The Saddle Buster is exactly the kind of dusty ride you expect

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you have a soft spot for grainy, old-school westerns where the dialogue is thin and the hats are giant, you’ll probably get a kick out of The Saddle Buster. If you need complex character arcs or modern pacing, stay away. This is for people who want to watch guys in vests yell at each other in front of a corral.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Saddle Buster (1932) through its definitive frames.

The whole thing moves at a clip that feels both fast and somehow like it’s barely going anywhere. Montana shows up, he rides a horse, he makes two people fall for him, and then there’s the big bad horse waiting at the end. It’s a classic setup.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Saddle Buster (1932) through its definitive frames.

Tom Keene plays Montana with that classic stoic squint you see in all these black-and-white flicks. He barely says two words, which honestly makes him more likable than if he were trying to recite Shakespeare. The tension between the ranch owner’s daughter, Sunny, and the other rider, Rita, feels like it was written on a napkin during lunch, but it works well enough to keep the engine running.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Saddle Buster (1932) through its definitive frames.

Then there’s Rance. Rance is the guy you love to hate because he’s just so aggressively grumpy about everything. Watching him try to set Montana up to get killed by 'Wild Fury' is the highlight of the movie, even if the horse looks more annoyed than lethal in most of the shots.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Saddle Buster (1932) through its definitive frames.

Notes from the viewing:

• The rodeo scenes are surprisingly long. You can tell they really wanted you to know that these guys actually knew how to ride.
• The sound quality on some of the dialogue is rough. It sounds like they recorded it inside a tin can during a windstorm.
• There's a moment where a character walks through a door and you can clearly see the set wobble. It’s charming in a weird way.
• The horse, 'Wild Fury,' spends a lot of time just standing there looking confused while the actors scream at it.

It reminds me a bit of the simplicity found in Salty Saunders. You aren't watching for the plot twists; you’re watching because you want to see a guy prove he’s the toughest person in the room. It doesn’t try to be anything other than a western, and that’s its biggest strength.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Saddle Buster (1932) through its definitive frames.

I found myself drifting off during the middle section where they just talk about ranch business for way too long. The movie definitely hits a wall there. But then, as soon as the talk turns to the 'man-killing stallion,' things pick back up. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a honest piece of work. You won't remember it next week, but you won't regret watching it today either. 🤠