“THE SILENT RIDER”

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 58, 31 May 1927, Page 15

“THE SILENT RIDER”

COMING TO PRINCESS AND TIVOLI The latest Universal Jewel production, “The Silent Rider,” with Hoot Gibson as Jerry Alton, will be screened on Thursday at the Princess and Tivoli Theatres. Jerry Alton, a hard-working and popular cowboy on the Bar Z ranch, falls in love with Marian Flier, a helper to Mrs. Randall, cook for the cow-punchers. Marian has arrived mysteriously on the ranch, and in answer to all inquiries merely answers “I came here to find a red-headed husband.” Jerry and his partner “Sourdough’’ are surprised one day to find a little boy, Tommy, occupying their homestead cabin. They question the child, who admits that he ran away from his cruel father. They decide to keep him. In the meantime, a villainouslooking man with flaming red hair, who has aroused the enmity and jealousy of Jerry, has gone to work on the Bar Z ranch. This new cowhand has a strange hold over Marian, but every time Jerry attempts to protect her from his attentions he is told to stay away by Marian. The messenger of a nearby mine is killed, and the pay-roll is stolen by Red and his gang. Suspicion is thrown on Jerry because he is not on the range with the rest of the riders, but in his newly-built cabin playing with Tommy. Red happens to ride by Jerry’s cabin, and recognises Tommy as his own little boy. He demands Jerry to give him up, which he is forced to do. Soon after Red leaves the child, the sheriff and his posse ride up to the cabin and accuse Jerry of the murder and robbery. When they threaten to brand him with a hot iron in an effort to make him tell where he has hidden the money, Jerry makes his escape, and arrives at the ranch house at the time Red is forcing Marian to accompany him across the border. He follows them, and engages in a pitched gun battle in which Red, who it develops is Marian’s husband, and father of Tommy, is killed when he falls over a cliff.