JohnHowardReid Another famous western which still excites audiences today is George B. Seitz's The Vanishing American. Although he is chiefly remembered as the perennial director of M-G-M's Andy Hardy series, back in the 1920s Seitz was a top Hollywood hand who specialized in action and location spectacles such as this 1925 version of the famous Zane Grey novel. Admittedly, Richard Dix proves not over-convincing as the Indian hero of the title, but he does well enough, and the rest of the players led by particularly villainous Noah Beery and the lovely Lois Wilson offer engaging support. The name, Lucien Hubbard, on a film (either as writer or producer) always guarantees loads of production values. This film with its impressive locations and hordes of extras is most certainly no exception. (Available on a superb 10/10 Image DVD).

audiemurph What a great surprise this movie is. This silent is a sleeper, a classic, wonderful film that does all the great things a soundless movie is capable of doing. Most importantly, this may be one of the most genuinely sympathetic movies ever about American Indians, because it does so without preaching, without portraying them as these mystical, magical humans, that, because they do things like use every piece of the buffalo they kill, are somehow better than all of us. You know the stereotype. It seems like Hollywood has never found a smart middle ground when it comes to portraying Indians: they are either savages or god-like innocents, but never normal. In The Vanishing American, the Indians are just regular people, largely pushed and pulled by fate and the inexorable spreading of the white way of life.Here, we see the hurt inflicted on Indians in small ways, like a farm being taken by the Indian Agent from one man while he is away at war, or a tribe member taken to be a servant of the Agent, and dying in his service, and the pain this causes his survivors; we feel the sadness of the characters without being forced through a lecture.At the same time, the movie is epic in nature, taking us through several millennia of time, and staging those massive battle scenes containing hundreds of extras that the silents, to me, do more effectively than the talkies ever could (perhaps it is the inherently haunting nature of all silent film that makes it seem so).Richard Dix is acceptable as an Indian leader, but Noah Beery steals the show, playing one of the slimiest and sleaziest villains ever; he even kicks an Indian sitting at his office's doorstop, and not once, but twice, to get him out of the way!This movie also takes patriotism very seriously; tears come to the school teacher's eyes when her class of young Indians says the Pledge of Allegiance. Religion, too, is treated with seriousness, as modern Hollywood never does; Christianity and the New Testament are held with reverence, but again, not too preachy.I highly recommend this film to all silent film affectionados, as well as those interested to see a unique and oddly progressive film about Native Americans that was made in the 1920's.Some small thoughts: (1) Early in the film, some Indians meet up with Spanish Conquistadors. The Indians are much more naked than we normally see them; No clothing at all up their hips: a little unnerving! (2) During an early battle scene, an invading tribe is attacking the cliff dwellers; the invaders climb tall ladders to reach the upper ledges. At one point, several ladders full of climbing invaders are seen; one of the ladders is pushed back, and a ladder full of invaders falls backwards, the men on it doomed to fall to their presumed deaths; if you look closely, though, the men on that ladder are clearly dummies.(3) When Kit Carson's soldiers first hurry off to battle, the first carriage we see pulled by horses and supporting a cannon clearly loses a wheel as it flies down a hill. (4) Racial incongruity #1: The white Richard Dix, with make-up on to darken his features to make him look like an Indian, wearing a soldier's World War I uniform and fighting in the trenches. Racial incongruity #2: an Indian Chief introduced in a title, played by…Bernard Siegle! (5) When the Indian children in the school recite the Pledge of the Allegiance, they have their arms extended out in a manner that to modern eyes may seem like a fascist salute; is this how they used to do it? (6) At one point, Richard Dix is standing on one of the great stone arches of the American West, tossing feathers from his staff into the wind; the first feather he tosses is blown by the wind back to him, and sticks to his arm! He quickly swipes it away, though, and continues his scene.

John W Chance This is a 'lost' twenties film that deserves to be seen today.This is one of the few exceptions of Western films that sympathetically portrays Native Americans and the abuses they suffered. You won't see another one like this until 'Broken Arrow' (1950). Unfortunately, many of these 'exceptions' focus on just one individual Indian and his personal story, rather than plead the Indians' case. This one mixes both, and is the only film that really attempts to put a Zane Grey novel on screen.Today, Richard Dix's emotional range here doesn't seem very great (checking out his other films it never did), but is that because his noble stoicism is deliberate? In one of his 'Job-like' scenes it almost comes to the surface; his high morality does surely come through.There's a mind boggling prolog of the entire history of Native Americans, including the Annazzazi Cliff Dwellers; the history of Indians moves through time ending with Dix's return to his native land after World War I.Another real high point is the dastardly Noah Beery who doesn't need sound to convey his two faced menace. You can imagine the cheers when he finally gets it (in the neck). His amazing range as an actor can be seen in 'The Mark of Zorro' (1920) where he is the hilariously buffoonish Sergeant, and of course, as Buster Keaton's competition in 'Three Ages' (1923) Keaton's spoof of 'Intolerance' (1916).Truly epic in scope, this is definitely a film that deserves to be seen today, and can be thoroughly enjoyed by all. I give it an 8.

wes-connors Film adaptation of Zane Grey's western story "The Vanishing American"; once upon a time; this was considered a very sympathetic "History of the Indian Race". Presently, it's worth is much more subjective; it would be entirely appropriate for modern viewers to take offensive, especially Native Americans.The film's highlight is the opening prologue; for its time, a very nicely researched, and extraordinarily photographed, history of Native Americans. Edgar Schoenbaum and Harry Perry are the cinematographers capturing Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, and other places looking exquisitely beautiful. Some of the footage seems excitingly authentic, for example, the "Cliff Dwellers" segments.As the film jumps to the present, Richard Dix (as Nophaie the Warrior) emerges as the "hero"; arguably, he neither looks nor acts like a real Native American. The "epic" story becomes a decidedly more boring tale involving horse thief Noah Berry (as Booker). There is a lovely white woman, of course, to turn Dix' head; she's Lois Wilson (as Marion Warner). Ms. Wilson also converts Mr. Dix to Christianity; and, he is certainly not a hard sell. ***** The Vanishing American (10/15/25) George B. Seitz ~ Richard Dix, Lois Wilson, Noah Berry