Pioneers of the West (1927) is a dusty, decent little silent western

If you like dusty horses and guys staring intensely at nothing for a few seconds too long, then Pioneers of the West is totally worth an hour of your time today.

It’s perfect for people who enjoy the history of westerns or just want a movie that doesn't ask too much of your brain.

If you need fast-talking dialogue or explosions every five minutes, you’re probably going to hate this one quite a bit. 🤠

Tom Tyler is the star here, and he has a face that looks like it was chiseled out of a canyon wall.

He plays an investigator, but mostly he just looks very serious while wearing a really big hat.

The plot starts with a robbery that we don't even get to see, which is a bit of a bummer.

An express company gets hit, a guy goes to jail, but the money is still missing.

The company sends Tyler’s character to figure out what actually happened, and he quickly realizes the guy in prison is just taking the fall for someone else.

It’s a setup we’ve seen a million times, but it works fine for what this is.

I noticed the the quality of the film print I watched was a bit rough, but it adds to the vibe.

The horses look great, honestly.

They seem more excited to be in the movie than some of the background actors do.

There is this one scene in a saloon where a guy in the back is just cleaning the same glass for like three minutes straight.

He’s really dedicated to that one piece of glassware.

J.P. McGowan directed this, and he also plays a role in it.

He was known for these quick, cheap westerns that they used to churn out like butter.

It doesn't have the weird energy of something like Papa's Boy, but it’s much more grounded.

The mystery isn't really a mystery if you’ve ever seen a movie before.

You can tell who the bad guy is immediately because he has the most suspicious mustache in the whole town.

He doesn't just walk around; he sort of skulks from place to place.

The pacing is actually pretty good for a silent film.

It doesn't linger on boring stuff as much as The Last Man might, which I appreciated.

There’s a lot of riding back and forth between the town and the hideout.

Sometimes I think they were just trying to use up the the daylight they had left.

I liked Charlotte Winn in this, even though she doesn't get much to do besides look worried near a window.

She has that classic silent movie face where her eyes do all the talking.

It’s a bit like the vibe in A Woman's Daring, but with more dirt and saddles.

The title cards are a little bit flowery for my taste.

One of them says something about the "winds of fate" when it’s really just a guy getting on a horse.

But that was the style back then, I guess.

It’s definitely a better watch than The Road to Love if you actually want some action.

The fight scenes are a bit clumsy, though.

You can see the guys waiting for their turn to get punched.

But there’s a charm to it that you don't get with modern stuff.

I found myself wondering about the location where they filmed this.

It looks so incredibly dry and hot.

You can almost feel the dust in your own throat while watching them ride around.

The jail cell they use looks like it’s made of thin wood painted to look like stone.

If the guy in prison really wanted to leave, he probably could have just kicked the wall down.

Maybe he just liked the peace and quiet in there.

I also noticed a dog in one of the street scenes that seemed very confused by the camera.

He just stands there wagging his tail while the hero is having a dramatic moment.

It’s those little things that make these old movies fun to watch.

It’s not a masterpiece like Exit Smiling, but it’s a solid B-movie.

Tom Tyler really is the main reason to watch.

He has this athletic way of moving that makes the action feel a bit more real.

Even when the plot is thin, he’s still interesting to look at.

The ending is very abrupt.

Everything gets solved in about two minutes and then it just... ends.

No long goodbye or big celebration, just a quick resolution and a fade to black.

It reminded me of the pacing in By Power of Attorney where they just want to get to the credits.

I think I liked it more than Lights Out just because the outdoor scenery is so nice.

If you're looking for a deep story about the human condition, this isn't it.

But if you want to see a guy in a big hat solve a crime, it's pretty great.

It’s a simple flick for a simple afternoon.

I'll probably forget the name of the characters by tomorrow, but I enjoyed the ride.

Anyway, go check it out if you can find a decent version of it online.