The Scarlet Arrow Review: Mostly Just Horses and Mountie Hats

If you have a lazy Sunday afternoon and a weird obsession with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, then yeah, give this a watch. Anyone else will probably find it a bit too dusty and slow, even for a movie from 1928.

Edmund Cobb plays Bob, a guy who basically exists to look brave in a uniform. He spends a lot of time riding through the brush and looking for people who don't want to be found.

The plot involves some secret messages and a gang, but mostly it's just an excuse for horse stunts. I swear, the horses in these old silent films are often better actors than the humans.

There is this one scene where a guy is hiding behind a thin tree and you can clearly see his elbow poking out. Nobody in the movie notices it, which made me laugh out loud in my living room.

It reminds me a bit of The Arizona Wildcat, but with more trees and less sand. The costumes look incredibly stiff, like they were starched into another dimension.

Hazel Keener is the leading lady, but she doesn't get much to do. She mostly just looks worried while holding a shawl and staring into the distance.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Scarlet Arrow (1928) through its definitive frames.

I noticed the film quality gets real grainy during the big chase near the end. It adds a nice accidental grit to the whole thing, though I'm sure it's just because the film is nearly a hundred years old.

The 'Scarlet Arrow' title is way cooler than the actual arrow in the movie. I was expecting some cool archery, but it's really just a plot device that shows up and leaves. 🏹

If you liked The Slaver, you might find this one a bit too 'clean' for your taste. It's very much a 'good guys always win' kind of vibe that feels a little naive today.

The bad guy, played by Al Ferguson, has a mustache that deserves its own billing in the credits. He twirls it just enough to let you know he’s definitely up to no good.

There’s a weird moment where the characters just stare at a map for what feels like five minutes. I actually checked my phone during that part because literally nothing was happening on screen.

It’s definitely not as energetic as something like Flaming Flappers. But it’s a solid piece of history if you like seeing how they did stunts before CGI existed.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Scarlet Arrow (1928) through its definitive frames.

I liked the way they filmed the river scenes. You can almost feel how cold that water must have been for the actors.

The ending happens so fast you might actually miss it if you sneeze. Suddenly everyone is hugging and the bad guys are just... gone, I guess?

It's not as weird as The Mysterious Pearl, which is probably a good thing. This is just straightforward, meat-and-potatoes silent adventure.

Is it a classic? Probably not. But it's got a certain charm that you just don't see in modern movies that try too hard to be deep.

The fight scenes are basically just two guys hugging each other and falling over. It's very theatrical and not at all realistic, but that's part of the fun of these old serials.

I did notice a smudge on the camera lens during one of the indoor scenes. It’s those little human mistakes that make me love watching these ancient reels.

If you're looking for a deep story, look elsewhere. If you want to see a guy in a red coat jump off a horse, this is your movie.