$50,000 Reward (1924) 

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Tex Sherwood (Ken Maynard) is left some valuable land but at the time he didn't realize how valuable. It turns out that a couple crooked businessmen are building a dam and need Tex's land and they're willing to pay him a little but not the full value. Refusing to give in the bad guys put a bounty on his head. Story wise this is pretty typical of the countless Westerns that were being made in the silent era. This one here certainly doesn't feature anything ground-breaking and it's clearly not on the same league as the films of Tom Mix and William S. Hart but at just 52-minutes it's entertaining enough to be worth viewing. This was the first time I had seen Maynard in action and he was pretty good here. I thought he had a good presence on screen and he was clearly an able person to handle some of the stunts including a wild horse rise where he's being chased by a car. Esther Ralston gets the role of the woman the cowboy is in love with and she's not too bad either, although the screenplay gives her very little to do outside of being kissed and needed rescued. Edward Peil gets to play one of the bad guys and seems to be having fun with the part. One interesting thing about the film is that it uses footage of the Mulholland Dam being built and this contains the most interesting visuals of the film. It gives one a good idea of how a dam was built back in the day and I must confess that these few scenes were a lot more entertaining than anything else in the film. With that said, there were probably at least two or three new Westerns being released each week and this one here certainly isn't anywhere near the best but with a such running time it at least will keep you entertained.

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The Western genre features stories set primarily in the 19th-century American Old West and often depict the rugged frontier life, exploring themes of individualism, justice, morality, and the clash between civilization and the untamed wilderness. The genre has its roots in the historical context of westward expansion and the challenges faced by pioneers, settlers, outlaws, and lawmen.

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Tex Sherwood has just come into possession of a valuable piece of land that will be irrigated by a new dam. Banker Holman knowing the deed must be registered the next day, offers a $50,000 reward for Tex's capture.

Bert Lindley, Ken Maynard, William F. Moran, and Frank Whitson in $50,000 Reward (1924)

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Mulholland Dam, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

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$50,000 Reward

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