"The Sheriff's Baby" (1913) is a 17 minute short made by Biograph, directed by D. W. Griffith, and it stars Alfred Paget, Lionel Barrymore, Henry B. Walthall, Harry Carey, Sr., Kate Bruce, Bobby Harron, and others. It's marvelously told in one reel, but the real star is the scenery. The sheriff's Alfred Paget. The baddies include Walthall, Barrymore, and Carey, Sr., let alone some Indians, but the worst is the desert itself. Kidnapping, murder - you name it - it's here. The restored Blu-ray print is on the release put out by the Film Preservation Society which showcases "Wolf Lowry" with William S. Hart. Also on the disc is a gorgeously restored print of the William S. Hart short film "Bad Buck of Santa Ynez". Well worth the investment. I really enjoyed this disc a lot! I haven't found any reviews of this film on this site. This surprised me. The watch is well worth your time: it shows Griffith knew the Western market because he was creating it! What is interesting is comparing the scenery of something like "Bad Buck of Santa Ynez" and "The Sheriff's Baby". Both seem to have a verisimilitude to the time, the place, and the characters shown in the films. Simultaneously with these films came the rhinestone cowboy Tom Mix and his creation of another kind of Western place and hero. Very interesting contrast!
2 Reviews
A good picture of the desert
deickemeyer26 August 2017
All kinds of Wild West melodrama will be found in this picture, Indians, wild animals, outlaws and the thirst of the desert all conspire, so to speak, to rob the baby of his short life; but fate wills otherwise. It gives a good picture of the desert and has speedy action. In places it is a bit awkward from slow turning on the part of the camera man. Those half-instant scenes, in which we catch a glimpse of quivering fingers and waving arms, but see nothing else, are not very effective. - The Moving Picture World, April 12, 1913
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
