Man of the Forest *** (1933, Randolph Scott, Verna Hillie, Harry Carey, Noah Beery Sr) – Classic Movie Review 6438

The young Randolph Scott shines in director Henry Hathaway’s excellently plotted 1933 adventure movie, based on the Zane Grey novel.

Scott plays Brett Dale, who overhears a plan by greedy Clint Beasley (Noah Beery Sr) to kidnap Jim Gayner (Harry Carey)’s daughter Alice (Verna Hillie) and kidnaps her himself. Beasley kills Gayner and gets Sheriff Blake (Tom Kennedy) to arrest Dale for the murder.

Noah Beery stands out as the villain. Paramount’s movie still looks good in black and white.

It is a remake of Paramount’s 1926 silent film of Man of the Forest. To save money, Paramount used stock footage from the silent version and even hired some of the same actors to repeat their roles. Scott’s hair is darkened and he has a trim moustache so he can be matched to footage of Jack Holt, the star of the silent version.

Barton MacLane, Tom Kennedy, Noah Beery Sr., Scott and Verna Hillie in Man of the Forest, 1933.

It is one of ten B-movie Western films that Scott made for Paramount in a series loosely based on the novels of Zane Grey that started with Heritage of the Desert (1932), his first significant starring role and the one that established him as a Western hero.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6438

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

Scott with Verna Hillie in Man of the Forest, 1933.

Noah Beery Sr and Scott in Man of the Forest, 1933