Tumbleweeds (1925)

The government will grant a fringe of terrain for the settlers who want to live and work there. The starting sign will be a gunshot which will iniciate the run for the best fields and ... See full summary »

Directors:

King Baggot (as King Baggott), William S. Hart (uncredited)

Writers:

Hal G. Evarts (story), C. Gardner Sullivan (adaptation)

Stars:

William S. Hart, Barbara Bedford, Lucien Littlefield

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William S. Hart	...	Don Carver (as Wm. S. Hart)
Barbara Bedford	...	Molly Lassiter
Lucien Littlefield	...	Kentucky Rose
J. Gordon Russell	...	Noll Lassiter
Richard Neill	...	Bill Freel (as Richard R. Niell)
Jack Murphy	...	Bart Lassiter
James Gordon	...	Joe Hinman
George F. Marion	...	Old Man (as George Marion)
Gertrude Claire	...	Old Woman
Lillian Leighton	...	Widow Riley
Taylor N. Duncan	...	Cavalry Major (as Ted Duncan)

Storyline

The government will grant a fringe of terrain for the settlers who want to live and work there. The starting sign will be a gunshot which will iniciate the run for the best fields and claims.

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Plot Keywords:

cowboy | sooner | land rush | cherokee strip | lasso | 

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Taglines:

The advance guard of a gigantic army. The homesteaders heading for the Cherokee Strip. (Print Ad- Watkins Express, ((Watkins Glen, NY)) 16 June 1926)

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the American Film Institute's 2001 list of 400 movies nominated for the top 100 Most Heart-Pounding American Movies.

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Quotes

Don Carver: Boys, it's the last of the West.

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Alternate Versions

The 1939-reissued version was preceded by an eight-minute sound prologue with William S. Hart introducing the film.

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Connections

Featured in Sprockets: Saddle Up! (1991)

User Reviews

Ohh...The Thrill of it All!

"Tumbleweeds" is a classic of the silent era. It marked the final film in the career of western movie pioneer William S. Hart.

The plot revolves around the Cherokee Land Rush of 1889 Oklahoma where a large tract of land was thrown open to the public for the taking by the American government.

Don Carver (Hart) and his pal Kentucky Rose (Lucien Littlefield) had been earning their living as "tumbleweeds", another name for drifting cowpokes. When the last roundup is completed, they decide to take part in the land rush. Carver meets up with the charming Molly Lassiter (Barbara Bedford) after having had an altercation with her half brother Noll (J. Gordon Russell). Noll teams up with Bill Freel (Richard R. Neill) to acquire a choice ranch section by any means necessary. Turns out that Carver has his sights set on the same ranch which he wants to get for Molly.

The highlight of the film is of course, the land rush sequence. It is marvelously staged by Directors King Baggot and Hart himself. A cast of thousands was employed. A remarkable piece of film making for this or any other time.

The version of the film that is usually shown these days is the 1939 re-issue which had sound effects added, as well as a moving prologue filmed especially for this version. It features Hart coming out of retirement and describing the film and then talking about his career and in effect saying goodbye to all of his fans. He had left films after "Tumbleweeds" following a dispute with the film's distributor.

Hart had always insisted on realism in his films. This had worked in his early films but in the 20s, he had to compete with the more popular films of the flamboyant Tom Mix. He had reached his 60s by this time so he wisely decided to go out on top.

Ohh...the thrill of it all!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

None English

Release Date:

27 December 1925 (USA)

Also Known As:

Agriohorta

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$312,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

William S. Hart Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min 76 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1