Just Pals (1920)
We enter the 1920s and enjoy a departure of sorts when this fourth available film in the John (Jack) Ford cannon, Just Pals, takes us away from the western approach (this is still the early 20th century, so it still has some western undertones, but it is not really a western), no Harry Carey and this is the first film Ford did for FOX Studios, so it is different from some of the other films Ford did previously. It is another basic plot, but this one has a little bit more to offer. It has a lesson and a message in the film. It tells you to look after your fellow man, especially if they are more vulnerable than you and to always be yourself. Since there is no Harry Carey, this time we have Buck Jones. Buck plays Bim. Yes Bim.
Bim, is a nice guy who is, kind of a loner, someone who lives his life in a frugal way, not working too much and not working at all. He looks like a drifter, but doesn't care what other people think about him or his clothes. Considered by most in the town as nice, but lazy. One day a young kid runaway comes into town and Bim has to rescue him. Bim realizes that he needs to take the boy in and help him take care of himself. He pushes the boy to enter school and finds he has a crush on one of the school teachers, Mary, played by Helen Ferguson. To make matters worse, the teacher is being courted by a devious jerk, who runs the local bank and has been stealing funds from it forever. He even manages to embezzle money out of Mary. You can see where this is going. This film shows the progression of silent film-making as it grows better and better.
8.0 (B- MyGrade) = 8 IMDB
We enter the 1920s and enjoy a departure of sorts when this fourth available film in the John (Jack) Ford cannon, Just Pals, takes us away from the western approach (this is still the early 20th century, so it still has some western undertones, but it is not really a western), no Harry Carey and this is the first film Ford did for FOX Studios, so it is different from some of the other films Ford did previously. It is another basic plot, but this one has a little bit more to offer. It has a lesson and a message in the film. It tells you to look after your fellow man, especially if they are more vulnerable than you and to always be yourself. Since there is no Harry Carey, this time we have Buck Jones. Buck plays Bim. Yes Bim.
Bim, is a nice guy who is, kind of a loner, someone who lives his life in a frugal way, not working too much and not working at all. He looks like a drifter, but doesn't care what other people think about him or his clothes. Considered by most in the town as nice, but lazy. One day a young kid runaway comes into town and Bim has to rescue him. Bim realizes that he needs to take the boy in and help him take care of himself. He pushes the boy to enter school and finds he has a crush on one of the school teachers, Mary, played by Helen Ferguson. To make matters worse, the teacher is being courted by a devious jerk, who runs the local bank and has been stealing funds from it forever. He even manages to embezzle money out of Mary. You can see where this is going. This film shows the progression of silent film-making as it grows better and better.
8.0 (B- MyGrade) = 8 IMDB