Fangs of Destiny (Silent)

When greedy poachers set their sights on a Western ranch, a cowboy and his courageous canine companion uncover the plot and ride to the rescue.

Jerry Matthews, a new employee at the Shelby Ranch, is on the trail of the rustlers who have brought the enterprise to the verge of ruin. The culprit is a neighbor who holds the mortgage on the Shelby spread. He has learned that there's oil on the property, and he will soon be in a position to foreclose and reap the rich rewards. When Matthews is kidnapped by thugs, it's up to his German Shepherd "Dynamite" to save the day.

In the tradition of the silent era's Rin Tin Tin, "Dynamite" is an amazing acrobatic canine: jumping onto the back of a horse, climbing a tree, knocking a rider from his saddle, executing a series of flying tackles and even "talking" (his barking is translated as written superimpositions). Firmly on the side of law and order and full of fight, he's the whole show in this entertaining entry from the "man and his dog" school of Saturday matinee action-adventure.

• silent