The Avenger (1931)

Good movie but grossly overrated

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Director: ROY WILLIAM NEILL. Screenplay: George Morgan. Story: Jack Townley. Photography: Charles Van Enger, Ted Tetzlaff. (The DVD of the Gail Pictures re-issue print credits Charles Stumar). Film editor: Edward Curtis. (IMDb and AllMovie disagree. They nominate Ray Snyder). Producer: Sol Lesser. (At lest everyone agrees on that one). Beverly Productions.Copyright 11 March 1931 by Columbia Pictures Corp. U.S. release: 6 March 1931. 62 minutes. (Formerly available on a VCI VHS tape).NOTES: Re-made in 1942 as Vengeance of the West.COMMENT: Although some critics panned his performance, I thought Jones made the most of a rare character role. In fact, I found all the acting highly creditable. And as for Neill's wonderfully atmospheric direction with his inspired use of sound effects and overlapping dialogue, plus Stumar's (?) creative camerawork, I can only describe this movie as absolutely brilliant.

The story is loosely based on the legend of the California bandit Joaquin Murrieta, depicting him as a sort of Mexican Robin Hood. Buck plays Joaquin as the brother of a gold mine owner who is murdered by hanging for being falsely accused of horse stealing. The brother is played by a young Paul Fix, who much later plays the North Fork town marshal on The Rifleman. The perpetrators end up owning the mine which they had been after. Joaquin then disguises himself as both a gambler and a bandit named "The Black Shadow". He then proceeds to plan out his revenge against the 3 accusers. The video quality is very good for a 1931 film with some slight fuzziness. There are leftover flavors of silent films, such as some melodramatic acting, and a blackboard to depict time lapse. Romance is included in the film, with a few amusing scenes. The watchability is good for a first viewing.

Buck Jones plays Joaquin Murietta, the Robin Hood of California. It depends on whose side you come down on whether the real Murietta was a gangster or a patriot to oppressed Mexicans against the evil Anglos. The records indicate he killed more Chinese than Caucasians, so your mileage may vary. This one comes down squarely on Murietta's side when his brother (played in a very early role by Paul Fix) is lynched and Jones seeks revenge as "The Black Shadow." Although the story and Jones' accent never rise above adequate, there are some pleasures in this Columbia B. Director Roy William Neill is best remembered for directing Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in several of the pair's later screen Sherlock Holmes movies. Neill had started in the silents and spent most of the 1930s at Columbia, making visually striking films on small budgets. His strong grounding in telling stories visually in evident throughout, particularly about 20 minutes in, where he rescues Miss Revier from a horse stampede.