Riders of the Purple Sage | 1925 | Western, Silent

Title: Riders of the Purple Sage | 1925 | Western, Silent Director: Lynn Reynolds Studio: Fox Film Corporation Starring: Tom Mix, Mabel Ballin, Warner Oland Based on: Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey Release Date: March 15, 1925 Runtime: 56 minutes Format: Silent, black-and-white, 6 reels , 1.33:1, English intertitles Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Western, Silent --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Abduction and vow 00:10:00 Lassiter rides into Cottonwoods 00:22:00 Venters and the masked rider 00:35:00 Judge Dyer confrontation 00:45:00 Flight to Surprise Valley 00:54:00 Boulder seals the valley --- Summary: Former Texas Ranger Jim “Lassiter” Carson hunts the corrupt lawyer Lew Walters, who abducted his sister and niece. His search leads him to rancher Jane Withersteen’s embattled spread in Cottonwoods, where Lassiter allies with cowhand Bern Venters against rustlers and local powerbrokers. As secrets surface, the man Lassiter seeks is unmasked as Judge Dyer. After a violent reckoning, Lassiter, Jane, and young Fay flee into the canyons and find refuge in a hidden valley whose only exit is sealed, leaving them isolated from the outside world. Themes include frontier justice, moral conflict, and the costs of vengeance. --- Background: This adaptation of Zane Grey’s 1912 bestseller was produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation and directed by Lynn Reynolds, one of Tom Mix’s key collaborators. The 1925 film was shot in California’s Lone Pine and the nearby Alabama Hills, a favored location for Westerns. Fox followed it later that year with The Rainbow Trail , another Reynolds-directed Zane Grey adaptation starring Mix. --- Trivia: An early screen appearance by Gary Cooper—credited as a rider—has been noted in cast listings for this film. Tony the Wonder Horse, Tom Mix’s famous equine co-star, appears as Lassiter’s horse. Multiple film versions of Riders of the Purple Sage exist; Fox produced adaptations in 1918, 1925, and 1931, with another version released in 1941. A surviving print is reported in 16mm at the George Eastman Museum . --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: March 15, 1925 Original Studio / Distributor: Fox Film Corporation Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: RidersOfThePurpleSage TomMix ZaneGrey SilentFilm Western FoxFilm PublicDomain ClassicCinema 1920sMovies Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riders_of_the_Purple_Sage_(1925).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Riders_of_the_Purple_Sage_%281925%29.webm