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6.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Hidden Gold remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you've got a soft spot for the silent era, Hidden Gold is a perfectly decent way to kill an hour. It’s for folks who want a hero who actually looks like he knows how to handle a horse, not just pose on one. If you’re allergic to black-and-white grain or need your dialogue to have a bit more... well, sound, you’re probably gonna hate it.
Tom Mix is the whole show here. You can tell he’s the star because the camera just loves him, even when he’s just sitting there staring at a prison wall. There’s this one bit where he’s trying to earn the trust of the bad guys, and he does this little smirk that tells you everything you need to know. It’s not Shakespeare, but it works.
Comparing this to something like The Lumberjack, you can see how much the studio relied on the lead actor to carry the dead air. Sometimes the plot just stops dead in its tracks to let Tom do a trick or look stoic at the horizon.
Is it better than The Dove? That's a debate for another time, I guess. It’s certainly less fussy. It feels like a movie made by people who knew exactly what the crowd wanted on a Saturday afternoon and didn't care about anything else. 🤠
The ending is about as subtle as a kick to the shins. You know how it’s gonna end the second Tom steps into that jail cell, but that’s not really the point, is it? It’s about watching the pieces fall into place, even if some of the pieces are made of cardboard.
It’s not a masterpiece, but it doesn't try to be. It’s just a cowboy doing his job. I can respect that. 🐎