The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926)

While building an irrigation system for a Southwestern desert community, an engineer vies with a local cowboy for the affections of a rancher's daughter.

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

Rupert Hughes (titles), Frances Marion (adaptation)

Stars:

Ronald Colman, Vilma Bánky, Gary Cooper

Cast

Credited cast:
Ronald Colman	...	Willard Holmes
Vilma Bánky	...	Barbara Worth
Gary Cooper	...	Abe Lee
Charles Lane	...	Jefferson Worth
Paul McAllister	...	The Seer
E.J. Ratcliffe	...	James Greenfield
Clyde Cook	...	Tex
Erwin Connelly	...	Pat Mooney
Ed Brady	...	McDonald
Sammy Blum	...	Horace Blanton
Fred Esmelton	...	George Cartwright
Bill Patton	...	Little Rosebud (as William Patton)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Odel Conley	...	Minor Role

Storyline

Jefferson Worth finds an orphaned child in the desert and raises her as his daughter, Barbara. When grown, Barbara is beloved by Abe Lee, the foreman of her father's ranch and company. When a rich land developer arrives with plans to irrigate the desert, Worth joins forces with him. The developer's foster son, Willard, falls for Barbara and a rivalry develops between him and Abe. The river is dammed, but the developer swindles the ranchers and refuses to reinforce the weakening dam, as he no longer needs it. An angry mob turns on Worth, Willard and Abe come near confrontation over Barbara, and all the time, that dam is getting weaker....

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Plot Keywords:

desert | land developer | irrigation | engineer | wasteland | 

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Taglines:

What was the most eloquent word uttered in the language of the desert?

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Assuming its copyright has not lapsed already, this film and all others produced in 1926 enter the U.S. public domain in 2022.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title card: Sunk into the Earth like a great molten bowl, lay the desert - unconquered Empress of the Wilderness - beautiful - mysterious - merciless. A tawny siren, whispering promises of a Paradise beyond - crushing out the lives of men in its poisonous embrace.

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood: Out West (1980)

User Reviews

DVD found at local library!

I cannot tell you how excited I was to find this DVD at my local library. I have the entire collection of Wright's books and recognized the title instantly. Amazingly, the director and screenplay writer took the story as it is in the book and relayed it beautifully. This is supreme acting when you can pretty well tell what's being said even before the words show up on the screen. BRAVO!!!! This would be a great story for the history buffs as well as silent screen aficionados. This is the first of many great films starring Gary Cooper and it is easy to see why he made it in the acting field. His rival for Barbara's hand is Ronald Coleman and what a dashing rival he makes! I was unfamiliar with the heroine but she too was a wonderful actress. This is a part of history I had not been aware of until I read the book. It is a must-see!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

None English Spanish

Release Date:

14 October 1926 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Winning of Barbara Worth

Filming Locations:

Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1