The Border Wildcat (1929) - A Dusty, Fun Little Western

If you have got about an hour to kill and do not mind a bit of dust on the lens, The Border Wildcat is a decent enough sit. It is mostly for people who like seeing a sheriff kick in doors without much paperwork. If you need a plot that actually makes sense for more than five minutes, you might want to skip this one.

I’ll be honest, I didn't expect much from a movie made in 1929. Most of these old westerns feel like they were filmed in someone’s backyard over a long weekend. But this one has a bit of a spark to it, even if the print I saw was grainy as hell.

It’s definitely worth a watch if you enjoy that specific brand of silent era justice. If you’re looking for a deep story, though, you’re gonna be disappointed. This is strictly for the folks who like horses, hats, and guys pointing fingers at each other in saloons.

Ted Wells plays the sheriff, Bob Shaw. He’s got that classic cowboy look where he seems like he’s never sat in a chair with a backrest. The whole plot kicks off because of bootleg liquor, which was a huge deal back then. It’s funny seeing how serious they take the booze raids, considering what we know now.

There’s this scene early on where Bob and his deputies raid a gambling joint. It’s supposed to be this high-stakes moment. But the owner of the place is suspiciously fast at hiding the contraband. Like, one second there is a bottle on the table, and the next it is just gone.

I swear, I rewatched that part twice. I still do not know where he put it. Maybe it fell through a hole in the floor? Or maybe the editor just cut the scene too early and hoped nobody would notice.

The deputies all look like they were recruited from the local hardware store. One guy has a hat that is clearly two sizes too big for his head. It keeps sliding down his forehead during the raid. I spent most of the scene wondering if it was gonna fall off completely.

If you’ve seen something like The Block Signal, you know how these movies love their local heroes. Bob Shaw is that guy here. He doesn't say much—well, he’s silent, so he can't—but his title cards are very direct. No flowery language, just "You're under arrest" type stuff.

The villains are equally simple. Tom London plays one of the guys, and he’s just got one of those faces that screams I’m up to no good. He spends a lot of time lurking in the corners of the frame. It is not exactly subtle.

The pacing is actually pretty quick. It doesn't overstay its welcome, which is a blessing for these old B-movies. Sometimes these things drag on like a slow Sunday. This one moves like it has got a train to catch.

Speaking of trains, it reminded me a bit of the energy in Men of Steel. Just a lot of guys doing "manly" things in the dirt. The horse stunts are probably the best part. I don't think they had stunt doubles back then, or if they did, they weren't paid enough.

There’s a fall near the end that looked painful. I hope the horse got an extra apple that day. I did notice that the background extras in the saloon look bored out of their minds.

There is one woman in the back who is just staring at the camera for a solid five seconds. She looks like she’s wondering when lunch is. It’s these little mistakes that make me love these old films.

It feels more real than the polished stuff we get now. You can see the seams. The gambling joint itself looks like it was built out of old crates. It’s supposed to be this den of iniquity, but it looks more like a dusty shed.

I also noticed that the sheriff's office has absolutely nothing in it. Just a desk and a map that looks like it was drawn with a crayon. It’s a far cry from the weirdly fancy sets in something like Our Little Wife. This is strictly budget territory.

One thing that bothered me was the lighting. In the night scenes, it’s basically pitch black. I could barely tell who was punching who. I think Bob won the fight, but it might have been the villain accidentally hitting himself.

The writing by Carl Krusada and Vin Moore is... well, it’s there. It gets the job from point A to point B. It’s not trying to be Kean or anything fancy. It’s just a western.

I liked the way they handled the "wildcat" part of the title. It’s more of a vibe than a literal cat. Bob is the wildcat, I guess? Or maybe the border is? It doesn't really matter. The name sounds cool on a poster.

If you're into the history of these things, it is a neat artifact. It’s a transition piece. You can tell the filmmakers were starting to get bored of the same old tropes. They tried to add a bit of "mystery" with the hidden liquor.

It doesn't quite work, but I appreciate the effort. Most movies back then didn't even try that hard. I’d put it on the same shelf as The Open Road. Good for a rainy afternoon when you don't want to think too hard.

Just don't expect any deep revelations about the human soul. It's just a guy in a big hat trying to do his job. And honestly? Sometimes that’s exactly what I want to watch. 🤠

Quick notes I scribbled down:

• The saloon floor is incredibly dusty. Like, visibility-hazard dusty.
• One deputy has a very distractin' limp that disappears in the next scene.
• The way they "hide" the liquor is just putting a cloth over it. Classic.
• The horse is definitely the most professional actor on set.
• Why do they all wear such high pants? It looks uncomfortable.

Overall, it's a solid 6/10 for what it is. It is not The Black Gate, but it has got heart. If you see it playing on some obscure channel at 2 AM, don't change it. Give Bob Shaw a chance to catch those bootleggers.