An entertaining romantic triangle from the silent era, "The Winning of Barbara Worth" is set in the early 20th-century American Southwest; a land developer plans to dam the Colorado River to irrigate the desert for agriculture. Based on a 1911 novel by Harold Bell Wright, the 90-minute film with intertitles obviously condensed the more than 300 page book; after an introductory episode that provides a brief back story for the orphaned Barbara Worth and her childhood friend, Abe Lee, the film breathlessly flips through irrigation planning, financial swindles, gun battles, races against time, worker discontent, and dam construction, which leave little footage to develop character or a convincing romance.
While Hungarian-born Vilma Banky plays Barbara Worth, the desert waif of the title, Banky is lovely, but unconvincing as the romantic pursuit of two handsome men. In contrast to most of the cast, her performance retains shades of the grand style, the exaggerated gestures and emoting prevalent in early silent films. Fortunately, Banky's suitors, Gary Cooper and Ronald Colman, both have a natural acting style that carried them successfully into the talkie era, while, hampered by a thick accent, Banky's career faded with the arrival of sound. Colman was already an established leading man by 1926, but the third billed Cooper enjoyed a breakthrough role as Abe that was actually more substantial than his fleeting appearance as Cadet White in "Wings" a year later.
The climactic dam-bursting sequence, which depicts the 1905 formation of the Salton Sea in California, is exciting and justifiably famous; although dated, the special effects represent a high point for the period. The film's camera-work by two eventual Oscar-winning cinematographers, Gregg Toland and George Barnes, beautifully captures the desert landscapes, a raging sand storm, plodding wagon trains, a mass stampede of horses and wagons, and the expressive faces of the attractive leads. Helmed by Henry King, who would have a long and distinguished career as a 20th Century Fox contract director, "The Winning of Barbara Worth" is entertaining and occasionally exciting, and offers an early look at two actors, Colman and, especially, Cooper, who would attain stardom during the following decade, win three Oscars among them, and enjoy decades-long careers.
While Hungarian-born Vilma Banky plays Barbara Worth, the desert waif of the title, Banky is lovely, but unconvincing as the romantic pursuit of two handsome men. In contrast to most of the cast, her performance retains shades of the grand style, the exaggerated gestures and emoting prevalent in early silent films. Fortunately, Banky's suitors, Gary Cooper and Ronald Colman, both have a natural acting style that carried them successfully into the talkie era, while, hampered by a thick accent, Banky's career faded with the arrival of sound. Colman was already an established leading man by 1926, but the third billed Cooper enjoyed a breakthrough role as Abe that was actually more substantial than his fleeting appearance as Cadet White in "Wings" a year later.
The climactic dam-bursting sequence, which depicts the 1905 formation of the Salton Sea in California, is exciting and justifiably famous; although dated, the special effects represent a high point for the period. The film's camera-work by two eventual Oscar-winning cinematographers, Gregg Toland and George Barnes, beautifully captures the desert landscapes, a raging sand storm, plodding wagon trains, a mass stampede of horses and wagons, and the expressive faces of the attractive leads. Helmed by Henry King, who would have a long and distinguished career as a 20th Century Fox contract director, "The Winning of Barbara Worth" is entertaining and occasionally exciting, and offers an early look at two actors, Colman and, especially, Cooper, who would attain stardom during the following decade, win three Oscars among them, and enjoy decades-long careers.