Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		2.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

The Silver Horde Blu-ray Movie Review

A Fisherman's Journey: Romance and Salmon

The Silver Horde is an early pre-code production by RKO Radio Pictures. The story revolves around the industrialization of the fishing industry while painting a drama of romantic origin. As the second adaptation of the novel by Rex Beach (this talkie version follows a silent production from 1920), the film is an interesting romantic-drama produced by William LeBaron (It's the Old Army Game, Lovin' the Ladies).

Boyd Emerson (Joel McCrea) is a young and enterprising fisherman embarking on pursuing his career endeavors with ambition while struggling with his torn romantic feelings for two (very different) women: Cherry Malotte (Evelyn Brent) and Mildred Wayland (Jean Arthur). Cherry is a former prostitute with a heart of gold who has taken on a new stake as a businesswoman and Mildred is a young and respectable woman who also has had involvement in the ever-evolving fishing industry. Ultimately, the question becomes: which woman will win Boyd's heart?

As the storyline progresses during The Silver Horde, the film also explores the growing fishing rivalries born between two decidedly different industrialization groups developing in the marketplace. At one end of the spectrum is the marketplace which former-prostitute Cherry is directly involved in and at the other end is a marketplace run by that of wealthy-entrepreneur Fred Marsh (Gavin Gordon). The film focuses on the fishing rivalries between these two sides.

The Silver Horde was filmed on location in the beautiful outdoors of Alaska. With cinematography by John W. Boyle (The Kid from Kansas, Man of Action) and Leo Tover (The Day the Earth Stood Still, Journey to the Center of the Earth), this is a scenic and visually interesting production which firmly stands out from the crowd by having some impressive sequences filmed directly within the fishing industry.

A worthwhile entry in the RKO Classic Adventures set

One such sequence showcases the streamlined if also laborious way in which salmon are processed in a factory setting. The fish are delivered through packer's hands and into packaged-for-sale packs after following a process which involves a steady flow of fish processed utilizing a treadmill line. These moments in the film offer audiences a fascinating glimpse into the industry during the time-period. Without a doubt, The Silver Horde is greatly enhanced by these moments.

In addition to the superb cinematographic work, the film also utilizes excellent costumes by Max Ree (The Private Life of Helen of Troy, Rose of the Golden West). These costumes feel authentic to the setting. There are two different types of costumes on display here: the heavy-duty outdoors cloth shielding the fishermen from the harsh cold weather and the suit-and-tie and gowns worn in some luxurious indoor sequences (such as a scene featuring a dance). Ree's work enhances the storytelling.

The screenplay was written by Wallace Smith (Love Comes Along, Beau Bandit) as based on a novel by Rex Beach. The story is one of the weaker aspects of the filmmaking. It's not a great storyline and the film is unfortunately somewhat forgettable feeling with a cut-and-dry romantic-drama vibe which is lackluster in some regard. These characters lack true dimensions and feel cookie-cutter in approach.

It's the performances by the charming cast and the direction by George Archainbaud (One Week of Love, Her Jungle Love) which make the film worthy of exploration. Archainbaud directs with a beautiful grace showcasing scenes set across the Alaskan outdoors. Even with an average story, Archainbaud's filmmaking help The Silver Horde succeed as a film which takes audiences on a worthwhile journey.

The Silver Horde Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Silver Horde is presented on Blu-ray from Kino with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (full frame). In comparison to the other films included within the RKO Classic Adventures set (The Painted Desert, The Pay-Off) this is unfortunately the weakest looking of the bunch. The film receives a modest high-definition upgrade.

It's by no means a terrible presentation. However, it's underwhelming considering how excellent the other two films in this collection look with their transfers. The film is quite soft throughout the entire presentation and there are many more instances of dirt or scratches on the film print which was utilized. The Silver Horde isn't as sharp or clean looking and it feels like there wasn't that much effort that went into the restoration by Lobster Films.

The Silver Horde Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio on this release of The Silver Horde is presented in lossless stereo with DTS-HD Master Audio. Unfortunately, the audio quality isn't much better than the video presentation. The sound is often lacking in depth and the fidelity seems rather poor (even for a film of its age). Given the age of the source material utilized, expectations should be kept in check.

The dialogue is sometimes muffled and it is often muddy sounding. This audio presentation lacks the level of quality found on The Painted Desert and The Pay-Off. It's merely acceptable quality. While dialogue is still easy enough to understand and follow, this isn't a great sounding presentation. It's sometimes scratchy sounding and it clearly would have benefited from a better restoration.

The Silver Horde Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are no supplemental features on this release.

The Silver Horde Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Featuring some impressive and scenic visuals of the Alaskan outdoors, The Silver Horde is a reasonably entertaining and worthwhile film featuring a talented cast. The direction is tight and focused. The story is somewhat underwhelming but the interesting directorial vision of Archainbaud makes it worthwhile. The presentation is unfortunately average at best and is the weakest in the RKO Classic Adventures set. The film is still worth a look and given the overall quality of the excellent RKO collection, the set is a high recommendation.