DVD Review: Straight Shooting (1917)

Director John Ford's western films are among the true highlights in American cinema's history. As a result, it is especially wonderful that we have access to the director's first feature-length western " Straight Shooting," which has been released in a beautiful 4K restoration by Kino Lorber.

It is unfortunate that Ford's early work at Universal Studios (1917-1921) has been given such scant attention in most studies, but the sad fact is that few of the films have survived. Ford's film debut, the two-reeler "The Tornado" (1917), as well as many of his earliest Westerns, are considered to be lost. Based on current records, "Straight Shooting" is the first complete film directed by Ford for which a print still exists, along with being significant as the director's feature film debut.

"Straight Shooting" features actor Harry Carey, who starred in most of Ford's early Westerns, as the good guy, and Duke Lee as the bad guy, but that is where traditional Western cinema ends. Both characters exhibit the qualities of rugged individualism that would become a standard in Ford's later, more notable films. And while this early feature was shot on a studio lot, years before Ford would use the expanse of Monument Valley as a backdrop, the director still employs close-ups sparingly, for greater character emphasis, and prefers to keep his camera far enough away to more effectively frame his actors in their surroundings. Harry Carey had resonated quite strongly five years earlier as one of the street mugs in D.W. Griffith's innovative one-reel short "Musketeers of Pig Alley," where that director used close-ups to enhance the menacing quality of his characters. Somewhat similarly, Ford uses close-ups of Carrey in "Straight Shooting" to exhibit his majestic appearance and striking individualism.

The story pits ranchers against farmers when the unscrupulous Thunder Flint (Lee) meets with opposition from old timer Sweet Water Sims (George Berrell) who refuses to move from his land. Carey is Cheyenne Harry, who is sent by Flint to strongarm Sims from his land, but he instead gets to know the family and ends up on their side. Carey spent a good chunk of his career playing in westerns in which he connected with outlaws, but still protected innocent townsfolk. There is a tangential story involving Sims' daughter Joan (Molly Malone), and her conflicted feelings for both Danny (Hoot Gibson) and Cheyenne Harry.

The sharpness of Universal's restoration allows for all of the nuanced acting to help define the characters. Ford did not employ the sweeping gestures and exaggerated facial expressions that some other silent dramas utilized, and this adds greater subtlety. It is a beautiful restoration of an important film. Westerns are central to the development of cinema, and "Straight Shooting" is a significant example on several levels.

Molly Malone has lately become notable for her work in short comedies with Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton. Hoot Gibson continued in westerns as one of its most successful and beloved stars. Of course Harry Carey not only made an impact in western films, as he got older he resonated strongly in character roles.

Kino Lorber's blu ray includes an interesting and informative commentary by John Ford expert Joseph McBride, and a booklet by another noted Ford expert, Tag Gallagher. Another special feature is the existing fragment from John Ford's 1920 western "Hitchin' Posts." The piano accompaniment by Michael Gott is magnificent, effectively enhancing the action and never distracting from it.

"Straight Shooting" is a must for any library, research center, or film collection, especially regarding John Ford's work. The blu ray is available at this link: Ford Straight Shooting.