It's always interesting to begin watching a film, but then, just a few minutes into it, realize one of two things: (1) I've seen this before, or (2) I've seen another film that's basically the same thing. Last night I put in "Fighters in the Saddle" (aka "Fighters of the Saddle") (1929) with Art Acord, Peggy Montgomery (no, not 'Baby Peggy'), John Lowell, Tom Bay, Jack Ponder, Betty Carter, Lynn Sanderson, and others. At only around 47 minutes, this Western is obviously a cut-down version of the 5-reel, 62 minute (according to the IMDb) version. It seems to be missing its first reel altogether, and it begins with several title cards almost catching us up, though leaving the events in a slightly vague state. Tom Bay, cousin of Art Acord, and nephew of John Lowell (Art's father), has already stolen money from the family's company safe, and the blame for the theft has been put on Jack Ponder, brother of Peggy Montgomery, and Ponder and Montgomery and their two younger siblings lease a piece of property that has been bought up by John Lowell's very "progressive" company so that it can be re-sold to the government for a very good profit. The government wants the land to put roads through to open up the countryside for progressive travel and commerce. The girl's family still has a five month lease on the property, but Lowell buys it underhandedly anyway, much to the hardship of the family. Art Acord is sent by his father to get the family off of the property immediately - by any means - and his cousin is sent with him, along with several others. Meanwhile, the sheriff hasn't enough evidence to hold Montgomery's brother, Ponder, so now he's out of jail. Acord and Montgomery fall for each other, and Acord spurns his father's directive and eventually his father. His father begins to disown him. Meanwhile, the cousin, a nasty's nasty, kidnaps the girl.
At this juncture I was positive that I'd seen this story only recently, only it wasn't land being bought to sell to the government for road access, it was oil land speculation by a very greedy and ruthless oil man. Well, last November I'd watched a Pete Morrison Western film, "Black Gold" (1924) which co-starred - yes, unbelievably - Peggy Montgomery. Same premise and story, just a different reason for stealing the land. So, five years later the same film was basically re-made in the "B" Western genre.
Acord accords with his father in the end, and something happens about the cousin, but I'll let you watch to find out what. Do you think Acord gets Montgomery? I'd only seen one Acord film before, last October (reviewed here 25 October) and was very disappointed. Acord had been thought of very highly by his Western acting compatriots in the business, and considered a great horseman. In that film, "The White Outlaw" (1929) he'd barely been able to mount a horse, and his acting was terrible overall. I was confused. It turns out that he was a notorious alcoholic and his abilities had been severely stifled. The story wasn't bad, but its telling and the outcome of the performers was not good. "Fighters in/of the Saddle" is an okay, though pat, story, actually told well, and Acord acquits himself soberly. He frankly doesn't have much to do in this cut-down version, while the father, his nephew, and Peggy Montgomery and her little siblings have plenty to do. Acord never mounts a horse, though we see him riding in a short scene or two. This overall is a sad ending to a once-thriving career. Two years later, in 1931, depressed and in throes of severe alcoholism, Acord, once the revered Western star of legions of fans, committed suicide at the age of forty.
What's equally interesting is the choice of co-stars in this film. Tom Bay, who plays the nasty cousin, and who has a certain nasty leer in his face, was that man in real life, it would seem. In 1925 he and a drinking partner and fellow actor Yakima Jim Anson got into a heated argument in a Hollywood hotel. Anson pulled a knife out and was about to attack Bay, when Bay pulled out a gun and shot him to death. He was acquitted. In 1933 he got into an argument with a girlfriend named Alta Lassert over his having spent the night before with another woman. Lassert pulled out a pistol and shot Bay three times in the chest, killing him.
"Fighters in the Saddle" is an Alpha Video release, a cut-down version, missing a good amount of footage, and at the beginning making the viewer have to nearly guess at what is happening. The music accompaniment is from Dvorak's "New World" symphony, and isn't at all appropriate to the action much of the time. I guess we're fortunate to have this remaining footage of a long ago late silent Western, but one has to be a devoted oater fan to really appreciate any of this.
