The Light of Western Stars (1930)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Directors:

Otto Brower
Edwin H. Knopf

Writers:

Zane Grey (novel)
Grover Jones (adaptation)

Release Date:

19 April 1930 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

At last you get all of Zane Grey! You hear his thrilling heroes talk. A great, spectacular western drama.

Plot:

A friend of Dick Bailey (Richard Arlen) is killed by a mysterious assailant, whom Dick suspects to be Stack (Fred Kohler)...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

Richard Arlen	...	Dick Bailey
Mary Brian	...	Ruth Hammond
Harry Green	...	Pie-Pan
Regis Toomey	...	Bob Drexell
Fred Kohler	...	Stack
Guy Oliver	...	Sheriff Grip

Also Known As:

Winning the West (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Movie Connections:

Remake of The Light of Western Stars (1925)

Richard Arlen in a Zane Grey Story

This unassuming little Western from 1930 has a little of everything. The narrative structure is very interesting.

Story opens with a saloon full of men, including Richard Arlen. He's been on a drunk since his pal was shot and killed. He just can't get over it. But on that day's train comes the dead man's sister (Mary Brian), who's come to claim his ranch. Arlen (very drunk) runs into her on a sidewalk and tries to pick her up. She's alone in a strange town and terrified, but she gets away.

The next day Arlen shows up at the ranch with three pals, looking for work. She throws them out when she recognizes the drunk from the night before. A little later, another man (Fred Kohler) shows up to inform her the ranch is his because he paid the back taxes. He suggests they might make a deal and starts advancing on her when Arlen returns, fights with Kohler and chases him off.

From that point, it's up to Arlen to defeat Kohler and the crooked sheriff and ride off into the sunset with the girl.

This is a very straightforward story and the look of the film reminds of the old silent Westerns of William S. Hart. Nothing is gussied up: Brian wears plain dresses and the town looks like a wind-blown Old West town.

Arlen was never a great actor, but he's good in simple roles like this. Brian seems still to be struggling with dialog. The ethnic comic Harry Green shows up as a Jewish peddler. George Chandler, Syd Saylor, and Regis Toomey co-star.

Only an hour long, but a neat little film.