A Gun Fightin' Gentleman (1919) User Reviews

Early Ford Film Shows Some of His Comic Flair

[lchadbou-326-26592 · 5/10 · 22 July 2018]

It isn,t fair to judge this early John Ford Western,as the surviving copy I saw was only the first three of the original 5 1/2 reels,and the print came from the Netherlands so had intertitles in Dutch.The part that made the most of an impression on me was a bit of comedy involving table etiquette.When the cowboy played by Harry Carey goes to the mansion of a wealthy businessman in the second reel, to speak to him about a problem,the assembled elite try to trick the rustic character,whose use of utensils is perfectly proper,into using a knife to eat peas by mistake.In the next reel,when the daughter of the businessman is in the Westerner,s simple cabin,he turns the tables on her by depriving her of utensils at all when they are now seated to eat.The third reel by the way shows evidence of decomposition.Hopefully the rest of this piece of Ford,s beginnings will turn up so we can see,other than reading a synopsis,how it plays put .