White Oak

The best performances in this film are turned in by Oak Miller's jealous paint horse and a dog named Jeff who brings about the heroic rescue of a wagon train under Indian attack. This creaky old horse opera contains just about every silent-western cliché you could think of, which makes it entertaining in ways its creators undoubtedly did not intend. The plot features not one, but TWO maidens whose virtue is threatened by men of evil intent. (In case you don't recognize the bad guys by their black hats, long beards, and shifty eyes, the titles will obligingly point them out for you.)

"Oak" is the perfect name for a character played by William S. Hart, whose acting technique seems to have been copied from that very material. Apparently he lavished much attention on making the movie's details—such as costumes and settings—as realistic and historically accurate as possible. Too bad he didn't give equal consideration to the storyline, which is repetitious, slow-moving, and lacking in excitement (outside of Jeff's heroic dash through the sagebrush for help).

A real antique, worth watching perhaps for its historical interest.