Harry Carey Sr. and the rest of the cast seem to be stuck in silent picture mode a good part of the time in this picture. Dialog between characters is punctuated by uncomfrortably long pauses, making the character interaction somewhat less than credible. Carey himself is involved in a lot of these scenes, and you have to wonder why the actors would think it would be a good idea to communicate this way. Combined with the stiff movements of the characters, this is a bit of a chore to make it through.
Then there's the story. The bad guys were smuggling, but what it was I don't know. But the whole smuggling plot is interrupted by Pete Marlan's (Carey) quest to find his brother's killer, and reunite a former flame (Mae Busch) with her long lost daughter. But get this - remember the character Vanero (Ed Brady)? He stated that he was biding his time while Donovan (Gibson Rowland) raised her so that he could marry her. What?? - for how long, like twenty years? The kid was taken away from mother Mary right after villain Steve Henderson had Mary's husband killed. He then used a forged bill of sale to convince Mary that he bought their place!
Then, if you thought THAT was hard to follow, how about the Ranger Captain, Frank Henderson (Lafe McKee)? Why did Pete Marlan keep calling him Chief White Eagle??? OK, he had white hair, but what was the connection to the Indian name? None of this was explained, and hence didn't make any sense.
Notwithstanding Harry Carey's long and successful career in silent films, he's generally effective here even though a bit long in the tooth. My quick math puts him at fifty four at the time of the picture, and looking maybe even ten years older. Which is why he looked a tad old for Mary, and even creepily more so for Bernie (Mary Jane Irving) while she was hanging off him and begging to be taken away.
Then there's the story. The bad guys were smuggling, but what it was I don't know. But the whole smuggling plot is interrupted by Pete Marlan's (Carey) quest to find his brother's killer, and reunite a former flame (Mae Busch) with her long lost daughter. But get this - remember the character Vanero (Ed Brady)? He stated that he was biding his time while Donovan (Gibson Rowland) raised her so that he could marry her. What?? - for how long, like twenty years? The kid was taken away from mother Mary right after villain Steve Henderson had Mary's husband killed. He then used a forged bill of sale to convince Mary that he bought their place!
Then, if you thought THAT was hard to follow, how about the Ranger Captain, Frank Henderson (Lafe McKee)? Why did Pete Marlan keep calling him Chief White Eagle??? OK, he had white hair, but what was the connection to the Indian name? None of this was explained, and hence didn't make any sense.
Notwithstanding Harry Carey's long and successful career in silent films, he's generally effective here even though a bit long in the tooth. My quick math puts him at fifty four at the time of the picture, and looking maybe even ten years older. Which is why he looked a tad old for Mary, and even creepily more so for Bernie (Mary Jane Irving) while she was hanging off him and begging to be taken away.