My Favorite Westerns

Category: Randolph Scott

  • Henry Hathaway Director of Westerns / To the Last Man / Esther Ralston Part 1


    A Kiss to Build a Dream On / Jill Barber

    To the Last Man / 1933

    I’ve been stuck for over a month. This time on Esther Ralston. My problem is the incredible number of awesome images of her. Many of which needed some editing. Finally I’ve got something to put up. 

    Esther has over 40 years of portrait pics (taken by anonymous Artists) – hundreds. If you ever wondered that Portrait Photography was a worthy Artform – here is the proof. I’m sure there’s some good Portrait Photographers around these days, but they’d be hard put to equal many of these photos. Like I said, it almost seems a lost Artform.
    I have so many that I’m posting these pics 3 installments. 

    Esther Ralston
    17 September 1902 – 14 January 1994

    Esther Ralston

    Herself, almost unknown these days, Esther Ralston was a major Movie Star from 1915 to 1940 – appearing in 44 movies. She Starred and co-starred with the likes of
    Randolph Scott, Charlie Chaplin, Hoot Gibson, Lon Chaney, Jackie Coogan, William Desmond, Tom Mix, Wallace Beery, Clara Bow, Gary Cooper, Richard Dix, Basil Rathbone, Paul Lukas, Joan Crawford, Betty Grable … and others. Quite a career. 
    Her last leading role was in To the Last Man / 1933 with Randolph Scott. 

    Embed from Getty Images

    Meet the Ralstons

    Esther began her career as a child actress in a family vaudeville act which was billed as “The Ralston Family – with Baby Esther, America’s Youngest Juliet“. From this, Esther appeared in a few small silent films including a role alongside her brother in the 1920 film adaptation of Huckleberry Finn … 

    Esther in the middle

    In the late 1920’s Esther appeared in many films for Paramount, at one point earning as much as $8000 a week (!!!), and garnering much popularity, especially in Britain. She appeared mainly in comedies, often portraying spirited society girls, but received good reviews for her forays into dramatic roles. Several of Ralston’s films from the 1920’s are ‘lost’.

    Esther with Gary Cooper / 1928

    Young Esther …

    Next: Esther Ralston Part 2 … 

  • Henry Hathaway Director of Westerns / The Last Round-Up / 1934


    The Last Round-Up / Vivian Blaine / Songwriter Billy Hill / 1933

    Songwriter Billy Hill (1899 – 1940) wrote several Western Classic’s including  “Old Pine Tree“,”Wagon Wheels“, and “Empty Saddles“.

    The Last Round-Up / 1934

    Zane Grey’s “The Border Legion” must be a helluva story because it was adapted to film 5 times – in 1918, 1924, 1930, and in 1940. The The Last Round-Up (1934) was also based on the novel.

    IMDB says: “One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since. However, because of legal complications, this particular title was not included in the original television package and may not have ever been televised.

    “A nitrate print of this film survives in the UCLA Film and Television Archives, and is not listed for preservation.”

    MFW: They might want to rethink that. We all know that some old movies have been ‘Lost’, but to deliberately decide not to preserve/save these old movies is unacceptable. Once they gone, they are gone for good. Some come to be valued much more as time goes by.

    Only one Poster.
    No Trailers – No clips.
    Very few images of any kind.
    But plenty of Lobby Cards.

    Reviews

    “6.5” out of 10 from IMBD? … not bad.

    AllMovie is not so generous … “1.5” out of 5

    Co-Star Barbara Fritchie was Billed as Barbara Adams. She made 6 movies between 1934 and 1935. The Last Round-Up was her first. There is very little other Bio information.

4 responses to “Henry Hathaway Director of Westerns / To the Last Man / Esther Ralston Part 1”

  1. Don Ostertag Avatar
    Don Ostertag

    What a great post!

    1. jcalberta Avatar
      jcalberta

      Appreciate that Don. Thank you!

  2. Marilyn Armstrong Avatar
    Marilyn Armstrong

    Wonderful posters!

    1. jcalberta Avatar
      jcalberta

      I have no shortage of images for this gal.

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