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“I suppose you’d like to take me out to the big open spaces, where men are men and women are grateful, and make a good woman of me.”
"Most Beautiful Still of the Month" as featured in Screenland (Sept 1929)
Date of Release: Sept 15, 1929
Studio: First National
Director: Reginald Barker
Screenplay: Fred Myton, Paul Perez
Music: Ray Perkins, Herman Ruby
Leading Actors: Dorothy Mackaill (Ruth Jordan), Ian Keith (Steven Ghent), Myrna Loy (Manuella), Creighton Hale (Edgar Blossom), Lucien Littlefield (Texas Tommy), Ben Hendricks Jr. (Dutch Romero), George Fawcett (MacGregor), Claude Gillingwater (Winthrop Amesbury), Roy Stewart (Joe Morgan), Jean Laverty (Verna), Frank Tang (Wong)
The Great Divide was based on the smash hit stage show of the same name. The play was described as “the great American drama,” and first premiered on Broadway in 1906. Two silent versions were released, one in 1915 by Lubin Manufacturing Company and another in 1925 by MGM.
The plot was somewhat altered for the 1929 talkie adaptation, and the writers, Fred Myton and Paul Perez, did a reasonably good job of modernizing the story and improving the gender politics. In the play, Ruth is a puritan from Boston who is “won” through a game of dice and forced to marry Steven and live with him in his prospector’s cabin. In the 1929 film version, Ruth is a feisty flapper who travels to the south west to sell her father’s profitable share of the mine.
Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information about Myton and Perez. Myton wrote over 160 screenplays between 1916 and 1952, and most of his films were B horror flicks. Paul Perez was a title writer predominantly during the silent era, and in the early years of sound worked for Fox as a staff writer.
The Great Divide opened in mid-September, 1929. The Pantages Theatre in Kansas City promoted by the western theme by dressing the entire staff “from manager to usherette,” in “full western regalia” and played the film in conjunction with a western-themes vaudeville show.
The film played to average houses and received mixed reviews. The Film Daily (February 23, 1930) disliked the attempt to modernize the script, despite calling the play “outmoded.” The reviewer also stated that the film didn’t “click in its talker version,” but begrudgingly described the songs as “not bad”.
The reviewer for Exhibitors Herald World (Nov 16, 1929) wrote
Studio: First National
Director: Reginald Barker
Screenplay: Fred Myton, Paul Perez
Music: Ray Perkins, Herman Ruby
Leading Actors: Dorothy Mackaill (Ruth Jordan), Ian Keith (Steven Ghent), Myrna Loy (Manuella), Creighton Hale (Edgar Blossom), Lucien Littlefield (Texas Tommy), Ben Hendricks Jr. (Dutch Romero), George Fawcett (MacGregor), Claude Gillingwater (Winthrop Amesbury), Roy Stewart (Joe Morgan), Jean Laverty (Verna), Frank Tang (Wong)
The Great Divide was based on the smash hit stage show of the same name. The play was described as “the great American drama,” and first premiered on Broadway in 1906. Two silent versions were released, one in 1915 by Lubin Manufacturing Company and another in 1925 by MGM.
The plot was somewhat altered for the 1929 talkie adaptation, and the writers, Fred Myton and Paul Perez, did a reasonably good job of modernizing the story and improving the gender politics. In the play, Ruth is a puritan from Boston who is “won” through a game of dice and forced to marry Steven and live with him in his prospector’s cabin. In the 1929 film version, Ruth is a feisty flapper who travels to the south west to sell her father’s profitable share of the mine.
Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information about Myton and Perez. Myton wrote over 160 screenplays between 1916 and 1952, and most of his films were B horror flicks. Paul Perez was a title writer predominantly during the silent era, and in the early years of sound worked for Fox as a staff writer.
The Great Divide opened in mid-September, 1929. The Pantages Theatre in Kansas City promoted by the western theme by dressing the entire staff “from manager to usherette,” in “full western regalia” and played the film in conjunction with a western-themes vaudeville show.
The film played to average houses and received mixed reviews. The Film Daily (February 23, 1930) disliked the attempt to modernize the script, despite calling the play “outmoded.” The reviewer also stated that the film didn’t “click in its talker version,” but begrudgingly described the songs as “not bad”.
The reviewer for Exhibitors Herald World (Nov 16, 1929) wrote
…if they told me the lead could be given songs to sing and a cowboy quartet could be hitched to the plot without wrecking it I’d have told them they were crazy…the picture is still The Great Divide and still a good, sound, colorful drama in terms of mountains, men, women and romance.”
In a later edition (July 12, 1930) with reviews from theatre managers around the country, the film was described as “a good outdoor picture,” and “well acted.”
As explained in the opening titles, The Great Divide refers to the division between east and west in the United States. The film is set “near the Mexican border” and tells the story of the unlikely attraction between a miner, Steven (Ian Keith) and his dead mining partner’s daughter, Ruth (Dorothy Mackaill).
The opening song is sung acapella. Steven’s house-help Wong (Frank Tang) wanders down the stairs singing a little tune to himself. The local fiery Mexican girl, Manuella (Myrna Loy) is waiting downstairs. She has trained Steven’s parrot to say “A little kiss for Manuella,” much to the amusement of Wong, and Steven’s frustration. Manuella is the epitome of fiery Latina stereotypes. She is young and pretty, overtly sexual, and speaks with a vaguely Spanish accent (lots of rolled r’s).
Steven tells Manuella she is “a nice child” but he is not interested, and forces her to leave. Steven and Max discuss the forward and sexualized nature of Mexican women. Steven recalls meeting the ideal girl, his partner’s daughter Ruth, many years before, describing her as “The sweetest little thing… shy, modest.”
In the next shot we see a grown-up Ruth aboard a train, heading for the mining town. She is, of course, anything but shy and modest. With a short bob hair cut, and a short skirt, Ruth is a flapper girl seeking thrills and a good time.
We return to the mining town, where the men are preparing for the fiesta. Gathered around a large fire, the men sing and joke and laugh. The sound in this scene is muddy and unclear, though it improves for the rest of the film. MacGregor and Winthrop (George Fawcett and Claude Gillingwater) sing a ridiculous patter song, hoping the other men will give them money to “irrigate their pipes.” Not only are the lyrics uninteresting, but musically, the song is boring. The men sing in unison throughout, and there are no changes in tempo or dynamics.
The next day, Ruth has arrived in town, and the fiesta is well under way. There are gorgeous costumes, a piñata, cock fighting, knife throwing, and plenty of dancing.
Although spirited in intention, the dancing is lackluster (the choreographer is not credited). Myrna Loy is a terrible dancer, and more than once bumps into members of the ensemble. At the end of the first dance number she is hidden somewhere in the back. The second dance sequence, a loose version of the fandango, Myrna is the featured dancer, but she looks floppy and unrehearsed compared to the ensemble behind her. The dances are unaided by the poor filming – the camera tries to track Myrna as she dances across the room, but keeps going in and out of focus.
The Mexican stereotype is emphasized once again when Steven appears on horseback dressed as a caballero, and is mistaken by Ruth for a Mexican bandit. Steven holds up the rouse, and only breaks character to sing the film’s theme song “At the End of the Lonesome Trail.” With a trite set up – “Come on Steve, give us that song you used to the sing! I’ll get the orchestra ready!” – the song seems tepid and out of place in the rowdy atmosphere of the fiesta. MacGregor and Winthrop sing another inconsequential theme song, delighting the party-goers.
Softened by his beautiful song, Ruth agrees to take a stroll with Steven outside. In a thick ridiculous Mexican accent, he woos her with poetry. They share a passionate kiss and return to the fiesta. Manuella is furious, and insists Steven is her man. Steven is outed as an American, and a horrified Ruth tells him she is no longer interested.
Ruth returns to the train and is sitting with her beau who is trying to make advances. She pushes him off exclaiming, “Don’t you know I’m sick and tired of necking?!” Refreshingly, he acquiesces. Steven barges in and locks up Ruth’s beau in a cupboard. Steven confesses he is surprised to find Ruth with another man, and ruefully commiserates she is not the lady he expected. He tells her he’s going to take her away. Ruth knowingly responds, “I suppose you’d like to take me out to the big open spaces, where men are men and women are grateful, and make a good woman of me.”
Steven whisks Ruth away on his horse, and once they are out in the wilderness, the film really finds its stride. The shots become more interesting, a fact acknowledged by Ruth and Steven – Steven asks, “Enjoying the view?” and Ruth replies, “Oh, it’s wonderful!” Even in black and white, it is really is wonderful, and filmed in long shots that capture the vastness and beauty of the south west.
The dialogue is surprisingly witty, and for its time, quite fast paced. The singing, what little there is, feels unforced and natural. While tending to the fire, Steven sings a reprise of “At the End of the Lonesome Trail,” acapella. In the rugged setting, the song is evocative and touching. We truly understand Steve’s loneliness since his partner died, and his readiness to move on to a new life beyond mining.
Meanwhile, Ruth’s beau offers to pay $10,000 to anyone who brings Ruth’s captor in, dead or alive. The infuriated miners set out to rescue Ruth and bring in the Mexican bandit.
The next morning Steven states, “I’m not going to take you back ‘til you’re different from what you are… There are lots of things wrong with you that need to be corrected.” Out in the wilderness, Ruth’s life as a carefree flapper is questioned. What’s the point of looking pretty in the desert? Steve speaks to her as if she is a child – “You’d better go to bed, you’re very tired,” – and Ruth begrudgingly becomes reliant on Steve for food and shelter. She is afraid of the mountain lions that cry out in the night, and turns to Steven for comfort.
Once installed at Steven’s house, she learns that Steven is her father’s dear friend and breaks down crying. Realizing that Steven only had good intentions, and that she is in love with him, she saves him from the angry mob by telling them that she came with him willingly. Ruth’s former beau is whisked away by the other miners to be made a part of the singing act.
As explained in the opening titles, The Great Divide refers to the division between east and west in the United States. The film is set “near the Mexican border” and tells the story of the unlikely attraction between a miner, Steven (Ian Keith) and his dead mining partner’s daughter, Ruth (Dorothy Mackaill).
The opening song is sung acapella. Steven’s house-help Wong (Frank Tang) wanders down the stairs singing a little tune to himself. The local fiery Mexican girl, Manuella (Myrna Loy) is waiting downstairs. She has trained Steven’s parrot to say “A little kiss for Manuella,” much to the amusement of Wong, and Steven’s frustration. Manuella is the epitome of fiery Latina stereotypes. She is young and pretty, overtly sexual, and speaks with a vaguely Spanish accent (lots of rolled r’s).
Steven tells Manuella she is “a nice child” but he is not interested, and forces her to leave. Steven and Max discuss the forward and sexualized nature of Mexican women. Steven recalls meeting the ideal girl, his partner’s daughter Ruth, many years before, describing her as “The sweetest little thing… shy, modest.”
In the next shot we see a grown-up Ruth aboard a train, heading for the mining town. She is, of course, anything but shy and modest. With a short bob hair cut, and a short skirt, Ruth is a flapper girl seeking thrills and a good time.
We return to the mining town, where the men are preparing for the fiesta. Gathered around a large fire, the men sing and joke and laugh. The sound in this scene is muddy and unclear, though it improves for the rest of the film. MacGregor and Winthrop (George Fawcett and Claude Gillingwater) sing a ridiculous patter song, hoping the other men will give them money to “irrigate their pipes.” Not only are the lyrics uninteresting, but musically, the song is boring. The men sing in unison throughout, and there are no changes in tempo or dynamics.
The next day, Ruth has arrived in town, and the fiesta is well under way. There are gorgeous costumes, a piñata, cock fighting, knife throwing, and plenty of dancing.
Although spirited in intention, the dancing is lackluster (the choreographer is not credited). Myrna Loy is a terrible dancer, and more than once bumps into members of the ensemble. At the end of the first dance number she is hidden somewhere in the back. The second dance sequence, a loose version of the fandango, Myrna is the featured dancer, but she looks floppy and unrehearsed compared to the ensemble behind her. The dances are unaided by the poor filming – the camera tries to track Myrna as she dances across the room, but keeps going in and out of focus.
The Mexican stereotype is emphasized once again when Steven appears on horseback dressed as a caballero, and is mistaken by Ruth for a Mexican bandit. Steven holds up the rouse, and only breaks character to sing the film’s theme song “At the End of the Lonesome Trail.” With a trite set up – “Come on Steve, give us that song you used to the sing! I’ll get the orchestra ready!” – the song seems tepid and out of place in the rowdy atmosphere of the fiesta. MacGregor and Winthrop sing another inconsequential theme song, delighting the party-goers.
Softened by his beautiful song, Ruth agrees to take a stroll with Steven outside. In a thick ridiculous Mexican accent, he woos her with poetry. They share a passionate kiss and return to the fiesta. Manuella is furious, and insists Steven is her man. Steven is outed as an American, and a horrified Ruth tells him she is no longer interested.
Ruth returns to the train and is sitting with her beau who is trying to make advances. She pushes him off exclaiming, “Don’t you know I’m sick and tired of necking?!” Refreshingly, he acquiesces. Steven barges in and locks up Ruth’s beau in a cupboard. Steven confesses he is surprised to find Ruth with another man, and ruefully commiserates she is not the lady he expected. He tells her he’s going to take her away. Ruth knowingly responds, “I suppose you’d like to take me out to the big open spaces, where men are men and women are grateful, and make a good woman of me.”
Steven whisks Ruth away on his horse, and once they are out in the wilderness, the film really finds its stride. The shots become more interesting, a fact acknowledged by Ruth and Steven – Steven asks, “Enjoying the view?” and Ruth replies, “Oh, it’s wonderful!” Even in black and white, it is really is wonderful, and filmed in long shots that capture the vastness and beauty of the south west.
The dialogue is surprisingly witty, and for its time, quite fast paced. The singing, what little there is, feels unforced and natural. While tending to the fire, Steven sings a reprise of “At the End of the Lonesome Trail,” acapella. In the rugged setting, the song is evocative and touching. We truly understand Steve’s loneliness since his partner died, and his readiness to move on to a new life beyond mining.
Meanwhile, Ruth’s beau offers to pay $10,000 to anyone who brings Ruth’s captor in, dead or alive. The infuriated miners set out to rescue Ruth and bring in the Mexican bandit.
The next morning Steven states, “I’m not going to take you back ‘til you’re different from what you are… There are lots of things wrong with you that need to be corrected.” Out in the wilderness, Ruth’s life as a carefree flapper is questioned. What’s the point of looking pretty in the desert? Steve speaks to her as if she is a child – “You’d better go to bed, you’re very tired,” – and Ruth begrudgingly becomes reliant on Steve for food and shelter. She is afraid of the mountain lions that cry out in the night, and turns to Steven for comfort.
Once installed at Steven’s house, she learns that Steven is her father’s dear friend and breaks down crying. Realizing that Steven only had good intentions, and that she is in love with him, she saves him from the angry mob by telling them that she came with him willingly. Ruth’s former beau is whisked away by the other miners to be made a part of the singing act.
Ian Keith, Dorothy Mackaill, and Myrna Loy
“The Great Divide” is a literal reference to land, and a metaphorical reference to the divide between the sexes. Even as it conforms to gender stereotypes, the film the tropes. Manuella and Ruth both represent women in control of their sexuality and desires, even if Manuella is representative of Latina stereotypes. Ruth is a flapper girl, carefree, independent, and lacking in domestic skills – attributes that are traditionally “masculine.” Thanks to the death of her father (her mother is never mentioned), she also holds feminine virtues in longing to be cared for and protected
Steven outwardly projects a masculine persona. He is rugged and handsome, respected by all the miners, and capable in the great outdoors. His feminine attributes are exemplified by his ability to cook and spout poetry, dress up in costume, and his longing to nurture and care for someone. Of course, this is considered “normal,” while Manulla is just a kid, and Ruth “needs fixing.”
The issue of whether or not Steven has successfully “corrected” Ruth is never really addressed. Although she has chosen to stay with Steven, Ruth is still her defiant and gutsy self. The Great Divide may have a “happily ever after” “boy gets girl” ending, but it is two independent people in need of love who come together rather than one dominating over the other. It is a case of opposites attract, a couple bonded by their shared history with Ruth’s father, and a genuine attraction to each other.
Steven outwardly projects a masculine persona. He is rugged and handsome, respected by all the miners, and capable in the great outdoors. His feminine attributes are exemplified by his ability to cook and spout poetry, dress up in costume, and his longing to nurture and care for someone. Of course, this is considered “normal,” while Manulla is just a kid, and Ruth “needs fixing.”
The issue of whether or not Steven has successfully “corrected” Ruth is never really addressed. Although she has chosen to stay with Steven, Ruth is still her defiant and gutsy self. The Great Divide may have a “happily ever after” “boy gets girl” ending, but it is two independent people in need of love who come together rather than one dominating over the other. It is a case of opposites attract, a couple bonded by their shared history with Ruth’s father, and a genuine attraction to each other.
Ian Keith, Picture Play Magazine (Aug 1929)
Dorothy Mackaill, Motion Picture News (Aug 10, 1929)
The chemistry between Dorothy Mackaill and Ian Keith is palpable on the screen. Mackaill is wonderful as the feisty Ruth, a precursor to Doris Day portrayals of similar women in Calamity Jane and The Pajama Game. Ian Keith is also excellent in his role and injects plenty of unexpected humor into his performance.
Like the film itself, Mackaill’s performance received mixed reviews. Screenland (1929) claimed “Dorothy Mackaill does not fare so well… she can be charming and seductive – but in The Great Divide she is obliged to merely be a good example of bad manners.” I’m guessing the critic was not much of a feminist. More enlightened critics saw the strength in Mackaill’s performance, with The Educational Screen (November 1929) describing her performance as “exceptional,” and the Exhibitors Herald World noting the naturalness of her character.
English-born Dorothy Mackaill started out as a Ziegfeld girl and moved west to work in Hollywood. After initial success in silent film, Mackaill’s career idled with the introduction of the talkies and she retired in 1937. She later appeared in the tv series Hawaii Five O.
Ian Keith received positive reviews, with critics describing him as “excellent” and a “great surprise.” Keith was a successful stage actor before transitioning to an equally successful film career. He appeared in nearly 120 films and television shows over thirty years, often playing strong supporting roles.
Myrna Loy, though beautiful, is once again miscast in a musical role. Her dancing was average in The Show of Shows, and it does not improve in The Great Divide. Loy appeared in many small roles in the lead up to her “breakthrough” in The Thin Man (1934). From there, Loy became an immensely popular actress and went on to appear in over 100 films. She was voted Queen of Film in 1936 (along with Clark Gable as King), and in 1991, received an Honorary Academy Award “In recognition of her extraordinary qualities both on screen and off, with appreciation for a lifetime's worth of indelible performances.”
After reading reviews and plot outlines for The Great Divide, I was nervous it was going to be an awful glorification of Stockholm syndrome with singing and dancing, a kind of early Beauty and the Beast. After watching the film, I was pleasantly surprised by its relatively progressive representations of gender, and wonderful female lead. It’s a shame Mackaill’s career did not survive talkies, because she is truly a delight to watch. The film’s use of acapella singing, and occasionally having characters break out into song without explanation or set-up, is also refreshing.
The Great Divide is available on DVD through the Warner Bros Archive Collection.
Like the film itself, Mackaill’s performance received mixed reviews. Screenland (1929) claimed “Dorothy Mackaill does not fare so well… she can be charming and seductive – but in The Great Divide she is obliged to merely be a good example of bad manners.” I’m guessing the critic was not much of a feminist. More enlightened critics saw the strength in Mackaill’s performance, with The Educational Screen (November 1929) describing her performance as “exceptional,” and the Exhibitors Herald World noting the naturalness of her character.
English-born Dorothy Mackaill started out as a Ziegfeld girl and moved west to work in Hollywood. After initial success in silent film, Mackaill’s career idled with the introduction of the talkies and she retired in 1937. She later appeared in the tv series Hawaii Five O.
Ian Keith received positive reviews, with critics describing him as “excellent” and a “great surprise.” Keith was a successful stage actor before transitioning to an equally successful film career. He appeared in nearly 120 films and television shows over thirty years, often playing strong supporting roles.
Myrna Loy, though beautiful, is once again miscast in a musical role. Her dancing was average in The Show of Shows, and it does not improve in The Great Divide. Loy appeared in many small roles in the lead up to her “breakthrough” in The Thin Man (1934). From there, Loy became an immensely popular actress and went on to appear in over 100 films. She was voted Queen of Film in 1936 (along with Clark Gable as King), and in 1991, received an Honorary Academy Award “In recognition of her extraordinary qualities both on screen and off, with appreciation for a lifetime's worth of indelible performances.”
After reading reviews and plot outlines for The Great Divide, I was nervous it was going to be an awful glorification of Stockholm syndrome with singing and dancing, a kind of early Beauty and the Beast. After watching the film, I was pleasantly surprised by its relatively progressive representations of gender, and wonderful female lead. It’s a shame Mackaill’s career did not survive talkies, because she is truly a delight to watch. The film’s use of acapella singing, and occasionally having characters break out into song without explanation or set-up, is also refreshing.
The Great Divide is available on DVD through the Warner Bros Archive Collection.
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