Plunging Hoofs (1929) - Rex the horse is the real star here

Wait, what is a skypilot?

If you're like me, you probably haven't heard the term 'skypilot' in about forever. It's what they used to call preachers back in the day, and that’s who our hero Jed is. Jack Perrin plays him with this very stiff, very serious face that makes you think he’s constantly smelling something slightly off. It’s a 1929 silent film, so you expect some over-acting, but Perrin is actually pretty quiet with it.

Is this worth watching today? Only if you have a soft spot for old-school horse movies or if you're trying to see everything Rex the Wonder Horse ever did. If you need fast plots and explosions, you’re going to be bored out of your mind. But for a Sunday afternoon when you just want to see some beautiful desert scenery, it’s actually kind of nice. 🌵

The girl and the horse

Then we have Nanette. She’s a 'dance hall girl,' which was code back then for someone with a 'reputation.' Barbara Worth plays her, and honestly, she has way more energy than the preacher. She feels like a real person who’s actually tired of the dust and the noise of the saloon. When she goes out to save Rex, you actually believe she cares about the animal.

Rex is 'King of the Wild Horses.' That’s not just a title; it was like his whole brand. He’s majestic. There’s a scene where he’s caught in a trap, and the way he thrashes around is actually hard to watch. You can tell they didn't have the same safety rules back then. It looks a bit too real, which I guess makes it effective, but it’s also a little upsetting.

The way Jed and Nanette meet over the horse is a bit cliché. It’s that classic 'good man meets bad girl' thing where they both realize they aren't so different because they both like animals. It reminded me a bit of the vibe in Find Your Man, though that one was about a dog. There's just something about 1920s movies and their obsession with heroic animals.

Dust and long shots

The movie really likes its long shots. You’ll see a horse running across the horizon for like, thirty seconds. No cuts. No close-ups. Just a tiny horse in a big desert. It’s actually pretty beautiful in a lonely way. It makes the world feel huge and empty.

I noticed that Nanette’s hair stays perfectly curled even when she’s crouching in the dirt. I don't know what kind of 1920s hairspray they were using, but I need some. It’s those little things that break the immersion, but they also make these old films charming. You can almost feel the movie trying to be serious while the actors are clearly just trying not to get kicked by the horses.

• The Good: Rex is a better actor than most humans. The scenery is vast and gorgeous.
• The Weird: The 'skypilot' preaching scenes feel a bit preachy (obviously), and they slow everything down.
• The Bad: The villain is a bit of a cartoon. He just shows up to be mean and then leaves.

J.P. McGowan directed this, and he was known for doing these quick, cheap Westerns. You can tell. It doesn’t have the polish of something like The Mysterious Rider. It feels a bit rushed in the middle. Like, they had to finish filming before the sun went down so they just skipped a few pages of the script.

There is a scene near the end where Starlight the Horse (the other horse star) does this little nudge to Jed. It’s so subtle and probably accidental, but it’s the most 'human' moment in the whole movie. I love when animals do stuff that wasn't in the script and the director just keeps it in. It makes the whole thing feel less like a product and more like a memory.

If you’re looking for a deep story like Bleak House, you’re definitely in the wrong place. This is just a simple story about people being kind to a horse. Sometimes that’s all you need. It’s not going to win any awards now, and it probably didn't win any back then either, but it’s got a good heart. ❤️

Final thoughts from the couch

The ending is exactly what you think it is. The preacher and the girl end up together, and the horse gets to be free. It’s very safe. But there’s a comfort in that. The intertitles (the text on screen) are a bit flowery and use words like 'vile' and 'salvation' a lot. It’s very of its time.

One reaction shot of the villain lingers for so long it almost becomes funny. He’s just standing there, looking angry, for what feels like a full minute. I think they just needed to fill the runtime. Anyway, if you find a copy of this on some old streaming site or a bargain bin DVD, give it a look. Just for Rex. 🐴

It’s a bit rough around the edges, and the print I saw was pretty grainy. But that just adds to the atmosphere. It feels like you’re watching something that was buried in a time capsule. And in a way, you are.