Rin Tin Tin is basically a superhero in Frozen River (1929)

Is it worth a watch?

If you love dogs and don't mind a movie that shows its age, then yes, Frozen River is actually a lot of fun. People who need big explosions or 4K resolution will probably find this boring and want to turn it off after five minutes. 🐕

It is a 1929 movie, so you have to be in a certain mood for it. It feels like looking at a moving scrapbook of a time that doesn't exist anymore.

The main thing you need to know is that Rin Tin Tin is the real star here. The humans are mostly just there to give him something to do or someone to save.

Rinty plays a dog who has to rescue a kid named Billy, played by Davey Lee. Davey Lee is one of those classic 1920s kids who looks like he has seen some things, even though he is tiny.

The plot is about a kindly old man named Hazy who has a cache of gold hidden away. Naturally, some bad guys want that gold because that is what bad guys did in movies back then.

The villains are played by guys like Lew Harvey and Frank Campeau. They have these very expressive faces that make it clear they are up to no good from the second they walk on screen.

I noticed that the bad guys in this era always look like they haven't slept in three days. They have these dark circles under their eyes and they skulk around the woods in a way that is almost funny now.

One of the crooks has a hat that looks two sizes too small for his head. I kept watching the hat instead of listening to the subtitles for a few minutes.

The woods in this movie look cold. Not just movie cold, but actually uncomfortable for the actors.

You can see the breath of the people in some shots, and it makes the whole thing feel more grounded than a lot of the indoor sets they used back then. It reminds me a bit of the outdoor grit you see in The Iron Mule, even if that one is more of a comedy.

There is a specific scene where Billy gets lost in the woods. It is actually kind of stressful because the kid looks genuinely confused about where he is.

Rinty has to track him down, and the way the dog moves through the brush is incredible. He doesn't look like a trained animal just following a trainer's hand; he looks like he really needs to find that boy.

I love how Rinty's ears twitch when he hears something in the distance. It is a small detail, but it makes him feel more human than some of the actual people in the cast.

Josef Swickard plays Hazy, the old man, and he is very sweet. He has this long beard and a way of looking at the dog that makes you think they were best friends in real life.

The way Hazy holds his cane is a bit awkward though. He keeps switching hands between shots, which I think was just a mistake they didn't bother to fix.

The whole gold theft plot feels a bit like a cartoon, honestly. The crooks whisper to each other even when there is nobody around to hear them.

I guess that is just how they showed 'secretive' behavior in silent-ish films. It makes you want to yell at the screen for the hero to wake up.

Rin Tin Tin eventually has to fight one of the bad guys. It is not a choreographed stunt like you see today; it is just a dog barking and jumping and being a total boss.

The editing gets a little choppy during the fight. One second the dog is on the left, and then suddenly he is biting a guy's arm on the right.

I think they might have lost some of the footage over the years, or maybe the cameraman just couldn't keep up with the dog. Rinty was fast.

If you have seen Playin' Hookey, you know that kids and animals were the bread and butter of this era. But Frozen River takes it more seriously than those shorts did.

There is a real sense of danger when the river is involved. The water looks dark and freezing, hence the title, I guess.

I wonder if the actors were actually worried about falling in. There is one shot where Duane Thompson looks genuinely terrified while standing near the edge.

Speaking of Duane Thompson, she is okay in this, but she doesn't have much to do. Most of the women in these Rinty movies just sort of stand around and look worried until the dog saves the day.

It is kind of a bummer, but that is how it was. She does have a very nice coat, though.

The music—if you watch a version with a score—really carries the tension. When the gold is mentioned, the music gets all low and sneaky.

When Rinty runs, the music goes into high gear. It is very predictable but it works for a reason.

I found myself rooting for the dog more than the old man. Hazy is nice, but he really should have hidden his gold better than just putting it in a hole.

Who leaves a cache of gold in the woods where crooks are just hanging out? It seems like he was asking for trouble.

There is a moment where Rinty looks at the camera for a split second. It is like he is checking to see if we are still watching him be awesome.

I actually laughed out loud when the main villain tried to outrun the dog. Nobody outruns Rin Tin Tin, buddy.

The film doesn't try to be deep or anything. It is just a story about a good dog doing good things.

It is much more straightforward than something like The Price of Innocence which tries to be all dramatic. Frozen River knows it is a dog movie and it is happy with that.

I think the pacing is actually better than some of the other stuff from 1929. It doesn't linger on faces for too long, except when it is the dog's face.

One reaction shot of the villain lingers so long it becomes funny. He just stares into the distance with this 'I am thinking about gold' look for like ten seconds.

The ending is exactly what you think it will be. Everything gets wrapped up in a neat little bow and the dog gets a pat on the head.

It is comforting in a way. You don't have to worry about any 'profound' sad endings here.

If you can find a decent copy, give it a look on a rainy Sunday. It is a nice reminder that some things, like a dog being a hero, never really go out of style.

Just don't expect it to change your life. It is just a dog, some gold, and a lot of snow. ❄️

I still can't get over that one guy's tiny hat. It really was too small.

Anyway, Rinty is the goat. Or the dog. Whatever.

If you want to see more from this time, maybe check out The Barker or even Duck Inn for a totally different vibe. But for dog fans, this is the one.