''The Terror'' is a 1920 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 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 ...

Francelia Billington Francelia Billington (February 1, 1895 – November 24, 1934) was an early American silent-screen actress, and an accomplished camera operator. Early life On February 1, 1895, Billington was born in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of James Billingt ...

, and

Lester Cuneo Lester H. Cuneo (October 25, 1888 – November 1, 1925) was an American stage and silent film actor. He began acting in live theatre while still in his teens. Early years Born in Chicago, Illinois, Cuneo attended Culver Military Academy and wa ...

. The film was produced by William Fox and directed and written by

Jacques Jaccard Jacques Jaccard (September 11, 1886 – July 24, 1960) was an American film director, writer and actor whose achievements in cinema were mostly in silent film. He directed 86 films and wrote scripts for 80 films. The best-known of his films as ...

, and was based on a story written by Mix.

Plot

Mix plays a Deputy U.S. Marshal working in a gold mining camp in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

. His antagonist is Con Norton (Lester Cuneo) who owns a

dance hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub. The majority of towns and citi ...

. Mix learns that a group of robbers working for Norton are planning to steal a gold shipment, and engages in a brawl with them, swinging on a chandelier. Mix's horse,

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

, helps him win the fight. There is also a gunfight on a steam locomotive, which is shown in the publicity photos.

Cast

Lucille Young Lucille May Young (March 6, 1883 – August 2, 1934) was an American actress of the early silent film era. Early life Lucille May Young was born on March 6, 1883, in Lansing, Michigan, the daughter of Glendower Young (1858–1927) and K ...

* Joseph Bennett *

Charles K. French Charles K. French (born Charles Ekrauss French or Charles E. Krauss; January 17, 1860 – August 2, 1952) was an American film actor, screenwriter and director who appeared in more than 240 films between 1909 and 1945. Biography French was ...

Wilbur Higby Wilbur Higby (August 21, 1867 – December 1, 1934) was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1914 and 1934. Stage In the mid-1890s, Higby was a member of the stock company of the Grand Opera House ...

* Tony, the Wonder Horse

Production

The railroad scenes were filmed in the

Jamestown, California Jamestown is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tuolumne County, California, United States. The population was 3,433 at the 2010 census, up from 3,017 at the 2000 census. Formerly a California Gold Rush town, Jamestown is now a California Hist ...

area, and featured the steam locomotive

Sierra No. 3 Sierra Railway 3, often called the "Movie Star locomotive", is a 19th-century steam locomotive owned by the State of California and preserved at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, California. Former Transportation History curator at t ...

in its first of many movie appearances. The locomotive is shown in a publicity still for the film. During the filming, actors Billington and Cuneo first met, and they soon married. They divorced in 1925, and Cuneo committed suicide a few days later.

Release

The studio was Fox Entertainments. It was a five reel film, and was released in May 1920. Marketing slogans for the film included "The daredevil of the screen in a masterpiece of speed, stunts and thrills", and "A Drama of Daredeviltry and Romance".

Reception

A newspaper critic for the ''

Kentucky New Era The ''Kentucky New Era'' is the major daily newspaper in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, in the United States. History The paper was founded in 1869 by John D. Morris and Asher Graham Caruth, as the ''Weekly Kentucky New Era.''

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Terror, The (1920 film) 1920 films 1920 Western (genre) films American black-and-white films Fox Film films Silent American Western (genre) films United States Marshals Service in fiction Films directed by Jacques Jaccard 1920s American films