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Tumbleweeds (1925)
Directed by: King Baggot
Starring: William S. Hart, Barbara Bedford, J. Gordon Russell
Length: 78 min.
Genre: Western
Based on: Story by Hal G. Evarts, adaption by C. Gardner Sullivan
William S Hart's last movie. He is considered the first western movie star.
Don Carver (William S. Hart) is a drifter, aka tumbleweed, who hates the idea of settling down and starting a family. That is, until he meets Molly Lassiter (Barbera Bedford). After seeing her for the first time, he falls in love with her (they fell in love so easy back then...), and suddenly decides that he likes the idea fo settling down. But it won't be that easy as someone else has his eyes on Molly as well.
The government opens up the Cherokee Strip for homesteaders, but every one has to register and wait for the appointed date until they can make any claims on the land. Those who do not, called Sooners, will be arrested. Carver gets hired to clear out some leftover cattle drivers from the land the day before people will be allowed to make claims. Perfect timing for him to get framed as a Sooner.
The next morning, they fire the gun and the race for land grabs is on. Some pretty good action in this scene. Some describe as some of the best action scenes ever filmed (I don't know about that...).
The movie had a lot more in common with the typical romance movie from the time with a little comedy thrown in than what you imagine as a western. It really felt like a romance film set in the "old west" (which wasn't all that old in 1925).
Hart always insisted that his movies feature realistic sets and props, since Hollywood's version of the "old west" was more of a charictature of the "old west" at the time. I haven't been able to watch any other westerns, so I don't have a reference to compare the sets and props, but the movie definitely had a very "gritty" feel to it.
All in all, I don't like it that much, mainly because of how it wasn't really a western, as I said, but a romance movie set in the late 1800s west. Historically an important film, but not one I would recommend to anyone except for people interested in movie history.
Entertainment Rating: 4/10
Historical Rating: 6/10
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