The King of the Wild Horses (1924) / No Man's Law (1927) On DVD

Rex, the Wonder Horse was one of the first animal stars of the silent era. A Morgan black stallion, he was discovered by Jack "Swede" Lindell, a former rodeo cowboy who made a name for himself in Hollywood as an animal trainer. While scouting for a lead for a new horse-centric picture from Hal Roach, he heard rumors of a wild stallion who was condemned to a detention center in Colorado after accidentally killing a man. Lindell was impressed by the horse's beauty and spirit, and petitioned for its release. The trainer brought "Rex" with him back to Hollywood, where he became the star of King of the Wild Horses. A box-office smash, the movie led to a fifteen-year career for Rex, encompassing nineteen movies.

KING OF THE WILD HORSES (BW, 1924): Billy Blair, a wanderer and lover of adventure, is in town to tame a wild horse who has evaded capture. At the same time, the Fielding ranch is victim to a string of mysterious horse thefts for which Billy is blamed. Billy must team up with the dangerous stallion if he is to clear his name and catch the real culprit.

The film that launched Rex's career, King of the Wild Horses boasts a story by producer Hal Roach. Cast as a villain is one of the premier comedians employed by Roach's studio, Charley Chase (here using his real name of Charles Parrott). After four years of directing comedies for Snub Pollard, Chase had only recently signed with Roach to star in the "Jimmy Jump" series. King of the Wild Horses offers a rare look at a different side of Chase before his screen persona was cemented. Director Fred Jackman is considered one of the leading directors of silent comedy. He started as a cameraman for Keystone in 1916 and then became Mack Sennett's supervising cinematographer from 1918 to 1922, inventing many of the trick shots that made that studio legendary.

From The Collection of John K. Carpenter, "The Movie Man."

NO MAN'S LAW (BW, 1927):A pair of fugitives on the run discover a gold mine protected only by a grizzled prospector, Jake, and his lovely young daughter, Toby. Seeing the perfect opportunity to strike it rich, the crooks decide to eliminate Jake and Toby. But they hadn't counted on the interference of Rex, the wild stallion who has appointed himself Toby's protector.

After the success of King of the Wild Horses, Hal Roach was quick to craft another feature around his star equestrian. Once again, he chose to pit Rex against one of the comedians from his "Lot of Fun", playing a villainous role. In No Man's Law, it is Oliver "Babe" Hardy, on the cusp of his greatest success. Later in 1927, Hardy would be paired with Roach stablemate Stan Laurel by director Leo McCarey to create one of the most immortal comedic duos of all time. Co-star James Finlayson often appeared alongside Laurel & Hardy, as well as in shorts of his own. The lovely Barbara Kent (Flesh and the Devil) caused a scandal with her nude swimming scenes, but she is actually wearing a flesh-colored bodystocking.