One of the first talking films, this film has a mediocre storyline but is quite entertaining nonetheless. It was filmed on location in Ketchikan,Alaska and it is very interesting to see the nearly 80 year old footage of that area. It is also worth viewing to see Jean Arthur,even though not her best of roles, and to see a nice early performance from Joel McCrea. Evelyn Brent plays the earthy Cherry Mallott with great finesse.She is very believable in the role and does not over-act as some silent era veterans might.The plot,although average, is not boring at all and it is easy to sit through this delightful piece of cinematic history.
18 Reviews
Your Lox On A Bagel Will Never Look The Same Again!!!
ferbs5428 November 2007
Is there a fan of old-timey Hollywood films out there who is NOT in love with Jean Arthur? With her wholesome good looks, spunky demeanor, inimitable cracked voice and superb acting abilities, Arthur was certainly amongst the top-tier comedic actresses of the '30s and '40s. "The Silver Horde" is an early talkie that she appeared in five years before her breakthrough role in 1935's "The Whole Town's Talking." In this one she is third billed, and her part is a subsidiary one, playing a "pasty-faced namby-pamby" society dame; the fiancée of Joel McCrea, who is trying to get a salmon cannery up and running in the wilds of Alaska. McCrea is being secretly abetted by hooker turned businesswoman Evelyn Brent, while his chances of success are constantly being endangered by a rival operation across the bay. Anyway, this is a pretty taut little picture. It moves along briskly, and features some convincing exterior shots. It also boasts at least three very fine sequences: a dukeout between McCrea and a big Swede who wants to quit his job; a face-off between Arthur and Brent over their common love interest (the viewer's sympathies are wholly with Brent, in this case); and a fascinating look at just how salmon are caught, processed and wind up in cans. You'll never look at your salmon salad the same way again, I promise you! Oh...one other thing. The folks at Alpha Video have done it again; yet another DVD with poor picture quality and even lousier sound. This company has a huge catalog of films available, but when will it realize that quality is just as important as quantity?
Odd little film contains a great speech
AlsExGal21 February 2010
This film, originally made by RKO but fallen into the public domain, is probably not going to appeal to most people, and not even to most fans of precode. However, it is still interesting viewing. It was made in 1930 - that first full year of all-talking pictures, and we are beginning to see the end of some silent acting careers and the beginning of some talking ones.
The story is that of Boyd Emerson (Joel McCrea), a man who wanders into a very unfriendly Alaskan town. He practically breaks down the door of the town lady of the evening, Cherry Malotte (Evelyn Brent), and demands hospitality, which kind of spoils the idea behind hospitality in the first place. Boyd is in love with a society girl, Mildred Wayland (Jean Arthur), but needs to prove himself worthy to her dad before they can marry. He decides to make his home in this small Alaskan outpost and set up a salmon fishery to compete against that of his underhanded and better capitalized rival for Mildred's hand, Frederick Marsh.
Everyone from "San Francisco to Sitka" apparently knows about Cherry's profession, everyone but Boyd. Cherry uses her bodily assets at one point to insure Boyd gets the loan he needs to start his fishery, without Boyd knowing of course. When he finds out what Cherry does and that she did it at least once to help him, fireworks ensue.
Evelyn Brent was a holdover from the silents, and this is the best talking role I've seen her in. She delivers her hooker's manifesto speech to anemic society girl Mildred with gusto that rivals Barbara Stanwyck in "Baby Face". Jean Arthur is stiff as a board and unrecognizable here as the star of the screwball comedies that are to follow, and it is ironic that in spite of that stiff performance and Brent's animated one that Arthur's star is to rise and Brent's is to fall very shortly.
Louis Wolheim is another holdover from the silents. They just don't know what to do with him here and so they basically make him a mindless brute that enjoys busting heads open. He is much better served in 1931's "Danger Lights", and so is Jean Arthur for that matter.
The story is that of Boyd Emerson (Joel McCrea), a man who wanders into a very unfriendly Alaskan town. He practically breaks down the door of the town lady of the evening, Cherry Malotte (Evelyn Brent), and demands hospitality, which kind of spoils the idea behind hospitality in the first place. Boyd is in love with a society girl, Mildred Wayland (Jean Arthur), but needs to prove himself worthy to her dad before they can marry. He decides to make his home in this small Alaskan outpost and set up a salmon fishery to compete against that of his underhanded and better capitalized rival for Mildred's hand, Frederick Marsh.
Everyone from "San Francisco to Sitka" apparently knows about Cherry's profession, everyone but Boyd. Cherry uses her bodily assets at one point to insure Boyd gets the loan he needs to start his fishery, without Boyd knowing of course. When he finds out what Cherry does and that she did it at least once to help him, fireworks ensue.
Evelyn Brent was a holdover from the silents, and this is the best talking role I've seen her in. She delivers her hooker's manifesto speech to anemic society girl Mildred with gusto that rivals Barbara Stanwyck in "Baby Face". Jean Arthur is stiff as a board and unrecognizable here as the star of the screwball comedies that are to follow, and it is ironic that in spite of that stiff performance and Brent's animated one that Arthur's star is to rise and Brent's is to fall very shortly.
Louis Wolheim is another holdover from the silents. They just don't know what to do with him here and so they basically make him a mindless brute that enjoys busting heads open. He is much better served in 1931's "Danger Lights", and so is Jean Arthur for that matter.
Just an average film, but somewhat interesting
atlasmb22 May 2014
In 1930, as films were making the transition from silent to talkies, this pre-code film was released. It even contains a few title cards.
"The Silver Horde" refers to the running salmon as they attempt to make their way from the ocean to the rivers, improbably jumping upstream. The protagonist played by Joel McCrea is a man who runs a cannery. As he falls for a woman of bad reputation, he fights another canner who plays dirty.
The scenes of harvesting fish and inside a cannery are snapshots of an industry's state of the art.
The lily-white society girl who desires to reel in McCrea is played by Jean Arthur with no glimpse of the screwball comedienne she would become. She pales in comparison to the bad girl, played by Evelyn Brent, appropriately called Cherry.
This average film is interesting for its place in the development in cinema.
"The Silver Horde" refers to the running salmon as they attempt to make their way from the ocean to the rivers, improbably jumping upstream. The protagonist played by Joel McCrea is a man who runs a cannery. As he falls for a woman of bad reputation, he fights another canner who plays dirty.
The scenes of harvesting fish and inside a cannery are snapshots of an industry's state of the art.
The lily-white society girl who desires to reel in McCrea is played by Jean Arthur with no glimpse of the screwball comedienne she would become. She pales in comparison to the bad girl, played by Evelyn Brent, appropriately called Cherry.
This average film is interesting for its place in the development in cinema.
"Because he doesn't like me doesn't change him, does it?"
classicsoncall30 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I'm somewhat intrigued by the idea that someone, somewhere, in 1930 decided to do a film about the Alaskan salmon industry. Not quite the seafaring 'Western' that 1938's "Spawn of the North" was, this film is notable for an early look at Joel McCrea and Jean Arthur, although by this time Arthur had nearly a forty film resume dating back to the silent film era. Actually, Arthur's character here is somewhat of a spoiler for most of the picture's duration, as hero Boyd Emerson (McCrea) finally winds up with the hooker with a heart of gold, Cherry Malotte (Evelyn Brent).
Though the story is somewhat formulaic, even as early as 1930, what I found to be THE most interesting aspect of the film were the sequences devoted to the actual harvesting of wild salmon. There was a scene where the fish were so thick you could literally walk across the water on their backs if one had cause to. The shipboard detail of the harvesting, preparation and canning operation was a fascinating look at how mechanized the whole process was eighty years ago. To top it off, the Icy Point brand of canned salmon is still available to this day!
There's some comic relief provided by Emerson's partners Fraser (Ray Hatton) and Balt (Louis Wolheim). Balt was an interesting character, having been a loyal aid to Cherry Malotte. Every time he came on screen I couldn't help thinking Lon Chaney Sr. as Quasimodo, but without the hunchback and makeup job.
As for the story, the one thing I couldn't quite understand was how Emerson wound up with two hundred thousand dollars worth of financing for a fishery operation without the hint of collateral. Sure, Miss Malotte put in a good word for him, but somehow I didn't get the idea that that would be enough. There was some other back and forth intrigue involving the Whalen's, the father (Purnell Pratt) first blocking the deal, but eventually relenting on behalf of his daughter Mildred (Jean Arthur).
In perhaps an odd coincidence of character identification, Emerson's main antagonist in the story turned out to be an established businessman named Frederick Marsh. For all intents and purposes, he was the cad who rivaled Emerson for the hand of Miss Mildred. In one of those perhaps unintended glimpses into his true nature, the symbol above one of his own fishery buildings had the sign 'MF' above it. That of course, could have stood for something else altogether.
Though the story is somewhat formulaic, even as early as 1930, what I found to be THE most interesting aspect of the film were the sequences devoted to the actual harvesting of wild salmon. There was a scene where the fish were so thick you could literally walk across the water on their backs if one had cause to. The shipboard detail of the harvesting, preparation and canning operation was a fascinating look at how mechanized the whole process was eighty years ago. To top it off, the Icy Point brand of canned salmon is still available to this day!
There's some comic relief provided by Emerson's partners Fraser (Ray Hatton) and Balt (Louis Wolheim). Balt was an interesting character, having been a loyal aid to Cherry Malotte. Every time he came on screen I couldn't help thinking Lon Chaney Sr. as Quasimodo, but without the hunchback and makeup job.
As for the story, the one thing I couldn't quite understand was how Emerson wound up with two hundred thousand dollars worth of financing for a fishery operation without the hint of collateral. Sure, Miss Malotte put in a good word for him, but somehow I didn't get the idea that that would be enough. There was some other back and forth intrigue involving the Whalen's, the father (Purnell Pratt) first blocking the deal, but eventually relenting on behalf of his daughter Mildred (Jean Arthur).
In perhaps an odd coincidence of character identification, Emerson's main antagonist in the story turned out to be an established businessman named Frederick Marsh. For all intents and purposes, he was the cad who rivaled Emerson for the hand of Miss Mildred. In one of those perhaps unintended glimpses into his true nature, the symbol above one of his own fishery buildings had the sign 'MF' above it. That of course, could have stood for something else altogether.
Catch 'Em And Can 'Em in Ketchikan
bkoganbing21 May 2007
The part of The Silver Horde that I like was the location filming in Ketchikan, Alaska and the realistic depiction of the salmon cannery over which our cast is battling. Unfortunately it's a most old fashioned story that doesn't wear well for today's audience.
Joel McCrea who was the noblest of all screen heroes and when cast right could be an admirable performer was given wrong direction here. He really comes off as a pompous self righteous clod, I can't believe both Jean Arthur and Evelyn Brent are fighting over him.
The film is based on a novel by Rex Beach who wrote the popular and many times filmed The Spoilers. In fact Evelyn Brent's character is named Cherry Malotte, the same as the heroine in The Spoilers.
Evelyn's a bad girl with a notorious reputation that our fastidious hero is repulsed by even though he's falling for her. Jean Arthur in the first film she did with Joel McCrea is totally wasted in the fluffy society girl he's first engaged to. This is hardly as good as The More The Merrier.
In this old fashioned drama you have an old fashioned villain and that's Gavin Gordon who's a villain in the best Snidely Whiplash tradition.
The best performers in the film are Louis Wolheim and Raymond Hatton, a pair of Arctic rustics is the best way you can describe them. Wolheim had he not died the following year probably would have shared a lot of the roles Wallace Beery did in the sound era.
Fortunately better films were on the way for Joel McCrea. Otherwise his career would have terminated in the early Thirties.
Joel McCrea who was the noblest of all screen heroes and when cast right could be an admirable performer was given wrong direction here. He really comes off as a pompous self righteous clod, I can't believe both Jean Arthur and Evelyn Brent are fighting over him.
The film is based on a novel by Rex Beach who wrote the popular and many times filmed The Spoilers. In fact Evelyn Brent's character is named Cherry Malotte, the same as the heroine in The Spoilers.
Evelyn's a bad girl with a notorious reputation that our fastidious hero is repulsed by even though he's falling for her. Jean Arthur in the first film she did with Joel McCrea is totally wasted in the fluffy society girl he's first engaged to. This is hardly as good as The More The Merrier.
In this old fashioned drama you have an old fashioned villain and that's Gavin Gordon who's a villain in the best Snidely Whiplash tradition.
The best performers in the film are Louis Wolheim and Raymond Hatton, a pair of Arctic rustics is the best way you can describe them. Wolheim had he not died the following year probably would have shared a lot of the roles Wallace Beery did in the sound era.
Fortunately better films were on the way for Joel McCrea. Otherwise his career would have terminated in the early Thirties.
Way up North.....!
bsmith55521 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"The Silver Horde" is an early sound film and it shows. It is memorable in that it was one of Joel McCrea's earliest roles as it was for Jean Arthur.
The scene is Alaska and Boyd Emerson (McCrea) is returning from an unsuccessful hunt for gold with his new friend Fraser (Raymond Hatton) in tow. They are taken in by local girl of pleasure (with a heart of gold) Cherry Malotte (Evelyn Brent). Unaware of Cherry's past, Boyd's confidence is restored with her help and that of her friend the brawling George Balt (Louis Wolheim).
Boyd, Balt and Fraser travel to Seattle to obtain a loan to set up a salmon fishing plant in competition with that of Fred Marsh (Gavin Gordon). It turns out that Boyd is engaged to socialite Mildred Wayland (Jean Arthur). Mildred's father (Purnell Pratt) favors her marriage to Marsh.
Boyd manages to get the loan from banker Tim Hilliard (William Davidson) but is distraught when Hilliard later informs him that the loan has been denied. It seems that Mr. Wayland a highly influential figure has blocked the transaction. Cherry gets wind of the situation and goes to Seattle. She intervenes with Hilliard and "arranges" for the loan to be approved unbeknownst to the naïve Boyd.
Boyd sets up his fishery and out performs Marsh in the harvesting of the salmon. Marsh sends his boats to destroy Boyd's operation but George leads Boyd's boats in retaliation.
Mildred and her father arrive on the scene in their luxurious yacht. Boyd and Mildred make wedding plans in spite of her father's preference for Marsh. Cherry tells Boyd the he should marry Mildred but he is unsure. Boyd learns of Mildred's past and berates her and leaves for Mildred.
Cherry brings in a former "associate" Queenie (Blanche Sweet) who has a surprise for Marsh. Boyd comes to his senses and realized what Cherry has done for him and is forced to choose between the two women and...............................................
Both McCrea (he was only 25 at the time) and Arthur would both go on to be major stars for many years. Louis Wolhiem, one of my favorites would pass away pre-maturely in 1931.Similarly, Raymond Hatton., who had been in films since the teens would also have a lengthy career mostly as a western sidekick.
By the way, "The Silver Horde" refers to the rush of salmon returning to their spawning grounds each year.
The scene is Alaska and Boyd Emerson (McCrea) is returning from an unsuccessful hunt for gold with his new friend Fraser (Raymond Hatton) in tow. They are taken in by local girl of pleasure (with a heart of gold) Cherry Malotte (Evelyn Brent). Unaware of Cherry's past, Boyd's confidence is restored with her help and that of her friend the brawling George Balt (Louis Wolheim).
Boyd, Balt and Fraser travel to Seattle to obtain a loan to set up a salmon fishing plant in competition with that of Fred Marsh (Gavin Gordon). It turns out that Boyd is engaged to socialite Mildred Wayland (Jean Arthur). Mildred's father (Purnell Pratt) favors her marriage to Marsh.
Boyd manages to get the loan from banker Tim Hilliard (William Davidson) but is distraught when Hilliard later informs him that the loan has been denied. It seems that Mr. Wayland a highly influential figure has blocked the transaction. Cherry gets wind of the situation and goes to Seattle. She intervenes with Hilliard and "arranges" for the loan to be approved unbeknownst to the naïve Boyd.
Boyd sets up his fishery and out performs Marsh in the harvesting of the salmon. Marsh sends his boats to destroy Boyd's operation but George leads Boyd's boats in retaliation.
Mildred and her father arrive on the scene in their luxurious yacht. Boyd and Mildred make wedding plans in spite of her father's preference for Marsh. Cherry tells Boyd the he should marry Mildred but he is unsure. Boyd learns of Mildred's past and berates her and leaves for Mildred.
Cherry brings in a former "associate" Queenie (Blanche Sweet) who has a surprise for Marsh. Boyd comes to his senses and realized what Cherry has done for him and is forced to choose between the two women and...............................................
Both McCrea (he was only 25 at the time) and Arthur would both go on to be major stars for many years. Louis Wolhiem, one of my favorites would pass away pre-maturely in 1931.Similarly, Raymond Hatton., who had been in films since the teens would also have a lengthy career mostly as a western sidekick.
By the way, "The Silver Horde" refers to the rush of salmon returning to their spawning grounds each year.
Sort of like Popeye and Bluto fighting against Snidely Whiplash!
planktonrules29 October 2010
I compared the characters to cartoon characters because, well, they are as flat and dimensionless as cartoons! George (Louis Wolheim) and Boyd (Joel McCrea) are both pugnacious galoots who mostly spend their time talking about fighting and fighting. Their goal (along with their wimpier partner) is to open up a salmon cannery in Alaska, but a one-dimensional baddie does everything he can to stand in their way--resorting to violence and underhanded tricks to stop them. It all just seemed very flat and unconvincing--mostly because none of these characters have a lot of depth.
In addition, there are two women who are just gaga over Boyd--Evelyn Brent and Jean Arthur. While Boyd seems taken with the rich girl, the other lady is sweet and long-suffering--helping Boyd behind his back to be a success even though she knows Boyd has chosen the other woman. What a gal...but again, a bit simplistic. And, as far as Arthur and McCrea are concerned, although they both went on to become major stars, this film seemed to do nothing to help in this process.
The film has few assets and mostly a relatively dull story. But, you can't deny that the Alaskan locations are just lovely--and it's ALMOST worth seeing just to catch these glimpses of old-time Alaska....almost. Dull---and this is a surprise, as Louis Wolheim was a very exciting and charismatic actor. Here, he just isn't used effectively, as his best characters were tough AND sweet--here he isn't given a chance to show off his sweeter side.
In addition, there are two women who are just gaga over Boyd--Evelyn Brent and Jean Arthur. While Boyd seems taken with the rich girl, the other lady is sweet and long-suffering--helping Boyd behind his back to be a success even though she knows Boyd has chosen the other woman. What a gal...but again, a bit simplistic. And, as far as Arthur and McCrea are concerned, although they both went on to become major stars, this film seemed to do nothing to help in this process.
The film has few assets and mostly a relatively dull story. But, you can't deny that the Alaskan locations are just lovely--and it's ALMOST worth seeing just to catch these glimpses of old-time Alaska....almost. Dull---and this is a surprise, as Louis Wolheim was a very exciting and charismatic actor. Here, he just isn't used effectively, as his best characters were tough AND sweet--here he isn't given a chance to show off his sweeter side.
A Man Torn Between Two Lovers
Uriah438 January 2023
After spending two, hard years searching for gold in the northernmost part of Alaska, two friends named "Boyd Emerson" (Joel McCrea) and "Fraser" (Raymond Hatton) finally decide to give up on their dream and head back south to civilization. On the way, however, they happen to stop in a small village where they meet a wealthy woman named "Cherry Malotte" (Evelyn Brent) who provides them with food and lodging for the next few days. It's during this time that Boyd is informed by Cherry that there is a lucrative business opportunity right there in that same village focusing on a totally different resource other than gold--salmon. The problem is that part of the bay where the salmon spawn is owned by a ruthless businessman named "Fred Marsh" (Gavid Gordon) who will do whatever it takes to prevent anyone else from setting up a rival fish cannery in that area. Even so, Boyd soon becomes intent upon opening one up and, with Cherry's help, he travels to Seattle to obtain the necessary money from a bank. While there he also runs into his girlfriend "Mildred Wayland" (Jean Arthur) who loves him very much and wants to marry him as soon as possible. What Boyd doesn't realize, however, is that Cherry has also fallen in love with him and that, sooner or later, he will have to make a choice between them. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this turned out to be a rather entertaining film--especially since it was produced so long ago. Admittedly, there were more than a few times the film showed its age, but even so, I enjoyed it for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
A Cast of Salmon
wes-connors31 May 2012
In Alaska, handsome fisherman Joel McCrea (as Boyd Emerson) finds a place to stay with gun-wielding saloon girl Evelyn Brent (as Cherry Malotte). She falls in love with him, but he seems more interested in business, where she begins to help. A lot. "The Silver Horde" refers a big netting of silvery salmon. Thousands of them. This story is very rough going, with only a film buff's cast to keep you interested. A memorable future co-star for Mr. McCrea, young Jean Arthur (as Mildred Wayland) plays the home girl...
Former "silent" film star Blanche Sweet (as Queenie) appears in the second half. This was the last feature for Ms. Sweet, until a 1950s comeback attempt; perhaps surprisingly, she looks and sounds fine. McCrea's nemesis is well-played by Gavin Gordon (as Frederick Marsh), who had just made "Romance" (1930) with Greta Garbo. You can also enjoy a couple of the era's more appreciated character actors, Louis Wolheim (as George Balt) and Raymond Hatton (as Fraser), mugging it up as a comic relief team.
**** The Silver Horde (10/25/30) George Archainbaud ~ Joel McCrea, Evelyn Brent, Gavin Gordon, Blanche Sweet
Former "silent" film star Blanche Sweet (as Queenie) appears in the second half. This was the last feature for Ms. Sweet, until a 1950s comeback attempt; perhaps surprisingly, she looks and sounds fine. McCrea's nemesis is well-played by Gavin Gordon (as Frederick Marsh), who had just made "Romance" (1930) with Greta Garbo. You can also enjoy a couple of the era's more appreciated character actors, Louis Wolheim (as George Balt) and Raymond Hatton (as Fraser), mugging it up as a comic relief team.
**** The Silver Horde (10/25/30) George Archainbaud ~ Joel McCrea, Evelyn Brent, Gavin Gordon, Blanche Sweet
Early Talkie Showcases Alaskan Action
Ron Oliver17 September 2001
Fighting against great local opposition by going after THE SILVER HORDE - the magnificent schools of salmon which swarm past Alaskan shores - a decent young man finds himself caught between a bigoted society girl & a notorious prostitute.
A deft combination of action picture & soap opera, this early talkie boasts a fine, stalwart performance from a very young Joel McCrea, who displays some of the talents & charm which would soon make him a major star. A lively Evelyn Brent matches him dramatically as a lady with too much past. Poor Jean Arthur, in a strident, unsympathetic role, shows few hints of the celebrated comedienne she would become by the end of the decade.
Rough-hewn Louis Wolheim steals every scene he's in as a plug-ugly fisherman who's fiercely loyal to Miss Brent - here was an actor who was always fun to watch. Silent screen star Blanche Sweet makes one of her rare sound film appearances, playing a plain speaking harlot. Comic Raymond Hatton is amusing as a trapper with city slicker notions, while handsome Gavin Gordon makes a suave, dangerous villain.
Released in 1930, the first year of all-talkie films in Hollywood, THE SILVER HORDE displays its silent antecedents with the use of the occasional title card. This is not a weakness, however, and actually helps move the story along by explaining the plot a bit more fully.
Location filming on the Alaskan coast gives the ambiance of the film a terrific boost, while the scenes of catching & canning the salmon have a fascinating early-documentary feel to them.
A deft combination of action picture & soap opera, this early talkie boasts a fine, stalwart performance from a very young Joel McCrea, who displays some of the talents & charm which would soon make him a major star. A lively Evelyn Brent matches him dramatically as a lady with too much past. Poor Jean Arthur, in a strident, unsympathetic role, shows few hints of the celebrated comedienne she would become by the end of the decade.
Rough-hewn Louis Wolheim steals every scene he's in as a plug-ugly fisherman who's fiercely loyal to Miss Brent - here was an actor who was always fun to watch. Silent screen star Blanche Sweet makes one of her rare sound film appearances, playing a plain speaking harlot. Comic Raymond Hatton is amusing as a trapper with city slicker notions, while handsome Gavin Gordon makes a suave, dangerous villain.
Released in 1930, the first year of all-talkie films in Hollywood, THE SILVER HORDE displays its silent antecedents with the use of the occasional title card. This is not a weakness, however, and actually helps move the story along by explaining the plot a bit more fully.
Location filming on the Alaskan coast gives the ambiance of the film a terrific boost, while the scenes of catching & canning the salmon have a fascinating early-documentary feel to them.
Skip this one
gbill-7487720 June 2017
This is a pretty bad movie, so don't get excited about seeing an early film with Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea. He plays a young man who starts up a new salmon cannery in Alaska, without realizing that he's gotten help from a young woman he's met (Evelyn Brent), or that she's known in those parts for being a woman of ill repute. His cannery is threatened by a rival fishing gang, and his engagement to Jean Arthur is threatened by his friendship with and growing feelings for Brent, who has a good heart and hardly seems like a fallen woman.
There are all sorts of problems with the film, which hasn't aged well. The dialogue is stilted, and both McCrea and Arthur's acting is awful. There is not a whole lot to the plot, and it is tedious in developing. The sound quality is tinny even for 1930, especially early on. I'm not recommending you stick this one out even though it's only 75 minutes long, but if you do, a little after the one hour point you'll be rewarded with Brent bawling out Arthur, which is easily the highlight of the movie. Midway through the film you may also like the footage of the salmon in Alaska, going from them happily swimming upstream to spawn, to being caught, and then processed in an assembly line, but to me, these scenes didn't add anything, and seemed like filler.
There are all sorts of problems with the film, which hasn't aged well. The dialogue is stilted, and both McCrea and Arthur's acting is awful. There is not a whole lot to the plot, and it is tedious in developing. The sound quality is tinny even for 1930, especially early on. I'm not recommending you stick this one out even though it's only 75 minutes long, but if you do, a little after the one hour point you'll be rewarded with Brent bawling out Arthur, which is easily the highlight of the movie. Midway through the film you may also like the footage of the salmon in Alaska, going from them happily swimming upstream to spawn, to being caught, and then processed in an assembly line, but to me, these scenes didn't add anything, and seemed like filler.
Early Talkie
lpersons-211 January 2007
Although I enjoy old movies, this was just a bit to early for my liking. It was an early talky movie and you could tell by watching it that the equipment that it was filmed on and the actors and actresses were vintage. That being said, it was an interesting movie and easy to watch. Very simplistic plot with not much depth as was the case in this period of cinematography. It was very typical of the time period plot line where the guy gets the girl, even though she has a reputation of being a bad girl. The scenes that showed the actual canning of the salmon was of interest to me, in that it gave a glance back in history of the processing plant and early machinery.
Fascinating, squeaky creaky early talkie antique.
mark.waltz12 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The Alaskan fishing industry comes to life in this pre-code adventure romance that takes the future stars of this screwball comedy classic, "The More the Merrier" and places them in a completely different setting. Gone are the crowded streets of wartime urban asphalt and in are the streams filled with swimming salmon just waiting to be canned.
The handsome Joel McCrea is a struggling fisherman who is caught in the net of love by two fishing women, tough saloon girl Evelyn Brent and society girl Jean Arthur, daughter of the cannery owner. The romantic aspects of the plot are fortunately overshadowed by the background of how the fishing industry works, a fascinating subject that doesn't sound interesting in writing but looks great when documented on celluloid.
Having been done as a silent, the talkie version has elements of melodrama and early sound static that often slow it down horribly. However, it still gives an exciting feel on occasion to the world that author Rex Lease was documenting. The art direction is pretty good, and in spite of barely moving at times, the camera picks up some pretty interesting footage. Historically important as a documentation of that industry as well as a glimpse into the early careers of McCrea and Arthur.
The handsome Joel McCrea is a struggling fisherman who is caught in the net of love by two fishing women, tough saloon girl Evelyn Brent and society girl Jean Arthur, daughter of the cannery owner. The romantic aspects of the plot are fortunately overshadowed by the background of how the fishing industry works, a fascinating subject that doesn't sound interesting in writing but looks great when documented on celluloid.
Having been done as a silent, the talkie version has elements of melodrama and early sound static that often slow it down horribly. However, it still gives an exciting feel on occasion to the world that author Rex Lease was documenting. The art direction is pretty good, and in spite of barely moving at times, the camera picks up some pretty interesting footage. Historically important as a documentation of that industry as well as a glimpse into the early careers of McCrea and Arthur.
Excellent early talkie
kennethranson24 May 2012
This is an excellent film. The location footage of Ketchikan, Alaska, the documentary scenes of salmon fishing and canning, and the clash on the water between the two fishing fleets are all first rate.
The crucial dramatic question of the film, can a decent man fall in love with a woman who has had sex with other men, seems hopelessly outdated. But if you replace that question with the more general, which woman should a man choose, one who can offer him a life of ease, or one who can help him fight for success on his own terms, the dramatic crisis becomes not dated but timeless. Good acting and direction, a lesson in the history of film, and in storytelling, that transcends period.
The crucial dramatic question of the film, can a decent man fall in love with a woman who has had sex with other men, seems hopelessly outdated. But if you replace that question with the more general, which woman should a man choose, one who can offer him a life of ease, or one who can help him fight for success on his own terms, the dramatic crisis becomes not dated but timeless. Good acting and direction, a lesson in the history of film, and in storytelling, that transcends period.
Bad Triangle With Less Than 180 Degrees - The Silver Horde
arthur_tafero6 October 2022
This is another in a line of trite 1930s triangle formula films churned out by the Hollywood studios to augment double bills in theaters showing a good A and these highly questionable B or C films. Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea are wasted here in a terrible script that was probably written in an hour or two while fishing somewhere. Will the hero choose the bad girl or the good girl? Please. During the Depression, the choice was almost always the person with the best job or the most money; anything else was just a pure Hollywood fantasy; and not a very inventive Hollywood fantasy at that. Worth viewing just to see a young Arthur and McCrea.
A must see "uncorseted" movie
ScenicRoute11 January 2007
This movie is a must see for the quote that is cited by IMDb in its description. This quote should be as as famous as "Play it again, Sam" and all the other lines that the Oscars are touting this year. Note that "I am what I am" is right there, 1930, way before La Cage aux Folles. Watching a movie like this makes me understand that the strict enforcement of the Production Code in 1934 really was in lock-step with the rise of fascism worldwide - movies such as the Silver Horde were dangerous - immensely threatening to the patriarchy and those who supported it - "society women" (though many were rebelling) and working-class Roman Catholics (the 1934 role of the American Church in ensuring the 30-year enforcement of the production code is well documented). Like so many of these pre-Code movies, female liberation is simply a matter of fact - we need to watch these movies because we don't understand our history, both domestically and in the context of the rise of fascism in the 1930s, and this history desperately needs to be retold. These movies are the way in to understanding the sexual aspect of the political movement. Even if the rest of the movie is melodramatic bunk, everyone should have the above scene taped and ready to play whenever we despair that all the world's women will obtain freedom from fascism in any of its toxic manifestations. In this movie, Evelyn Brent, as a woman, runs circles around the actresses of that time who cemented their fame for prosperity - Crawford, Davis, Hepburn, but she shall have the last laugh when they "settle things in this world or the next" (notice her use of "or" - another term paper there) for it is she who delivers these magnificent lines...
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