"The Taming of the West" (1925)
Marceline Day and Hoot Gibson star in "The Taming of the West"
Directed by Arthur Rosson
Produced by Universal Pictures Corporation
Written by Raymond L. Schrock (scenario)
Based on "The Range Dwellers" by B.M. Bower
Starring Hoot Gibson, Marceline Day, Morgan Brown, Edwin Booth Tilton, Herbert Prior, Louis Hippe, Albert J. Smith, Francis Ford, Frona Hale
Cinematography Harry Neumann
Distributed by Universal Pictures Corporation
Release date March 1, 1925
Running time 60 min.
Country United States
Language Silent, English intertitles
We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Marceline Day.
"The Taming of the West" (1925) is a classic silent Western. It is the very first film of 16 year young Marceline Day as a leading lady in a feature film, in which she co-starred with Hoot Gibson, a luminary of Westerns. This was the beginning of Marceline Day's illustrious career, which would lead her to star roles in critically acclaimed silent classics, in which she partnered with Buster Keaton, Lon Chaney, Ramon Novarro, John Barrymore, Lars Hanson and other distinguished male actors of the silent era.
The website Silent Era lists this film as "survival status: unknown". It is not available for viewing, so we have to rely on newspaper articles from the 1920ies. If you have any information about a surviving copy of the film please let us know.
Here are just a few of the reviews for this film:
Arthur Rosson, who is directing the latest Hoot Gibson picture, " The Taming of the West," has finally found a satisfactory location for this Herculean project. The West will be tamed at Keen's camp, a mountain resort. The expedition includes Marceline Day, new leading woman, the other actors and helpers to the number of 50. (San Antonio Express)
An exceedingly amusing story combining city and ranch jazz with rapid outdoor Western action is the current offering at the Frankston Picture Theatre, where Hoot Gibson is appearing in " The Taming of the West ", a Universal Gibson Special.
Gibson is given ample opportunity to demonstrate his skill at automobile driving and at horsemanship. Playing the part of a dissipated city youth who went into the West to recover his health and self-respect, Gibson demonstrates that he is quite properly the champion horseman of the world, a title gained in competition at the Pendleton Rodeo for the past three years.
Combining the thrilling chase scenes with a clever original plot taken from the story "The Range Dwellers," by B. Bowers, director Arthur Rosson has produced a picture which will appeal to many classes, including lovers of Westerns, comedy followers and those who appreciate clever drama.
In the cast are Marceline Day, Morgan Brown, Edwin Booth Tilton, Herbert Prior, Louis Hippe, Albert J. Smith, Francis Ford and Frona Hale. (Frankston & Somerville Standard)
Marceline Day, playing opposite Hoot Gibson in his latest success, " The Taming of the West," is a promising newcomer to the screen, having been drafted into the service of Universal Pictures several months ago. She started with extra parts and soon was given a lead opposite William Desmond in "Red Clay". She performed so superbly that she was given a five years contract. (Auckland Star)
An old fashioned barn dance with a hundred girls in gingham and cowboys in full regalia, dancing to the music of bearded "Fiddlers", was staged for "The Taming of the West", the Hoot Gibson vehicle. Marceline Day is leading woman in support of Gibson. (Sioux City Journal)
PLENTY OF ACTION
Bucking broncos, racing cars and love have been bottled together to form a bubbling drink of joy and laughter. It is called "The Taming of the West", a Universal Gibson Special starring Hoot Gibson. In the cast of this, Hoot Gibson's latest and best, appear Marceline Day and others. (Ukiah Republican Press)
An amusing sketch of an Easterner in the West utterly unconscious of the fact that he is a tenderfoot, is presented by Hoot Gibson in his latest release "The Taming of the West". The picture is a virile out-of-doors story jammed with fast action, built around a well-knit plot and embellished with cleverly thought-out incidents. Hoot Gibson is given many opportunities for showing his versatility as a star in Westerns. To his famous ability with horses he has added some roaring auto racing scenes. Gibson is as clever with the steering wheel as he is with the bridle.
In this picture he has combined some wild riding with a series of exceptionally daring speed scenes. With him in the car is Marceline Day, the leading lady, with whom he is trying to elope. Behind, on horseback and in an auto are a group of cow-punchers detailed by the girl's father to frustrate the proposed elopement. The story starts with Hoot Gibson playing the part of a jazz-mad city youth named John Carleton. He is jailed for speeding and his father bails him out and sends him out to his ranch in the forlorn hope of making a man out of him. Carleton's city airs earn him the laughter of the cow-punchers and he resolves to show them a few things in bronco busting, but is thrown. This marks the beginning of the regeneration of the flabby city dweller.
The neighboring rancher is up in arms against Carleton's father, but the youth, not knowing of the enmity between the two, meets, woos and tentatively wins the rancher's daughter. The rancher discovers Carleton's identity and orders him off the ranch. Undaunted, the fast hardening Carleton kidnaps the girl in his car making his escape and marrying her. The fathers are forced to bury their ill feeling.
Marceline Day plays the part of the captivating Western girl, whose cleverly applied spurs had much to do in the reshaping of Carleton into a hardy Westerner. (Galveston Tribune)
R&R Queen presents a wild riding cowboy who stepped on the gas. He used a hundred horse power to tame the wildest woman the wild west ever knew. The most popular outdoor player on the screen Hoot Gibson in his greatest photoplay "The Taming of the West" with Marceline Day (an ad in Sweetwater Daily Reporter)
Hoot Gibson and Marceline Day in "The Taming of the West"
A courageous, but inexperienced Easterner going through the trials of ranch life in an effort to gain a proper perspective of life is the plot of Hoot Gibson's picture "The Taming of the West". The Easterner, played by Hoot Gibson, is a jazz-mad youth who injects into ranch life the bar-room pep, much to the amusement of the cow-punchers. Incidentally Gibson falls in love with the daughter of a neighboring rancher and wins her over heavy opposition. The part of the attractive girl is acted by Marceline Day. (Medicine Hat News)
Accidents not appearing in the script of the screen story often happen during the filming of a picture, adding unexpected thrills to the photoplay. This is the case during the taking of Hoot Gibson's latest picture, "The Taming of the West". One of the most exciting bits of action is an automobile piloted by Gibson in a chase over the plains of a western ranch. The chase is replete with skids and wild driving. Speeding along at 45 miles an hour Gibson struck a bad bump which broke an already weakened steering knuckle with the result that the car careened badly, taking a dangerous skid before it could be brought to a stop.
The broken steering apparatus was quickly repaired and the chase went on, allowing Gibson to escape from his pursuers who were intent on frustrating his elopement with the girl, played by Marceline Day, who was in the car during the wild ride. (Wichita Daily Times)
Horses never pretend; movie runaways are real runaways
During the filming of "The Taming of the West" Hoot Gibson, the star, was given a chance to demonstrate that he is not a mere screen cowboy when he rescued Marceline Day, his leading lady, from possible injury when her horse ran away during a location trip. (Albuquerque Journal)
See Hoot Gibson at his very best in "The Taming of the West". It's a great photodrama of healthy thrills, stimulating action, delightful romance and side-splitting comedy. Hoot Gibson, the peer of all screen Cowboys, is supported by Marceline Day and a cast that would make any picture a production of distinction. (an ad in Chester Times)
Marceline Day and Hoot Gibson