An Arizona Wooing (1915) User Reviews (4)

Tom Mix, back when he was wearing denim instead of white buckskin

[wmorrow59 · 6/10 · 19 August 2006]

Tom Mix was the biggest cowboy star of the 1920's, and in keeping with the spirit of the age his movies were fast paced and flashy, with well choreographed action sequences and exciting chases. Fans of his '20s work will hardly recognize the guy in this early incarnation, one of the many two-reel Westerns he made for producer William Selig during his cinematic apprenticeship. This is a simple, straightforward drama that looks like the sort of vehicle designed for 'Broncho Billy' Anderson or William S. Hart. It's quite low-key however, and lacks the intensity often found in Hart's work.

The story concerns cowboy Tom Warner, who raises sheep on a cattle ranch owned by a man named Dixon, the father of his girlfriend Jean. Jean, meanwhile, is being menaced by a Mexican outlaw who wants to have his way with her. When Jean's father decides he no longer wants Tom to raise sheep on his ranch they quarrel, and Dixon later sends a gang of thuggish ranch hands to persuade Tom to see things his way. Things get fairly stressful for both Tom and Jean, but I don't think I'm giving anything away in reporting that Tom manages to straighten everything out in time for the final fade-out.

An Arizona Wooing was re-cut, re-titled and re-released in the early '20s to capitalize on Mix's growing fame. The print I saw dates from this reissue, but unfortunately whoever rewrote the text made the story difficult to follow; a key conversation between Tom and Mr. Dixon has no dialog cards at all, despite the fact that this scene is crucial to everything that follows. (Although it's possible the card was simply missing from this print, due to a splice.) Be that as it may, the story is clear enough -- if you use a little imagination to fill in the gaps -- and the film works pretty well over all. I happen to enjoy these early, rough-edged Westerns more than the slicker Hollywood productions that came along afterwards. Ironically, it was Tom Mix himself who inspired the trend for those big budget 'Rhinestone Cowboy' type horse operas. But for viewers interested in seeing a more modest Tom Mix in a more modest setting, this is a good place to start. I just hope you find a better print than the one I saw.

Wow...even for 1915 this film was rushed!!!

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 20 June 2011]

This is an early Tom Mix western and while it's quite watchable after nearly a century, it's certainly not among its finest. Much of the problem is that the film goes way too fast--even for 1915. Let me explain. Back in the 1910s, full-length films had just begun to be popular. Also, full-length could mean 90 minutes or more but often really was only about 15-20 minutes. So, as a result, westerns and other films transpired very quickly. But, "An Arizona Wooing" goes VERY fast--too fast compared to the average film. It's like watching a Cliff Notes version that is run at double-speed.

Tom likes raising sheep out west--a major theme in western films. Naturally, the local ranchers hate him because of this--in particular the father of the lady with which Tom is smitten. At the same time, a nasty Mexican is trying to force himself on the lady and Tom is all that stands between the nasty guy and the sweet lady. So, when the ranchers tie up Tom and try to force him to sell out, the Mexican is no longer afraid of Tom's wrath and naturally intends to rape the lady. Can Tom or his horse or someone save the day or will the innocent lass become the evil Mexican's next victim?! If you know your history, then the context for this rather racist plot makes a lot more sense. 1915 happens to be the same year that the US government got tired of Pancho Villa's incursions over the Southern US border and they invaded Mexico. Much of it was for show, though it looked as if the US might go to war with Mexico. As a result, hatred of our Southern neighbors was at all all-time high--and made the raping Mexican in the film a very timely character.

All in all, worth seeing if you are a cinema freak but it's far from Mix's best or the best of the silent westerns.

Nice Western with Some Good Touches

[Michael_Elliott · 2 March 2011]

Arizona Wooing, An (1915)

*** (out of 4)

Mildly entertaining silent Western has Tom Mix playing Tom Warner, a sheep rancher who gets fired by his boss who wants to just stick with cattle. Warner just happens to be in love with the bosses daughter and when he's fired Mexican Joe (Pat Chrisman) tries to force himself into the picture. At under 15-minutes this Western moves at a very quick pace. It's small but pleasant story is made worthwhile with some nice performances and Mix actually does a pretty good job in the director's chair as well. The most impressive thing about this short is the father character played by William Brunton. In most of these films the father is usually stupid but eventually sees his way but here the father is not only stupid but he's pretty cruel as well. There's a sequence where the cattle ranchers take the "weak" sheep guy out and tie him up to wooden stakes and makes him stay there all night. The father goes along with this plan and you really don't expect that role to be such a bad guy. This sequence also has something simple that impressed me. After being tied to these stakes all night when Mix is cut fee he staggers around, which is something any human would do after being tied up for so long. This is just a touch of realism and something that's overall pretty small but I thought it was nice detail from the director. Mix plays the good guy with ease and Chrisman is fun as the Mexican bandit. This certainly isn't a story we haven't seen countless times over the decade but it's told in a fresh way and the film is worth checking out.

A good offering

[deickemeyer · 3 January 2020]

Tom Mix has the star role in this one-reel drama of the range. The plot deals with the feud between the sheep-raisers and the cattle men. It also has the mustn't-be-left-out love interest. A good offering. - The Moving Picture World, May 22, 1915