The Throwback (1935) Review - Dust, Boulders, and Bored Horses

If you have seventy minutes to kill and love dusty 1930s Westerns where the horses do half the acting, yes, The Throwback is worth a watch today. Modern action fans will absolutely hate it because nothing explodes and the plot moves like molasses.

But if you like old B-movies where guys wear hats that never fall off during fistfights, you will have a good time.

Buck Jones plays Buck. He has this incredibly intense stare that feels like he is trying to remember if he left his oven on back at the ranch.

His dad was a cattle thief who got shot, so everyone in town treats Buck like he is about to steal their cows too. It is a bit sad because Buck is actually a sweet guy who just wants to hang out with his horse, Silver.

Honestly, Silver has the best reaction shots in the whole movie. There is one part where Buck is talking about his feelings, and the camera just cuts to the horse looking incredibly bored. 🐴

The plot kicks in when Buck gets framed for rustling by Milt Fergus, who happens to be his girlfriend's brother. Talk about awkward family dinners.

Buck finds some random object in the dirt—I think it was a pocket knife—that proves Milt did it. The way Buck just happens to stumble on this clue is hilarious.

Out of three thousand acres of desert, he bends down and finds the one thing with the villain's initials on it.

This reminds me a bit of another movie from around then, Stormy, which also had a lot of horse drama but felt a bit more polished. This one is much rougher around the edges, which I actually prefer.

The Weird Dirt Clue and Gabby Hayes

Let us talk about how easy it was to frame someone in 1935. You just point at a guy and say "he stole my cow" and the sheriff immediately locks him up.

Thankfully, Uncle Ford bails him out. Uncle Ford is played by George 'Gabby' Hayes, but he doesn't have his famous crazy beard yet.

He actually looks... normal? It is deeply unsettling to see him without the wild hair.

They hatch this plan to trap Milt that involves a lot of hiding behind big rocks. Literally, half the second act is just guys crouching behind boulders waiting for someone to ride past.

Why This One Sticks With You (A Little Bit)

The fistfights are surprisingly brutal for a movie this old. You can hear the punches making this loud thwack sound that sounds like someone hitting a leather couch with a wet towel.

Also, Muriel Evans is great as the girlfriend, even if she does not get to do much besides look worried near a wooden fence. She has these giant, expressive eyes that do a lot of the heavy lifting when the dialogue gets too clunky.

There is a scene where a guy is riding a horse uphill, and you can clearly see the tire tracks of the camera truck in the mud. I love stuff like that.

It reminds you that some guys in dirty trousers were hauling heavy gear around the desert to make this. It is not a masterpiece, and the ending wraps up so fast you might blink and miss it.

But if you want a cozy, dusty piece of history, give it a go.