine. Unfortunately, Kennedy was not willing to pay for stunt-flyers, and the airplane scenes were all-too-obviously filmed on the ground. Mix left Hollywood following the conclusion of his contract with Kennedy and travelled with the Sells-Floto Circus. The aging star returned in 1932 with a series for Universal, but although the films proved profitable, the Mix magic was gone. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Dorothy Dwan, (more)
- 1928
Long before the advent of Roy Rogers, Tom Mix was regarded as the "king" of the movie cowboys. It is altogether fitting and proper, then, that Mix should be the star of the FBO sagebrusher King Cowboy. The story is set in Africa, where a band of cowboys, headed by Mix, embark on a search for their missing employer. They are accompanied in this venture by the boss' daughter, played by Sally Blane (sister of actress Loretta Young). Mix and his buddies are captured by a sinister Emir, while Blane is consigned to the evil potentate's harem. Staging a nocturnal raid on the Emir's weapons arsenal, Mix leads a counter-offensive against their captor, rescuing the heroine in the process -- and disrupting a "Wild West show" being staged for the bad guy's personal entertainment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Leigh, Sally Blane, (more)
- 1928
In his first Western after leaving Fox for poverty row company FBO, Tom Mix once again played a pony express rider rescuing the heroine Sharon Lynn from the ubiquitous runaway carriage. The girl's pa (Tom Lingham) is the survey chief for the telegraph company and in dire need of help. The company is being terrorized by Slade (Duke R. Lee) and his gang, but Mix manages to arrive with the cavalry just in time to prevent wholesale slaughter. The director of this and several other Mix films, Eugene Forde, was the star's brother-in-law. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Lee Shumway, (more)
- 1928
One of Tom Mix's most successful films, this silent Western grossed an impressive $227,200.00 in domestic rentals alone, a sizable amount in 1928. Mix portrayed a daredevil ranger on the trail of a gang of outlaws. To get close to the gang, Tom utilizes various cunning disguises, including donning the garb of a medicine man. Along the way, complications arise when Tom falls for the niece (Natalie Joyce) of the gang leader (William Welch).The action packed Western climaxes when Mix saves Joyce from a runaway car. The cousin of silent screen star Olive Borden and a 1925 WAMPAS Baby Star, dark-haired Natalie Joyce also appeared opposite Mix in The Circus Ace (1927). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Natalie Joyce, (more)
- 1928
Rival telephone companies race to complete a line between Cheyenne, Wyoming and Rawhide in this lively Tom Mix Western directed by the star's brother-in-law, Eugene Forde. The foreman of one of the competing companies hires Mix to keep an eye out for sabotage from their rival. Mix swings into action when the foreman's daughter (Caryl Lincoln) gets herself kidnapped; at one point, the athletic hero hooks under a runaway wagon in order to evade his pursuers. Miss Lincoln is rescued and her father can claim victory for his company. Reviewers of the day praised Caryl Lincoln, a 1929 Wampas Baby Star and Barbara Stanwyck's sister-in-law, for her spirited portrayal of a Western heroine. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Caryl Lincoln, (more)
- 1928
Tom Mix stars in the "modern" western Horseman of the Plains. Though the story is set in 1928, the plot is as old as the hills, with Mix coming to the aid of a rancher who's on the verge of foreclosure. Falling in love with Sally Blane, the rancher's pretty daughter, our hero vows to win an important cross-country race. And what a race! Starting on foot, the contestants are then expected to commandeer chariots, hay wagons and stagecoaches. By the time Horseman of the Plains has run its 45-minute course, Mix has emerged triumphant, winning the prize money and the girl all at once. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles "Heinie" Conklin, Charles Byer, (more)
- 1927
The Fox company's greatest asset, Western hero Tom Mix, was badly burned by gunpowder during a fight with co-star Francis McDonald while making this silent Western. This time, Mix plays The Fighting Ace of the Texas Rangers, charged with capturing a group of stage robbers. He dons the disguise of a highwayman, sticks up a stagecoach, and makes the acquaintance of the real gang leader's (McDonald) pretty daughter (Marjorie Daw). That complicates matters for a while, of course, but everything ends happily when the girl proves to be only an orphan brought up by the villain. The trade magazine Variety's review promised the audience "...plenty of action and an entirely new method of exterminating a crew of desperadoes." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Marjorie Daw, (more)
- 1927
The greatest western star of his day, Tom Mix performed several dangerous stunts without the benefit of a double in The Last Trail. One exciting scene had Mix mounting the front wheels of a crashing wagon, riding them like a Roman chariot. Director Lewis Seiler and cameraman Daniel Clark filmed the scene in a way that left no room for doubt as to whether Mix actually performed the dramatic stunt himself. The story, based on a Zane Grey original, has Mix coming to the aid of an old friend (Lee Shumway), the sheriff of Carson City, Nevada, who is having trouble with a gang of stage robbers. Along for the ride is a small child, (Jerry the Giant, who provides the film with added appeal). Jerry the Giant later changed his name to Jerry Madden and played "Slats" Fogarty in Penrod and Sam (1937) and its sequel Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Carmelita Geraghty, (more)
- 1927
The tragic drowning death of stunt woman Ethel Hall marred the filming of this otherwise below average Tom Mix western. The plot is unremarkable to say the least; Mix heroically saves rancher's daughter Dorothy Dwan from both a raging river and a gang of cattle rustlers led by popular western villain Wallace McDonald. The raging water scenes were filmed on California's Merced River. The 22-year-old Ethel Hall, doubling leading lady Dorothy Dwan, was apparently knocked unconscious when her head hit a rock. Mix's stunt co-coordinator Rocky Cline attempted to save her, but she drowned in the rapids. All in all, Tumbling River was not one of Mix's happier occasion. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Dorothy Dwan, (more)
