JohnHowardReid Bill Boyd (Bill Holbrook), Helen Twelvetrees (Mary Ellen Cameron), J. Farrell MacDonald (Jeff Cameron), William Farnum (Cash Holbrook), Clark Gable (Rance Brett), Charles Sellon (Tonopah), Wade Boteler (Bob Carson), Will Walling (Kirby), Guy Edward Hearn (Tex), Edmund Breese (Judge Kirby), Al St John (Buck), James Donlan (Steve), Richard Kramer (Provney), Edgar Dearing (Buck's partner), William Le Maire, Clem Beauchamp, James Mason, Cliff Lyons, Brady Kline, George Burton, Cy Clegg, Jerry Drew, Hugh Adams. Director: HOWARD HIGGIN. Screenplay: Howard Higgin, Tom Buckingham. Film editor: Clarence Kolster. Photography: Edward Snyder. Art director: Carroll Clark. Costumes: Gwen Wakeling. Music: Francis Gromon. Camera operator: Joseph La Shelle. Script clerk: Colbert Clark. Sound recording: Homer Ackerman. Ben Winkler. Producer: E.B. Derr. Copyright 12 January 1931 by Pathe Exchange, Inc. U.S. release through RKO-Pathe: 18 January 1931. New York opening at the Hippodrome: 8 March 1931. 8 reels. 79 minutes.COMMENT: Some admirable attempts to build up atmosphere are undermined both by budget restrictions and a script that seems determined to lay all the blame on Clark (who actually has a minor role, but plays it well). It's the lovely Helen Twelvetrees, garrulous J. Farrell MacDonald and silent-movie-sinister William Farnum who make all the running. A pity the conclusion is a cop-out, but nonetheless an entertainingly atmospheric film up to that point, even if a little dialogue-bound and somewhat short on actual action (aside from the spectacular dynamiting scene, most of it occurs off-camera).

rickrudge The Painted Desert (1931)Two wondering cowpokes, Cash Holbrook (William Farnum) and Jeff Cameron (J. Farrell MacDonald) ride up on an abandoned wagon, the victim of an Indian attack. Nobody is alive except for a baby. The two quickly come to the little fellow's rescue, but it doesn't take long before they're arguing over what to name him and where they should settle down. Guns are even drawn and Cash leaves in a huff with the baby.These two become bitter rivals years later when young Bill Holbrook (William Boyd) and Jeff's daughter, Mary Ellen Cameron (Helen Twelvetrees) become adults. Cash sneaks his cattle onto Jeff's land to drink from his water and a gun battle almost ensues.This is where a wondering stranger rides onto the property, Rance Brett (Clark Gable) who offers to be an extra gun for Jeff and Mary Ellen.Meanwhile, Bill see's the ridiculousness of this feud. Bill has been trying to talk Cash into making peace with Jeff. He's spotted some ore deposits on Jeff's land and feels that together they could make a huge profit working together, while fighting each other, everyone looses. This is an old western with old stage and silent era acting styles that come off more funny to watch with today's eyes. This is one of Clark Gable's first talkies, and you know he's the heavy in this movie and frankly is the most three dimensional character in the whole film. You know Gable has a big future ahead of him and he is the reason for watching this. William Boyd, who later is known for TV's Hopalong Cassidy is your typical stiff blond hero in all this.

calvinnme The star of this film is William Boyd, who made a bunch of westerns for Pathe in his time. As a matter of fact, on the opening credits,Clark Gable isn't even listed. Later, when they name the entire cast he is mentioned, but he comes way behind top rated Boyd and even now largely forgotten Helen Twelvetrees.Two pioneers, Cash Holbrook and Jeff Cameron, are trekking across the desert when they find a deserted encampment with one survivor, a baby boy. The two fight over where to go next. Jeff Cameron wants to stay at the waterhole because "it is a grub stake" - all people driving cattle through will need this waterhole. Cash Holbrook wants to continue on to grazing land so he can raise cattle. He calls Jeff stubborn, and takes the baby too, daring Jeff to shoot because if he does, the baby will fall from Cash's arms and break his neck.About twenty years pass and Cash has become a wealthy cattleman. Not being ambitious in the old west has cost Jeff. He married, but his wife died in this harsh environment, and all he has left is his daughter, Mary Ellen (Helen Twelvetrees). In all of this time Cash and Jeff have agitated one another - Jeff is still angry at Cash for stealing the baby boy that is now a man, refusing to let Cash's herd use his watering hold for any price and makes him go 27 miles around. One night it is coming to a showdown. Cash is going to stampede his cattle to Jeff's watering hole and show him who is boss. Jeff and his daughter are prepared to shoot it out to stop him. Along comes a stranger - Gable as Rance Brent, and with him instantly taken with Mary Ellen, Rance decides to back them up in the shootout.Cash's adopted son comes out and stampedes the cattle away from the watering hole to prevent the deadly shootout. Cash is angry, and throws Bill (Bill Boyd) out. Bill went to mining school, discovers tungsten on Jeff's land, and enters into a mining partnership with his dad's sworn enemy.Now this is where the movie is weird. Bill is acting Gandhi-like saying that he takes neither side, he just wants Cash and Jeff to be friends again and that neither is bad or wrong. I beg to disagree, because to me Cash IS a bad man up to this point. First he uses Bill the infant as a human shield, and when Bill keeps something from escalating into bloodshed, Cash throws that son out of his life.In the meantime, Jeff and Bill's mine is yielding lots of ore, and out of nowhere - certainly not out of any dialogue that I could perceive - Bill and Mary Ellen are in love. Meanwhile somebody is sniping at the drivers who are taking the ore into town to the railroad, and then some dynamite disappears and the mine is blown to smithereens. Everybody on Jeff's place blames Cash, and it is up to Bill to stop another potential showdown and shootout. I'll let you watch and find out what happens.This film has absolutely no background music, which was common in early films, and much of the dialogue is very pedestrian. However, it is a good chance to see Gable in his first sound film, and although he hardly utters a word, you can see the beginning of "that Gable style".

ncbraga It's a different kind of western, with little action, all right, but it has a good plot and excellent performances, especially from the veterans William Farnum (Cash) and J. Farrel MacDonald (Jeff). Their interpretation of two friends turned into enemies because of a baby boy they found in the desert is wonderful. Helen Twelvetrees (Mary Ellen) is a flesh and blood Betty Boop and shows with her faces the transition from silent film heroines to those of the sound era. The plot has a simple, but coherent structure that leads to a happy ending. In the whole, "The Painted Desert" has not much of action but it's an enjoying western movie to watch.