Ridin' Wild | 1925 | Western

Title: Ridin' Wild | 1925 | Western Director: Leon De La Mothe Studio: Robert J. Horner Productions Starring: Kit Carson, Pauline Curley, Jack Richardson Release Date: December 5, 1925 Format: Silent, black-and-white, 5 reels Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Western --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Arrival in Tucson 00:12:00 Stagecoach ambush 00:24:00 Life on the Blake ranch 00:36:00 Abduction before the rodeo 00:48:00 Rodeo finale and resolution --- Summary: An ailing Easterner, Jim Warren, travels to Tucson, Arizona for the dry climate. Shunned by a hotel because of his illness, he is helped by Betty Blake, daughter of rancher-sheriff Frank Blake, and soon crosses paths with rustler Scar-face Jordan. After stopping a runaway stagecoach, Jim is deputized to protect Betty and goes to work on the Blake ranch, gradually recovering his health. On the day of a major rodeo, Jordan’s gang abducts Jim to keep him from competing, but he escapes in time to enter the events as the law rounds up the outlaws. The story blends frontier crime, recovery, romance, and a set-piece finale at a Tucson rodeo. --- Background: Produced by Robert J. Horner’s company and distributed on a states-rights basis by Aywon Film Corporation, Ridin’ Wild was one of several “Kit Carson” westerns starring the actor also billed as William Barrymore. It was filmed on location in and around Tucson, including downtown and the Toole Avenue train depot, with its closing sequence captured at La Fiesta de los Vaqueros in 1925. An 8mm print was later acquired and digitized by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation, confirming the film’s survival. --- Trivia: The film received a New York State license on September 16, 1925, and is documented opening in Rushville, Indiana, on December 5, 1925. W. R. Maly’s sheriff is identified on the film’s title cards as Frank Blake, though some sources have listed the character as Fred Blake. Ridin’ Wild was part of a short series of low-budget westerns built around the “Kit Carson” screen persona, with Aywon handling states-rights distribution. Location photography highlights early Tucson landmarks, notably the Toole Avenue train depot, and documents the city’s La Fiesta de los Vaqueros rodeo in its inaugural year. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: December 5, 1925 Original Studio / Distributor: Robert J. Horner Productions / Aywon Film Corporation Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: RidinWild 1925 SilentFilm Western PublicDomain LeonDeLaMothe PaulineCurley Aywon Tucson Source page: https: //www.loc.gov/item/2024601130/ Direct media URL: https: //tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/mbrs/ntscrm/02340957/02340957.mp4