The Searchers, the Early Years: By Indian Post

John Ford began his directing career for Universal in 1916, following in the footsteps of big brother Francis. Nearly all of his early silents are lost, but the 1919 2-reeler By Indian Post was located by a collector and is available on the fifth volume of Retour de Flamme, the annual collection of rare short subjects issued on DVD by Lobster Films in France (region 2). It turns out to be an enormously entertaining 15 minutes comedy/western/romance.

Okay, follow this. Pete Morrison is Jode McWilliams, foreman of the Circle O. He’s taught his horse a few nifty tricks to impress his pretty gal, Peg Owens (Magda Lane), including teaching the stallion how to shake hands(!). Jode is driven off by Peg’s father, though, who cares not a whit for the young man. Jode writes a letter to his beloved, explaining his love for her. That evening, though, some of the other wranglers swipe the note and pin it to the bunkhouse door to rib their foreman; late that night, however, a renegade Indian creeps into the bunkhouse and steals everything that’s not nailed down, plus the note (which is nailed down).

When Jode awakens, shouts, “Somebody’s roped my love letter!” and pulls his six-shooter. He thrashes all the cowboys, but then finds a trail of playing cards leading off into the wilderness. Jode vows to track down the “ring-tailed galoot” that’s absconded with his letter, and heads off with his comic sidekick Beany.

Unfortunately for our hero, before he can find the Indian, Peg’s father finds him, and he’s trussed up and ready to be either drawn and quartered or tarred and feathered, or maybe even both. For our exciting conclusion, Jode manages to escape, and Beany fetches Peg while Jode awakens the parson (and does a very nice leap from the balcony onto his horse). Do Jode and Peg find true happiness? We’re not telling.

By Indian Post looks terrific and the DVD includes an appropriate piano score and an interesting introduction to the film that tells us it that at one point about half a reel was edited out of it (and is now lost). It’s too bad, because what’s left is breezy, fun, charming entertainment that’s a real crowd pleaser. Pete Morrison (b. 1890), by the way, had a long career; he didn’t retire from the screen until the mid-1930s, and lived until 1973. Serial fans can note that he played Dopey in The Vanishing Legion (1931) and Hank in The Last Frontier (1932).