The Virginian (1923) (Silent) (DVD)

Young Molly Woods arrives at the tiny town of Bear Creek, Wyoming to teach school. She falls in love with a strong, ruggedly handsome ranch foreman, known only as the Virginian. His best friend, Steve, has taken up with Trampas, a notorious cattle thief who has been plundering the territory. Leading a posse in pursuit of the rustlers, the Virginian catches Steve red-handed and must condemn him to the hangman's noose. Molly is horrified by the execution, and packs her things to return East. But when she finds the Virginian collapsed on the road, shot in the back by Trampas, Molly realizes she must make a desperate attempt to save his life.

This fine production features stunning location photography effectively conveying the grandeur of the Old West and stars Kenneth Harlan as the steely-eyed Virginian. Harlan got his start with D.W. Griffith in 1916 and throughout the silent era was a top-billed leading man, playing opposite Lillian Gish, Anna Mae Wong and many other top starlets. Switching to bit parts with the advent of sound, he appeared in over 200 films in his four-decade career. Future cowboy sidekick, Raymond Hatton, turns in a strong performance as the ill-fated Shorty.

• western