''The Blazing Trail'' is a 1921 American silent

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...

film directed by

Robert Thornby Robert Thornby (March 27, 1888 – March 6, 1953) was an American director and actor of the silent era. He directed 75 films between 1913 and 1927. He also appeared in 48 films between 1911 and 1930. He was born in New York, New York, and di ...

and starring

Frank Mayo Frank Mayo may refer to: * Frank M. Mayo (1839–1896), American actor and comedian * Frank Mayo (actor) Frank Lorimer Mayo (June 28, 1889 – July 9, 1963) was an American actor. He appeared in 310 films between 1911 and 1949. Biograp ...

, Frank Holland, and Verne Winter. It was released in May 1921.

Plot

Bradley Yates is a talented doctor who is working on a serum for blood poisoning. He has worked so hard on it that he is on the verge of a physical breakdown. He decides to take some time off to rest and recuperate and heads down to the beautiful mountains of Kentucky. Upon his arrival there he takes on the persona of Brad Pickins, a woodcutter. As Pickins he begins a friendly relationship with a young woman from the community, Talithy Millicuddy. Since there is no school, Bradley begins to give Talithy books to study, and helps her. Talithy, however, is looking for more than friendship. Shortly later, a state mandated schoolteacher, Carroll Brown, arrives and opens up the local schoolhouse. Very soon after her arrival she and Bradley begin a romantic relationship. Bradley's partner, Pickney Forbes, arrives, and brings some of Bradley's serum which is now perfected. Talithy's family takes umbrage of the new relationship between Carroll and Bradley, feeling that Bradley led Talithy on, although that couldn't be further from the truth. When one of the locals takes it upon themselves and gives Carroll a case of food poisoning to get her out of the way, Bradley gets his serum and attempts to head to Carroll's bedside. He is prevented from doing so, when he finds his cabin surrounded by a group of Talithy's angry relatives. The impasse is broken when another townsperson comes forward and vouches that Bradley did nothing wrong, merely befriending the young girl. Bradley takes off and arrives at Carroll's cabin in time to successfully administer the serum.

Cast list

as Bradley Yates (aka Pickins) * Frank Holland as Dr. Pickney Forbes * Verne Winter as Chipmunk Grannis *

Bert Sprotte Bert Sprotte (9 December 1870 – 30 December 1949) was a German actor. He appeared in more than 70 American films between 1918 and 1938. He was born in Chemnitz, Saxony, and died in Los Angeles, California. Selected filmography * '' Selfi ...

as Hank Millicuddy * Madge Hunt as Ma Millicuddy * Mary Philbin as Talithy Millicuddy *

Lillian Rich Lillian Rose Rich Woodland, more commonly known as Lillian Rich (1 January 1900 – 5 January 1954) was an English-born actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 60 films between 1919 and 1940. Biography Rich was born in Herne H ...

as Carroll Brown * Ray Ripley as Lewis Van Dusen * Joy Winthrop as Hulda Mews *

Helen Gilmore Helen Gilmore (born Antoinette A. Field, c. 1872 – April 1936) was an American actress of the stage and silent motion pictures from Louisville, Kentucky. She appeared in well over 100 films between 1913 and 1932. Early life and career In a ...

as The Village Talking Machine

Production

In January 1921, Universal announced they had purchased the rights to the novel, ''The Truant'', written by Izola Forrester and Mann Page. At the same time they revealed that Frank Mayo had been attached to the project, which had been purchased as a vehicle for the actor. Production on the film was supposed to begin as quickly as the story could be put into screenplay format. The previous year, Universal had discovered a young actress,

Gertrude Olmstead Gertrude Olmstead (November 13, 1897 – January 18, 1975) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in 56 films between 1920 and 1929. Her last name was sometimes seen as Olmsted. Career Olmstead was born in Chicago, Illinoi ...

, through a national beauty contest held at the Elks Club national convention. Mary Philbin was the runner-up in that competition, and she was chosen to play a supporting role in the film. By the end of February it was learned that Robert Thornby would handle the direction of the film. In early March Universal announced that Lillian Rich would be one of Mayo's co-stars in the film. By mid-March 1921 the film was in production. For the film a replica of an entire Kentucky town was constructed in

Topanga Canyon Topanga () (Tongva: ''Topaa'nga'') is a census-designated place (CDP) in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, the community exists in Topanga Canyon and the surrounding hills. The narrow s ...

, outside of Los Angeles. Around the same time it was revealed that Lucien Hubbard had handled adapting the Forrestor/Page story for the screen. Frank Hollard, Verne Winter, Bert Sprotte, Ray Ripley, Joe Winthrop, and Helen Gilmore were announced as members of the cast. By mid-April 1921 the project had been renamed ''The Valley of the Rogues''. This was a short-lived development and it was quickly renamed once again, this time to ''The Blazing Trail''.

Reception

Motion Picture News The ''Motion Picture News'' was an American film industry trade paper published from 1913 to 1930. History The publication was created through the 1913 merger of the ''Moving Picture News'' founded in 1908 and ''The Exhibitors' Times'', founded ...

'' gave the film a lukewarm review. They found significant deficiencies in the plot, direction, and cinematography, but applauded the efforts of the cast, taking time to specifically highlight the work of Philbin. ''

The Moving Picture World The ''Moving Picture World'' was an influential early trade journal for the American film industry, from 1907 to 1927. An industry powerhouse at its height, ''Moving Picture World'' frequently reiterated its independence from the film studios. I ...

'' was kinder to the film, calling it "a feature of marked entertainment value". They praised Mayo's performance, and commented that the rest of the cast "that enhances the worth of the story immeasurably." They complimented the work of the scenarist and director, and especially complimented the cinematography.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blazing Trail 1921 Film Melodrama films Universal Pictures films American black-and-white films American silent feature films Films directed by Robert Thornby 1921 drama films 1921 films Silent American drama films 1920s English-language films 1920s American films