Tumbleweeds (1925) User Reviews

Dust in the Wind

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 24 May 2008]

In the 1939 re-release's introduction, William S. Hart explains, "The story of 'Tumbleweeds' marks one of the greatest epochs of our American history. It tells of the opening of the Cherokee Strip in the year 1889. Twelve hundred square miles of Cherokee Indian lands, on one front, over two hundred miles long, were thrown open by our government to those seeking good earth upon which they might make their homes."

Mr. Hart (as Don Carver) and comic sidekick Lucien Littlefield (as Kentucky Rose) are two of the cattle ranchers who are put out when as the Oklahoman Cherokee Strip is "thrown open" by the government. For Hart, the silver lining comes in the form of a several decades younger sweetheart, homesteader Barbara Bedford (as Molly Lassiter); however, her nasty half-brother J. Gordon Russell (as Noll Lassiter) threatens to spoil the fun. Little brother Jack Murphy (as Bart Lassiter) and his pup have the highest profile relationship that actually works. Still, the film has Hart, and its exciting "land rush!" sequence.

The re-release (which, apart from Hart's cool Shakespearian appearance, is the inferior version, by the way) features the legendary star's farewell:

"My friends, I loved the art of making motion pictures. It is as the breath of life to me…no longer a cloud of dust, but a beautiful golden haze through which appears a long phantom herd of trailing cattle. At their head, a Pinto pony…with an empty saddle…the boys up ahead are calling -- they're waiting for you and me to help drive this last great round-up into eternity…

"Adios, amigos. God bless you all, each and every one."

******* Tumbleweeds (12/20/25) King Baggot ~ William S. Hart, Lucien Littlefield, Barbara Bedford

The New Frontier

[lugonian · 8/10 · 23 July 2017]

TUMBLEWEEDS (United Artists, 1925), Directed by King Baggott, stars the legendary William S. Hart (1865-1946) in what proved to become his final screen appearance. Virtually unknown by today's standards, Hart was a popular leading cowboy actor dating back to 1914, whose success would be categorized as a sort of Gary Cooper or John Wayne of his day. Hart was versatile in other roles, but westerns were his specialty, with many, including Hart himself, ranking TUMBLEWEEDS as his finest of all his westerns.

Opening title: "Man and beast – both blissfully unaware that their reign is over." Set in 1889, Dan Carver (William S. Hart), a range boss of the Box K Ranch, known as "just another tumbleweed," is introduced as a sympathetic cowboy who fails to shoot a rattlesnake only because it has as much right to be around as anyone else. He also takes in a couple of orphan wolf dog puppies to find them a home after their parent dogs have been poisoned. The plot develops as the United States Government allowing ranchers to graze cattle on their payment to the Cherokee Land Strip, 12,000 square miles of undeveloped prairie land between Kansas and Oklahoma. Riding to Caldwell, Kansas (population 200), on the edge of the Cherokee Strip, Dan spreads the news to its local residents. Journeying to his destination with "Kentucky Rose" (Lucien Littlefield), they encounter Mrs. Riley (Lillian Leighton), a widow woman with three children, who takes a liking to Kentucky Rose. After intervening with Noll Lassiter (J. Gordon Russell) for abusing a boy, Bart (Jack Murphy), and his dog, he forces the brutal man to apologize to both. Dan immediately bonds with Bart who now looks up to him as a father figure. However, after accidentally roping a young girl (Barbara Bedford) in a saloon, Dan soon learns that the girl, named Molly, happens to be sister of Bart and half-sister to the villainous Noll Lassiter. Because of his interest in Molly, Dan decides to settle down and stake out a homestead claim for himself, with the possibility of having Molly become his future wife. Noll, however, unwilling to overlook Dan's defeat over him, schemes with Benton, alias Bill Freel (Richard R. Neill), to have Dan put out of the way. They arrange in having Dave accused and arrested as a "sooner," which finds him being held prisoner inside a bull pen while the bad guys so as much as commit murder so they can legally stake the claim for themselves.

Most circulating prints of TUMBLEWEEDS consist of a 1939 reissue from Astor Pictures introducing eight minutes of spoken prologue by William S. Hart himself where he talks about his "greatest picture" from his Horseshoe Ranch in Newhall, California. After listening to Hart's speaking voice, it is much regret that this once popular actor of the silent screen never starred in at least one talkie western, even possibly a sound remake to his greatest movie, TUMBLEWEEDS. Chances are had be proceeded in his career in talkies, he most definitely would have succeeded, even if later reduced to matinée cowboy star as Tim McCoy or Ken Maynard for example. However, this 1939 prologue is the one and only chance for viewers to get to hear him speak, through his wonderful tribute to both himself and the movie itself.

Home video to TUMBLEWEEDS dating back to the 1980s either from Blackhawk or a decade later from Republic Pictures also contain the Hart prologue. Rather than the orchestral score with off-screen singing to title card songs, both video/DVD editions are piano scored by William H. Perry for the Killiam collection. Clocked at 77 minutes (not counting the prologue), it seems a shame that this and THE TOLL GATE (1920) to date have become the only two Hart westerns to have limited broadcasts on public television some decades ago. Considering that TUMBLEWEEDS is hailed as Hart's best movie makes one wonder if his other silent westerns are equally as good or even better? The films of William S. Hart deserve better recognition in movie history. At least TUMBLEWEEDS is still available (on DVD) to remain one of the finer westerns to come out from the silent movie era, along with being both an introduction and rediscovery to the great quiet-type cowboy hero named William S. Hart. (***)

An enjoyable film

[barbb1953 · 7/10 · 19 July 2009]

The Netflix version of "Tumbleweeds" is the Paul Killiam version redone in the 1970s, and it has Hart's farewell to the screen. Sure, it's over the top today, but the man was a Shakespearean actor long before he started doing Westerns, and his other stage roles included that of Messala in, I believe, the original stage production of "Ben-Hur." He then, at age 48, didn't sit on his laurels but instead went into the physically demanding field of making Westerns, apparently because the current Westerns of the time didn't portray accurately the real Wild West he had grown up in; and he did some fine work there before finally retiring.

After all that, if the man wanted to pull out all the stops in his final farewell, more power to him!

Some of "Tumbleweeds" is a little hokey (the singing and some of the plot developments, for example), and Hart's acting seems a little wooden today (although it does convey an inner strength that helps his character get through physical trials, like that long hard ride in the land rush), but the authenticity grabs your attention in spite of that. Right at the start, for instance, it seems as though they are showing film of a 19th Century cattle drive. The interiors are very realistic, too, as are the vehicles, costumes,and mannerisms (I love the way Barbara Bedford reacts when Richard Niell puts his hand on her shoulder -- quite in character with those times and quite a contrast to the mores of 1920s America, let alone modern times).

The land rush scene is very famous and has been copied a lot, but it still is terrific to watch, particularly the way Hart works the story line into it.

I really enjoyed Lucien Littlefield's performance, too (Kentucky Rose, Hart's sidekick). It takes a lot of skill and hard work to look that "stupid" and yet carry the plot along so well: it is so easy to overact and turn it into a farce. Littlefield walks the line but always stays on the right side of it and is very funny and yet also touching (the secondary romantic plot). This was the first role I noticed him in (though he was in "Sons of the Desert," too -- I don't remember him in that). He worked a lot. The Wikipedia entry for him notes that his years of activity were 1914-1960 (the year of his death). Not too many other actors had such a long career.

Kentucky Rose would be considered very politically incorrect today, as would (NOTE: there be spoilers ahead!) the shooting of a snake, but there are some very positive things in "Tumbleweeds," too: rescuing two wolf pups and describing the debt the cowboys owe them because they poisoned their parents; apologizing (sort of) to the snake after killing it; showing African-Americans present in the land rush crowd; and presenting Indians (presumably Cherokee) in a positive way, as Hart's friends (though that sign language discussion seems a little long-winded and overwrought, given what they're actually saying).

Speaking of sign language, this is the first silent film I've seen that doesn't leave much dialogue to the audience's imagination. Everything is spelled out carefully in the titles, and I think that shows it was aimed at a very specific demographic and not necessarily the same one, say, that Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., was reaching for with his costume dramas at the same time.

The filming is also very straightforward and a little rough. Having just watched "Hangman's House" (1928), I couldn't help contrasting the land rush scene here with the horse race in Ford's film, which is very "arty" in comparison. In both films, horses rush at the camera, but the image and its effect on the viewer are very different. One approach is not better than other, of course; each technique fits the film in which it occurs, but it's interesting to note that even in the 1920s, there were different audiences to be catered to.

It's also interesting to note that this "rough" film stars a Shakespearean actor while Ford's "arty" film stars a former bare-knuckles boxer (Victor McLaglen) and is also famous today as being the first movie in which a former USC football player, John Wayne, can be clearly seen on camera.

Hollywood, especially in the early years, is full of delightful little surprises like that.

Classic Silent Western That's Still Worth Seeing

[Snow Leopard · 26 July 2005]

Once it was among the most popular movies of its kind, and now it's generally remembered only by silent movie fans, but "Tumbleweeds" is a classic silent Western that's still worth seeing. To be sure, a lot of its appeal now comes from nostalgia, but in its time it was close to the top of its genre.

The opening scenes start the story nicely, and they also give it some thoughtful overtones, with cowboys Hart and Lucien Littlefield coming to realize their role as "Tumbleweeds" in a changing world. The 'tumbleweed' image is used well in developing Hart's character, as he faces the consequences of the land rush and of the personal affairs he gets involved in. The story itself has a lot of familiar elements, without many surprises, but the atmosphere and the characters are enough to carry it.

The land rush sequence is probably the most exciting part of the movie, and it is quite a fine set piece. It's later followed by a fast-paced climactic chase that also works well. The action makes a good complement to the atmosphere of the changing frontier, making it a movie that fits together nicely, and that still works pretty well.

"Boys - it's the last of the West."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 1 October 2006]

If William S. Hart's birth date listed on the IMDb is accurate, and my math is correct, he would have been sixty one years old in the picture, which I find to be pretty amazing. Considering that his on screen sweetheart Miss Molly (Barbara Bedford) in the story is twenty two, I'd say that some of the early silents didn't let realism get in the way of a good story. Hart does show his age though in the opening minutes of the 1939 re-release version of the film where he opines about the death of the Wild West and his love of making movies. However there are moments where he goes for melodrama and it comes across as almost comical yet sad at the same time.

This is the only Hart film I've been able to get my hands on, and I'm glad to have been able to see the legendary cowboy in even this one effort. As far as stories go, it's all fairly standard and formulaic, but with some neat elements mixed in. For example, after viewing a few hundred Westerns over the years, not one in the bunch ever mentioned the positions of cowpokes in a cattle drive before. Here we're treated to a couple of neat title cards depicting a Pointer and a Wheeler, pretty cool I thought.

As for action scenes, two instances involving Hart are worth mentioning as stand out. There's the pole vault he used to escape the 'Sooner' stockade in the latter part of the film, along with that magnificent ride on horseback into the Cherokee Strip; that race sequence looked phenomenal.

Hart's sidekick in the film goes by Kentucky Rose (Lucien Littlefield), with the gnarly bearded look that reminds one of those two 'Fuzzy's' - Knight and St. John. He gets entangled in a somewhat unbelievable relationship with the pioneering Widow Riley (Lillian Leighton), and it looks like he won't be a 'tumbleweed' by the end of the story. Most of Kentucky's comedy relief comes by way of facial expressions; for his part, it's a hoot to see how Hart deals with a frustrating cowlick.

"Tumbleweeds" winds up symbolizing a way of life that was already disappearing by the time of the late 1800's, a life characterized by a constant roaming and search for meaning. Hart and Kentucky epitomize the 'tumbleweeds' of the story, finding themselves out of place and out of synch with a country that wants to settle down, with Hart's character best expressing the sentiment evoked by the film's story - "The only land I'll settle down on will be under a tombstone".

One of the few movies I've seen that talks about the Oklahoma land runs.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 20 August 2011]

William S. Hart plays a tough and laconic cowboy--the sort of guy who loves the life and has no desire to settle down and get a place of his own. However, he meets a pretty lady (Barbara Bedford) and immediately decides that marrying and settling down is a GREAT idea. So, as the Oklahoma land run is about to commence, he decides to take part in this insane opportunity to get a homestead.

Let me digress a bit to explain. In 1889, a law was signed that opened up 2,000,000 acres of land in Oklahoma to settlers. However, instead of signing up for it to stake your claim, they literally staged a race--where folks rode like crazy into the open land and grabbed a marker. Then, upon returning it to the government agent, they'd be given that particular parcel. And so, if you wanted the best land (such as along a river), you had to be fast--or cheat (these folks was given the nickname 'Sooner' because they went in BEFORE they were officially allowed).

What Hart does not know is that the lady's half-brother is trying to cheat in order to get the best land AND he sets up Hart to make it look like he's trying to be a Sooner instead! Can William manage to expose this jerk AND still win the sister's love? Like so many of Hart's films I have seen, Hart is a rather quiet fellow who lets his fists do the talking. He is NOT some pretty boy and he seems to look more like you'd expect a real cowboy to look. While this is not among his very best films, it's well made and talks about one of the most forgotten parts of US history--the land runs. Worth seeing.

By the way, the copy I had was silent but had musical accompaniment that was added later.

Interesting early western

[funkyfry · 6/10 · 12 February 2009]

The legendary William S. Hart's last film is a large scale homage to the passing days of the Old West, with star Hart portraying a grizzled veteran cowboy who sees the death of his lifestyle in the Oklahoma land rush and the last great cattle drives. It is often visually moving, but not very psychologically astute (nor perhaps does it attempt to be).

Hart's character Don Carver falls for a young woman named Molly (Barbara Bedford) who has come west to try to make a land claim along with her older (J. Gordon Russell) and younger (Jack Murphy) brothers. Unbeknownst to her, the elder brother is making plans with a villainous criminal (Richard Neill) to take the best spot of land and leave Molly out in the cold. They frame Carver as a "sooner", so that he can't help Molly. But Carver escapes from his prison and rides at breakneck speed across the plains to try to win the land for his lady love.

The scenes towards the end with the land rush are quite impressive in scale, and the fast riding Hart really impresses with his own stunt prowess. It's the very definition of a "set-peice" scene, basically a film version of one of the Wild West shows that used to be so popular at Expos and so forth (Buffallo Bill's show being the most famous). However I felt a bit let down by the actual fighting... the two bad guys didn't really fight Hart, they just ran away like cowards. I suppose that was the point, but it makes for a less exciting western when we don't get to see a good shoot-out.

Hart's presence is excellent, but his actual performance is at times laughable. Never moreso than at the very conclusion of the film, when he wipes his brow and gives the camera a look of anguish that would have embarrassed even some of his Shakespearean brethren (Hart was a classically trained actor, and it shows). He's excellent in the early scenes when his presence is more stoic, but whenever the film asks him to show emotion he betrays it with showy affectations.

I'm glad I saw it, if only as a history lesson in western film. The movie is not as goofy as a lot of the westerns from that time, but also not quite as self-serious as Ford's silents. It's a film that knows its place as a spectacle entertainment, and also manages to convey the sadness and majesty of the last days of the West.

The Opening of the Cherokee Lands of the Indian Territory

[romanorum1 · 7/10 · 18 July 2016]

For many years prior to 1889, the US government leased the lands of the Indian Territory to cattleman for grazing their cattle herds. Ranches were built. Now the ranchers had to leave by April 1889 as 1200 square miles of the Oklahoma territory were being opened to new homesteaders. (There would be other Oklahoma land runs throughout the 1890s.)

Hart's character, Don Carver, is the typical quiet and intense cowboy known as a "tumbleweed," a drifting cowhand. Carver and his comedic sidekick Kentucky Rose (Lucien Littlefield) ride into the town of Caldwell, Kansas, population 200. This is the calm before the storm as homesteaders begin to pour into town for the big land run. Carver, and later Kentucky, decides to register for the rush, to acquire a piece of free land. The US Cavalry, in charge, has posted warnings that those who jump the starting line before the appointed time will be arrested as "sooners" and kept in a pen until after the land rush.

Seedy Bill Freel, a/k/a Burton (Richard Niell), craves Joe Hinman's Box K Ranch on the Strip (abandoned by decree) as it controls the waterways of the area. He has a devious plan to sneak across the starting line before the assigned date and time. His new partner is nefarious Noll Lassiter (J. Gordon Russell), half-brother of Molly Lassiter (Barbara Bedford). Freel has a yearning for Molly, who loathes him. She has instead developed a relationship with Carver, nearly forty years her senior in real life. Like Freel, Carver also has his eyes on the Box K property (where he formerly worked), including the ranch house.

When Don rides back into the Strip to look for and round up some straying cattle, he is arrested by US Cavalry Major White (Taylor Duncan) at the instigation of Freel and Noll Lassiter. These sordid characters have falsely accused him of being a "sooner." Now by law Carver is kept in the bull pen until after the land run. How Carver escapes is quite innovative, and he happens to have the fastest steed nearby. If only he can make up the lost ground and stake the Box K Ranch grounds.

When William S. Hart reissued this 1925 silent film (his last and perhaps greatest) in 1939, he preceded it with his famous eight- minute "Farewell to the Screen" introduction. Knowing the real West, Hart had arrived in Hollywood in 1914 at the mature age of 49 and acted for eleven years. He and Tom Mix were the greatest cowboys of the silent screen. Hart's partner here, Lucien Littlefield, specialized in playing older roles. In "Tumbleweeds" he looks about sixty even though he is only thirty. Although not as good as "The Iron Horse" (1924), the greatest silent western of them all, "Tumbleweeds" is still worth a look, especially because of the rousing land rush scene, an epic shot from the days of silent cinema.

Ohh...The Thrill of it All!

[bsmith5552 · 9/10 · 6 March 2004]

"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!

Swansong

[Cineanalyst · 3/10 · 13 July 2005]

I can see how one would be sentimental over William S. Hart's last Western, especially considering Hart was such a sentimentalist himself. But, his prime was years ago, with such films as "Hell's Hinges" (1916), "The Narrow Trail" (1917) and "Wagon Tracks" (1919). "Tumbleweeds" is far removed from those Hart vehicles. Hart had done away with his patented good bad-man persona; here, he's a gentler and fatter, goofy but good-natured, old cowboy. Hart also gets a dimwitted comedic sidekick, unfortunately. The filmmakers, first, attempt some romantic imagery, which generally fails, and, then, aim too much for humor, with lots of buffoonery. This new style probably reflects Hart's attempts to emulate the new B-Western shoot-em-ups, which had been surpassing his more adult Westerns in popularity by attracting a large audience of young boys.

The villains suddenly impose a more dramatic tone to the second half of the film, and lead it to its inevitable conclusion. The fatality of the open frontier in the story mirrors that of Hart's career, but rather than the evident passion and romanticism one gets in his earlier pictures, we get song title cards. Additionally, Hart is competing for a "civilized" woman here, rather than for his Christian soul. At least, it's nice to see a more friendly, if brief, treatment of Native Americans in this Hart outing. And, Hart does have one more exciting, well-edited horse-race climax in him, but it was definitely time to hang up the saddle.

Poetry and motion: One of the greatest of silent films

[morrisonhimself · 10/10 · 9 January 2015]

Just from reading about him, I became a fan of William S. Hart before I ever saw one of his movies.

When I moved to Los Angeles, I made a pilgrimage to the late lamented Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax, not only to see whatever silent films there might be available, but to plead for a chance to see any Hart film, and especially "Tumbleweeds," about which I had read so much.

Alas, the Hamptons, owners of the Theatre, never did show it, but I was able to rent a 16 mm print and show it myself, in my tiny living room.

It was all I had hoped. It was, and is, magnificent.

Character development was nigh onto perfect, and the intertitles by C. Gardner Sullivan, surely one of the greatest of such writers, merely enhanced the beauty of the presentation.

Oh, but there is more: Camera angles were brilliantly formatted. Only later did I learn that Mr. Hart himself was co-director.

William S. Hart (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0366586/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1) was born a city slicker but, like me, I guess, he fell in love with the West and its mystique. He wanted to share that love with everyone, and for too few years presented the mythology.

You can find his spoken farewell at YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BlgWP3Airs), and if you're really lucky you will find a copy of "Tumbleweeds" with that farewell used as a prologue. It still moves me to tears.

One reason I cry is that, listening to him, I think how great a talkie actor he could have been, with that voice; and I think what a loss to those of us who love Westerns generally and who love William S. Hart in particular.

"Tumbleweeds" is a classic, regardless of genre.

It is poetry on film, a magnificent motion picture.

More interesting than fun.

[pmtelefon · 5/10 · 6 April 2019]

After a while, watching "Tumbleweeds" starts to feel like homework. The movie wore me down after a while. I've seen a lot of silent movie comedies. Many of them aged quite well. As for as dramas go, I haven't seen nearly as many. For me they haven't aged as well. They are a lot harder to watch than the comedies. Add into the mix a very stiff (and seemingly self-serious) William S. Hart and "Tumbleweeds" doesn't stand a chance. There are a few laughs and some exciting action but they are too few and far between. "Tumbleweeds" is okay but it feels a lot longer than its actual running time.

William S. Hart's farewell speech

[mlraymond · 9/10 · 5 May 2008]

I enjoyed the actual film Tumbleweeds, but I'm restricting my comments here to Hart's famous farewell speech to his fans that prefaces the movie.

I have seldom seen or heard anything as moving as that speech. Yes, there are moments when it verges on becoming unintentionally humorous to a more cynical modern audience. Yes, Hart is highly dramatic, and very much the old time barnstorming actor that he had been before beginning his movie career. It is a heightened type of performance that is out of sync with the age we live in, and some viewers have described it as somewhat embarrassing to watch.

But none of that matters a bit. Hart's unquestionably sincere emotion and heartfelt expression of his feelings about the old days of movie making are so powerful that I can't watch this sequence without being moved to tears every time. There's one part where he has to pause for a moment before continuing, when he gets choked up over the memories of a beloved horse. The sheer, raw spectacle of such intensely personal feelings might well be too much for jaded modern audiences, and therefore might inspire embarrassed laughter.

But the sad dignity of the old actor transcends such scorn, and raises the speech to an unforgettable experience that every old movie fan should see at least once.

I am an ardent fan of the silent era,I am extremely knowlegeble.

[joeyhernandez51 · 10/10 · 27 July 2001]

Tumbleweeds has been said was the end of an era,maybe so in the silent sence.True it is that the westerns of Hart,Mix,Gibson,Anderson,Caray and others were over,but there styles were not. Western Stars that followed such as Tim McCoy,Tom Keene,Ken Maynard,Bill Boyd and others followed in the Tradition of Good over Bad.They lived by the Code of the West,they rarely drank,never drunk treated women with upmost respect,and use a gun only as a last resort .However the had a certain demeanor that when a scene ocurred they became part of the whole picture,not as a HOLLYWOOD STAR,but as a true cowboy who througt his actions was to become a HERO ,not because of his six-gun ,but because of his courage and honor. All these qualities what made William S. Hart the true heroic,but humble cowboy.That is why Tumbleweeds is a true classic in the way Hart faced with such obstacles never wavers ,even taking the time to help an elderly couple still after risking his life at every turn gives the claim to the young lady and her brother.Yes it was an end to an era,however it was the making of a true cinema Western classic.

If you see one silent western in your life, make it this one

[Cowgirlie · 10/10 · 21 August 2005]

William S Hart was an experienced Shakspearian actor before he3 began his career as a movie actor, and his skill at expression through movement and posture is never more apparent then in this jewel of a movie. While most of Hart's peers in the world of western adventure were athletes who excelled at stunts in their movies, Hart's acting skills were his strongest suite. The sweeping epic begins with two old compadres seeing the changes in the Oklahoma territory, and when the Oklahoma land rush is about to begin, they are almost unintentionally caught up in the excitement. Hart is the hero we hope he will be, till the last frame. Upon seeing this film, I wished for a revival of this wonderful lost art form in movie making. Two thumbs up!

William Hart Rides Into The Sunset

[springfieldrental · 8/10 · 14 February 2022]

Veteran Western film actor William S. Hart was looking for just one more chance to be in a movie. A couple (1915-1916) of the 11 years he appeared in front of the camera, theater owners voted him their biggest money-making star. His schtick was playing the prototype quiet Westerner who dressed plainly. In all of his films his characters went from mostly a bad-behaving gunslinger or ruffian to become the ultimate moralistic hero. But the public wanted flashier cowboys, such as popular Tom Mix, and more action sequences than contained in a typical character-driven Hart film.

His employer, Paramount Pictures, in 1924 elected not to renew his contract, leaving Hart unemployed at age 60. The actor wanted to ride off into the sunset for one last movie. He dug deep into his wallet and produced his final film, one that critics agree was his best one in a relatively long career, December 1925's "Tumbleweeds." Hart hired scriptwriter Hal Evarts to wrap his story around the 1893 Oklahoma land rush and King Baggot to direct.

Hart intended "Tumbleweeds" as his last hurrah with several references within the script that the Old West is gone since the Oklahoma homesteaders were replacing the cowboys he had been portraying on screen. Hart plays the foreman of a big cattle ranch. The United States government during the early 1890s had ordered all large cattle herds to leave the prairie to be replaced by the new settlers who primarily farmed. Likening himself to a tumbleweed, a plant with no roots, he witnesses other herds leaving and says, "Boys, it's the end of the West." Even women can't cox him into settling down as Hart makes the remarkable statement towards the movie's conclusion that "Women ain't reliable-cows are." Carver (Hart) says he's "headed for South America where there's millions of 'em."

Embedded within the high-budgeted $312,000 film, an immense expense in those days for one person to finance, is a specular land rush scene involving almost 1,000 extras, 300 wagons and a number of horses hired to replicate the scene. The 1931 epic "Cimarron," the Academy Awards Best Picture winner that year, copied Hart's chaotic stampede of homesteaders racing to secure the best land they could stake their claim on.

Hart was able to contract United Artists to distribute "Tumbleweeds." But the actor was disappointed, despite the rave reviews the movie was receiving, because the studio didn't place the film into the larger city venues. He sued UA for such a lack of distribution, but settled out of court in 1940. A year before that, on the heels of John Ford's 1938 "Stagecoach," which rejuvenated the Western genre, Hart was asked to provide a prologue to the re-issuance of "Tumbleweeds" with a soundtrack. The 75-year-old retired actor, now a ranch owner in Newhall, California, gave an eight-minute introduction, with his last words, "The saddle is empty, the boys up ahead are calling, they're waiting for you and me to help drive this last great round-up into eternity." Hart rode into his final sunset in June 1946 at 81 years of age at his ranch. The silent Western movie star is buried near his birthplace in Brooklyn, N. Y.'s Green-Wood Cemetery.

Underappreciated, well worth exploring and discussing 100 years later

[I_Ailurophile · 8/10 · 9 November 2022]

I don't wish to take away from the broad worth of this film, but it feels necessary to add a caveat right from the start. As soon as it begins - or, depending on the rendition one watches, as soon as star William S. Hart begins his introduction - one observes an issue worth mentioning. 'Tumbleweeds' is the story of conflict between vanishing cattlemen and incoming homesteaders in the territory of what would become Oklahoma. While waxing poetic about life on the open range, the loss of an honored practice, and the development of unspoiled lands, at no time is there a word spared for the forced removal of Cherokee from the same region that is said to have "belonged" to ranchers and cowboys. Yes, of course such ignorance is part and parcel of how the United States has operated since white folks first came to these shores, nevermind cinematic storytelling in the early days of the medium, but all this is to say that in this one regard, this picture has not aged well.

That immediate note is unfortunate, for set aside this glaring conceit and take the feature as face value, and it's well made and entertaining, and even charming. Set aside that one issue, and this has, in fact, otherwise aged very well! One certainly sees the underpinnings of all the westerns to follow in subsequent years: showcasing the stark beauty of vast stretches of land; telling a tale of hope and desperation amidst major conflict and power struggles; and, despite any bright spots or the "happy endings" we might get in some titles, an undercurrent of sorrow or even bleakness in light of the most dour of the proceedings and themes. Though 'Tumbleweeds' may not convey the entirety of this complexity, it's kind of impressive just how much one gleans from it, and how much it does even without significant audio or any verbal dialogue. Hal G. Evarts' screenplay is unexpectedly rich, offering up complicated characters of some real depth and heart, dialogue (by way of intertitles) and scene writing of surprising vibrancy and variety, and a genuinely compelling narrative. One can't overlook the noted indelicacy, but such as this feature is and the story it wants to tell, it's honestly terrific.

'Tumbleweeds' deftly blends drama, flourishes of comedy, and somewhat thrilling action sequences of one size or another into its unmistakably western saga. It's astonishingly well balanced in its storytelling, resulting in a viewing experience that's more earnestly entertaining and satisfying than I'd have ever assumed sights unseen - many were the pictures of the silent era; relatively few were those of especial worth, standing out in one way or another. This specific film doesn't look like much from the outside looking in, but there's a sincerity and intelligence in the production that elevates it considerably. And to that point, the cast is rather fantastic, demonstrating range, nuance, and otherwise skill beyond what the uninitiated might think such a movie has to offer. Hart certainly stands out given his starring role, but I'm also quite impressed with Lucien Littlefield, shining in his supporting part. Just as Richard Neill and J. Gordon Russell provide a particular point of unsavory antagonism to the plot, Barbara Bedford and Jack Murphy provide some welcome warmth. And so it is on down the line, with all on hand performing admirably.

All the hard work that went into it is readily discernible and commendable: the production design and art direction; costume design, stunts, sparing effects. The scene of the land rush itself is marvelously well orchestrated, an unquestionably intricate sequence that, for its stunning presentation here, readily boosts the overall value of the film. King Baggot's direction is solid; though not really remarkable, the cinematography and editing is perfectly capable. The excellence of all these facets serves the title well as it crams a substantial amount of content into 80 minutes, and does so very smoothly. Why, I'll say, too: some silent pictures bore a decidedly stilted plot development, affecting narrative flow, and distinct divisions between shots and scenes that lent to a heightened sense of having been staged. To the credit of all involved, it seems to me like 'Tumbleweeds' has no such difficulty, progressing from beginning to end with marked story beats, but also a welcome fluidity. If that doesn't speak well to the fine film-making on display, then I don't know what does.

For all that is done so well, I can understand that this movie still may not appeal to anyone who isn't already enamored of the silent era. If to a lesser extent than its contemporaries, it still bears all the hallmarks, for good and for ill. Yet I can only repeat that I recognize in 'Tumbleweeds' a resplendence of brilliant craftsmanship of all sorts that makes it an indelible classic. Almost 100 years later this isn't a picture of any significant renown, and I find this very regrettable - the one most notable flaw it bears is one that's cultural and historical as much as it is cinematic, and in every other way it's tremendously well done. Writing, direction, acting, and all the contributions of those behind the scenes are swell. Whether one is a fan of westerns specifically or just a cinephile generally, this strikes me as a feature that's well worth exploring, and perhaps also discussing in light of its historical context. I had mixed expectations when I sat to watch, and though there's an asterisk appended, I'm so very pleased with how good it turned out to be. 'Tumbleweeds' is roundly superb, and altogether underappreciated.

A film not to be missed!

[JohnHowardReid · 9/10 · 2 January 2018]

Directors: KING BAGGOT, WILLIAM S. HART. Screenplay: C. Gardner Sullivan. Story: Hal G. Evarts. Photography: Joseph August. Music and synchronization for 1939 re-issue: James C. Bradford. Producer: William S. Hart.

Copyright 11 November 1925 by The William S. Hart Co. U.S. release through United Artists: 27 December 1925. New York opening at the Mark Strand: 20 December 1925. 7 reels, 7,254 feet. 80 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Don Carver and his pal, Kentucky Rose, are a couple of tumbleweeds-cowpokes that drift from one job to another-when a chance comes for both to settle down with the opening of the Cherokee Strip.

NOTES: William S. Hart's final movie, although he did come out of retirement to film the Prologue for this 1939 re-issue.

COMMENT: While admitting that Hart "won frequent rounds of applause from the audience", this movie did not impress Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times. Me? I'm firmly with the audience. I just love super-spectacular westerns laced with acres of breathtaking action and I'm particularly partial to movies in which the seasoned yet kind-hearted veteran wins the heart of the ravishing young girl. All the players acquit themselves most ably, and an authentic frontier atmosphere is lovingly re-created. A film not to be missed!

Big scale enthralling non-violent saga

[FilmartDD · 3 September 2003]

Seen in a 16mm print from the 1939 release (not necessarily the 1975 restoration listed by imdb), the sheer sincerity of the film-makers appealed highly. Intelligent art-gallery audience loved it - shown on 40th anni of Hart's death. Sound was coarse (expected) but loud and consistent in quality with image

End of an era movie about the end of an era

[jamesrupert2014 · 8/10 · 27 April 2018]

One of the last silent westerns and William Hart's swan song, "Tumbleweeds" is about the settlement of the 'old west' and the end of the (largely mythical) 'cowboy' way of life. The closing shot of drifting tumbleweeds being stopped by barb wire fence pretty much sums up the film. William Hart is 'Don Carver', a drifter, a 'tumbleweed', who gets caught up in the 1893 Cherokee Strip land rush along with his sidekick, 'Kentucky Rose' (Lucian Littlefield). Typical of silent films, the acting is somewhat overly dramatic at times (except for po-faced Hart) but otherwise the film has held up remarkably well and, to some degree, reflects modern sensibilities more than many of the myriad westerns that followed (for example: the Indians Carver encounters are his friends and there are African Americans and capable, independent women in the race for homesteads). There are a number of very effective scenes, such as the countdown to the "maddest stampede in American History', the stampede itself, and shots paralleling Hart riding at full gallop that must have been challenging to obtain. The film is also quite comic at times, notably the ol' widder women checking out Kentucky's butt when he bends over or tough-guy Hart's faintness around women and his solution to a persistent cowlick before going a'courtin'. The biggest downside to the version I watched (on the "Silver Screen Classics" channel) was the score, which (IMO) was often intrusive and inappropriate to the scene. I don't know if other versions are available. Score aside, the film is well worth watching for its own sake, as well as for its place in cinematic history. Followed six years later by "Cimarron", a similar retelling of the great land race that was the only Western to win a Best Picture Oscar until "Dances with Wolves" in 1990.