The Winning Of Barbara Worth (1926)

The adopted daughter (Vilma Banky) of a rancher (Charles Willis Lane) who dreams of turning their desert town into a farmland is pursued by two men: the son (Ronald Colman) of a devious land developer (E.J. Ratcliffe) and a shy cowboy (Gary Cooper). Based on the novel by Harold Bell Wright and directed by Henry King (LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING). A slightly creaky mixture of western romance and action movie. Ronald Colman seems an odd choice for a western but this is a silent movie so his clipped English accent isn't heard. Colman is the star and Cooper is the young newcomer so there's never any doubt who the heroine will end up with. The highlight of the movie is the massive flood finale and it's handled beautifully. Unfortunately, the transfer I saw had one of those godawful solo organ scores instead of a full orchestra. With Paul McAllister and Clyde Cook.