DICK TURPIN (1925) – SILENT MOVIE

DICK TURPIN (1925) – Western star Tom Mix took a break from his Wild West movies by starring in this highly romanticized film about the real-life English thief and highway robber Dick Turpin. John G. Blystone directed the movie for Fox Film Corporation. Tom swapped his six-guns and rifles for a sword and pistols in this flick.

The story in this 70-minute movie starts out in the mid-1730s. In this version of events Dick Turpin is already well-known for committing masked highway robbery against the carriage trade of well-to-do passengers. Among his men is burly Tom King, played by Alan Hale after his 1922 turn as Little John to Douglas Fairbanks’ Robin Hood.

The main villain of the film is Lord Churlton (Philo McCullough), who not only resents having been robbed by Turpin, but abuses his power and influence by menacingly trying to force Lady Alice Brookfield (Kathleen Myers) to marry him. 

Out and about without his mask on one day, Dick spots a rival gang of highway robbers attacking the carriage of said Alice. Smitten with our heroine’s beauty, Turpin comes to the rescue, single-handedly driving off the bandits and flirting with the young lady.

Alice confides in our hero about her fear and distaste toward Lord Churlton and is willing to do anything to avoid marrying him. The maskless Dick Turpin confides in her, too, letting her know his real identity and offering to help her avoid the forced marriage.

Soon, the couple are pursued by lawmen and personal thugs of Lord Churlton. At an inn in the countryside, Turpin tells Alice to disguise herself as a boy while he engages their pursuers in a running battle.

Once Dick has made sure that the disguised Alice has gotten away safely, he rides for London, with the pursuing villains, including Lord Churlton, not far behind. Turpin tries to disappear into the London crowds at a bare-knuckle boxing match but Churlton is not thrown off.

Just as the villain is close to putting the arm on Dick, our hero scampers into the only place not cut off to him – the boxing ring. Turpin tries to act naturally as he fights it out with the other boxer.

When the fight is over and Churlton & company move in to arrest Dick, he throws the prize money into the crowd of spectators, then uses the resulting mad scramble for the cash to slip away and rides off. Back at Epping Forest the attraction between Turpin and Alice grows, and he ultimately confesses his love to her.   

A poor woman from among the population with whom our hero often shares his criminal proceeds arranges to covertly meet Dick to explain the help she needs. When Turpin shows up, it turns out the poor woman set him up. He is surrounded by Lord Churlton and his men, arrested, and imprisoned in London. 

As Dick Turpin is tried, found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging, Lord Churlton has had Alice rounded up and has scheduled their wedding for a few days off. On the appointed execution day, our hero is walked to the scaffold, where he is overjoyed to see that his brawny buddy Tom King has managed to waylay the real hangman and taken his place.

Tom assures Dick that the crowd of spectators holds many men who support him, and that he has tied Turpin’s faithful steed Black Bess nearby. King and Turpin launch their escape attempt and Dick manages to reach and mount Black Bess.

With limited time before Alice’s wedding to Lord Churlton will be held, our hero rides off toward York, determined to save the young woman from that fate worse than death. The movie now incorporates that part of the Dick Turpin legend which claimed he once made a spectacular 200 mile ride from London to York. 

This lengthy, climactic chase scene put me in mind of the long chase in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Through his riding skills and wiles, Turpin makes his pursuers drop off one by one until he reaches his destination.

Dick saves Alice, defeats Lord Churlton and then the film abandons all pretense of adhering to reality. Turpin again pledges his love to our heroine and promises that if she will marry him he will give up his career as an outlaw.

Alice accepts and the pair escape to France, where they live happily as husband and wife. In real life, Dick Turpin was hanged on April 7th, 1739 in Knavesmire.

Carole Lombard and Gary Cooper supposedly made small appearances as extras in Dick Turpin. Black Bess was played by Tom Mix’s usual horse Tony.

The film is entertaining for silent film geeks like me, as well as for Dick Turpin and/or Tom Mix completionists. Tom fails miserably in this attempt to swashbuckle as well as Douglas Fairbanks or John Barrymore did on the big screen.

Still, I always award extra points to tales of derring-do that move outside of the overworked Robin Hood legend. I think Dick Turpin is a fine watch. 

FOR A SIMILAR LOOK AT DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS’ SILENT SWASHBUCKLER MOVIES CLICK HERE.

FOR STARLET THEDA BARA’S SILENT FILMS CLICK HERE.

FOR HARRY HOUDINI’S FOUR SILENT FILMS AND ONE SILENT SERIAL CLICK HERE.