Watching The Hawk (1931) - A dusty, weird little Western

If you have about an hour to kill and you like grainy black-and-white horses, this is okay. It is definitely for people who enjoy the clunky energy of very early sound films. 🐎

Modern audiences will probably find it boring. There is a lot of standing around and talking in rooms that sound like they have zero furniture.

The plot is basically some renegades being jerks. They loot a mission and steal some treasures, then decide to blame it on 'The Hawk'.

He is also called the Phantom of Santa Fe. That is a much better name, honestly.

Norman Kerry plays the lead, and he has this very specific way of looking intense. It almost looks like he is trying to see something very far away without his glasses.

The sound is... well, it’s 1931. You can hear the hiss of the film the whole time.

It reminds me of the atmosphere in The Cat Creeps. Everything feels a bit stiff and staged.

There is one scene where a guy is hiding behind a rock. The rock looks very much like it is made of painted cardboard.

I noticed that the horses seem much more professional than the actors. They stand still exactly when they are supposed to. 🌵

One of the renegades has a laugh that is way too loud for the microphone. It distorted the audio and made my dog bark.

The pacing is sort of all over the place. It feels like they were making it up as they went along in some parts.

If you've seen The Big Town, you know how these early talkies can feel a bit trapped on a set. This one tries to go outside, but it still feels small.

Nina Quartero is fine, but she doesn't have much to do. She mostly just looks worried about the treasures.

I liked the costumes, though. Very heavy leather and huge spurs that jingle-jangle constantly.

The ending comes up pretty fast. It doesn't really explain everything, but by then, you’re just happy the horses got some water.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s just a weird relic from a time when movies were still learning how to speak. 🎥

Check it out if you’re a history nerd. Skip it if you want something like The Raid.