White Gold | 1927 | Drama, Western

Title: White Gold by William K. Howard | 1927 | Drama, Western Director: William K. Howard Studio: De Mille Pictures Corp. Starring: Jetta Goudal, Kenneth Thomson, George Bancroft, George Nichols, Bob Perry, Clyde Cook Based on: The 1925 play White Gold by J. Palmer Parsons Release Date: February 24, 1927 Runtime: 73 minutes Format: Silent, black and white; English intertitles; 7 reels Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Drama, Western --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Marriage and Return to the Ranch 00:14:00 Tensions at the Homestead 00:30:00 Drifter Hired 00:48:00 Accusations and Separation 01:02:00 Reckoning and Resolution --- Summary: Alec Carson, the son of an embittered Arizona sheepherder, marries Dolores, a Mexican dance-hall worker, and brings her to the drought-stricken family ranch. Hostility from Alec’s father, combined with Alec’s wavering trust, strains the marriage. When a drifter, Sam Randall, is hired and begins flirting with Dolores, suspicion and jealousy escalate, setting off a chain of accusations, sacrifice, and eventual reckoning. Themes of isolation, prejudice, and loyalty play out against the harsh realities of ranch life. --- Background: Produced by Cecil B. DeMille’s De Mille Pictures Corp. and distributed by Producers Distributing Corp., White Gold adapts J. Palmer Parsons’s 1925 stage play. After production shifts in 1926, William K. Howard took the helm; location scouting focused on “sheep country,” with exteriors slated for Arizona. The film opened in New York at Wurlitzer Hall on February 24, 1927, followed by a March 1927 general release and a mid-April premiere event at the Roxy Theatre. --- Trivia: Contemporary critics praised the film’s restrained storytelling and realism; reviewers in the New York Times and Ottawa Citizen highlighted its simplicity and lifelike tone. Commentators noted Howard’s use of “suggested sound” through visual cues—creaking chairs, ticking clocks, and poker chips—to evoke auditory textures in a silent film. Art direction was by Anton Grot, later renowned for his work at Warner Bros. During production, a herd of goats reportedly chewed up part of the script. Surviving prints are held by multiple archives, including the BFI and the George Eastman Museum. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: February 24, 1927 Original Studio / Distributor: Producers Distributing Corporation Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: WhiteGold 1927 WilliamKHoward JettaGoudal SilentFilm Western Drama PublicDomain ClassicCinema DeMille Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_Gold_(1927)_by_William_K._Howard.webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/White_Gold_%281927%29_by_William_K._Howard.webm