''The Last of the Duanes'' is a 1924 American silent

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by Lynn Reynolds and starring

Tom Mix Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...

, with his horse

Tony the Wonder Horse The phrase Wonder Horses refers to the equine companions of cowboy heroes in early Western films. What makes these horses different from others that have appeared on the silver screen is their rise from trusty steed to a genuine screen personality. ...

. It is based on a 1914 Zane Grey novel, '' Last of the Duanes''. A print of the film exists, after it was discovered in a chicken farm in the Czech Republic. This was the second of four films based on the novel; a 1919 silent film adaptation starred

William Farnum William Farnum (July 4, 1876 – June 5, 1953) was an American actor. He was a star of American silent film cinema and became one of the highest-paid actors during that time. Biography Farnum was born on July 4, 1876, in Boston, Massachuse ...

, a 1930 adaptation starred George O'Brien, and a 1941 adaptation featured George Montgomery.

Plot

Buck Duane, the pacifist son of a famous gunman, shoots the man that killed his father, and then goes on the run. He rescues a beautiful young woman named Jenny from a gang of outlaws, and proves his innocence.

Cast

- Buck Duane *

Marian Nixon Marian Nixon (born Marja Nissinen; October 20, 1904 – February 13, 1983) was an American film actress. Sometimes credited as Marion Nixon, she appeared in more than 70 films. Career Born in Superior, Wisconsin, to parents of Finnish descent, ...

- Jenny * Brinsley Shaw - Cal Bain * Frank Nelson - Euchre * Lucy Beaumont - Mrs. Bland *

Harry Lonsdale Harold K. Lonsdale (January 19, 1932 – November 11, 2014) was an American scientist, businessman, and politician. A Democrat, he ran for United States Senate in the U.S. state of Oregon three times, losing twice in the primaries and once as the ...

- Bland

Reception

The Film Daily ''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the United States. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry. It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, informatio ...

'' said, "Inasmuch as the current production is supposed to be one of Fox's specials it is somewhat disappointing. There is not the continuous fast action that Tom Mix's admirers will expect of a feature in which he appears. The trouble is that Lynn Reynolds has expended too much footage. He could readily have saved nearly two reels and made a much faster entertainment. Mix has a well suited role and enough opportunities to 'do his stuff' and he does it in his usual satisfying style. That there is too much uneventful business intervening between his action bits is no fault of his." The ''

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'' said that "Tom Mix never has been seen to better advantage in a western character role than in his portrayal of Buck Duane." The ''

Buffalo Courier The ''Buffalo Courier-Express'' was a morning newspaper in Buffalo, New York. It ceased publication on September 19, 1982. History The ''Courier-Express'' was created in 1926 by a merger of the ''Buffalo Daily Courier'' and the ''Buffalo Morning ...

'' wrote, "Whenever Tom Mix and his famous, clever horse Tony get together in a film play of western life it can be expected that thrilling things are going to happen. It never fails that Tom and Tony get into and out of many startling situations and in ''The Last of the Duanes'', they are said to do even better than usual." A review in ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' read, "The combination of the star and Zane Grey, with the capable Lynn Reynolds directing and a hand-picked cast, is supremely happy for this type of film. Those who like westerns (and who can begin to count them) will rave, and the comparatively few who don't will feel a lot more kindly toward them". The "magnificent" appearance of the western scenery was noted. Mae Tinee of ''

Chicago Daily Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television are ...

'' wrote, "Full of opportunities for Mr. Mix and his famous horse, Tony, to do their w.k. stuff. both of them in ''The Last of the Duanes'' are as you like 'em".

Censorship

In November 1924, ''

'' complained that the

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

censors cut the film:

Preservation

A print is preserved at Narodni Filmovy Archive.The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database:''The Last of the Duanes''
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References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Last Duanes 1924 1924 films Films directed by Lynn Reynolds Films based on short fiction Films based on works by Zane Grey 1924 Western (genre) films Fox Film films American black-and-white films Silent American Western (genre) films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films