Copyright 30 June 1927 by Universal Pictures Corp. U.S. release: 27 November 1927. 6 reels. 5,192 feet. 65 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: An American soldier rescues a thoroughbred filly from a French battlefield and brings her back to his Californian ranch.
COMMENT: Here's Hugh Allan from Dress Parade in a quite different role which he plays ably enough, though with little charisma. It's left to the pretty heroine, June Marlowe, character player, Scott Seaton, and villains, William Bailey and Jack Pratt, to hold up the human end of the acting, while "Rex" and "Valerie" steal all the limelight.
In fact, this is definitely a movie for horse lovers. The animals not only take center stage in the visuals, but are favored in the sub-titles as well. Would you believe that "Valerie" is used for more comedy relief than the movie's obligatory dumb but faithful retainer, Hayes Robinson?
Personally, I found all this pretty tepid stuff. Henry MacRae's direction displays disappointingly little of his customary flair. No tracking shots are used at all. Not a one! True, MacRae does make the most of his real locations, but this is a movie that cries out for tinting. No doubt original release prints were tinted, but we have to make do with a worn black-and-white DVD transfer.
Nonetheless, MacRae does contrive one agreeable surprise among all the usual and endlessly repetitive equine point-scoring when the climactic race suddenly leaves the Mills (California) track and turns into a cross-country free-for-all. Alas, this excursion ends rather tamely. (Available on DVD through Grapevine. Quality rating: 7 out of ten).
SYNOPSIS: An American soldier rescues a thoroughbred filly from a French battlefield and brings her back to his Californian ranch.
COMMENT: Here's Hugh Allan from Dress Parade in a quite different role which he plays ably enough, though with little charisma. It's left to the pretty heroine, June Marlowe, character player, Scott Seaton, and villains, William Bailey and Jack Pratt, to hold up the human end of the acting, while "Rex" and "Valerie" steal all the limelight.
In fact, this is definitely a movie for horse lovers. The animals not only take center stage in the visuals, but are favored in the sub-titles as well. Would you believe that "Valerie" is used for more comedy relief than the movie's obligatory dumb but faithful retainer, Hayes Robinson?
Personally, I found all this pretty tepid stuff. Henry MacRae's direction displays disappointingly little of his customary flair. No tracking shots are used at all. Not a one! True, MacRae does make the most of his real locations, but this is a movie that cries out for tinting. No doubt original release prints were tinted, but we have to make do with a worn black-and-white DVD transfer.
Nonetheless, MacRae does contrive one agreeable surprise among all the usual and endlessly repetitive equine point-scoring when the climactic race suddenly leaves the Mills (California) track and turns into a cross-country free-for-all. Alas, this excursion ends rather tamely. (Available on DVD through Grapevine. Quality rating: 7 out of ten).
