While it isn't a patch on the far more spectacular and engagingly characterized 1938 remake, The Texans, which Jimmy Hogan directed for producer Lucien Hubbard, the 1931 version, The Conquering Horde (based on the 1924 version of Emerson Hough's North of 36), is not without interest even though it's like watching The Texans through the wrong end of a magnifying glass.
Paramount were trying to build Fay Wray into a major star back in 1929-30-31, but Claude Gillingwater is allowed to steal the film and poor Fay comes off fourth best to hero Richard Arlen and chief villain Ian MacLaren.
Not only is the lovely Fay Wray's role inadequately characterized, but she is unattractively photographed and also rather lethargically directed (by Edward Sloman) to boot.
Vintage Film Buff formerly offered a very good 8/10 DVD of The Conquering Horde.
Universal has an excellent disc of The Texans, in which Joan Bennett and Randolph Scott are the leads, while Walter Brennan enacts the Gillingwater role.
Paramount were trying to build Fay Wray into a major star back in 1929-30-31, but Claude Gillingwater is allowed to steal the film and poor Fay comes off fourth best to hero Richard Arlen and chief villain Ian MacLaren.
Not only is the lovely Fay Wray's role inadequately characterized, but she is unattractively photographed and also rather lethargically directed (by Edward Sloman) to boot.
Vintage Film Buff formerly offered a very good 8/10 DVD of The Conquering Horde.
Universal has an excellent disc of The Texans, in which Joan Bennett and Randolph Scott are the leads, while Walter Brennan enacts the Gillingwater role.