Silks and Saddles

An Australian film (one of a very few that survive from this era) based on a story by Australian writer John Cosgrove (who also appears in the film) and directed by John K. Wells, an American who lived in Australia from 1919 to 1923. I was expecting something dreadful as the film is in the public domain but I think it deserves to be restored and have a score written for it. The well- written screenplay is complex but all of the subplots are tied up nicely by the end. The acting is surprisingly natural compared to most films from this era. The editing is smooth and the scenes don't go on longer than necessary. The lighting for the night scenes is particularly good and almost noirish. It's not a masterpiece or anything but it's a competently made film that compares well with other films from the early twenties. I couldn't find much information on director Wells. He apparently quit the film business after 1921 and returned to the U.S. in 1923.