“Filmed previously by Fox in 1918 with William Farnum and in 1925 with Tom Mix, this is the first talking picture version of Zane Grey's best-loved novel and possibly the most widely read western story of all time. Condensing a complicated story into a fast 59 minutes, this 1931 production stresses action over plot and a previous knowledge of the book adds to audience enjoyment. Others need to pay careful attention to the few lines of explanatory dialogue of events that were shown in the Mix version but not here. George O'Brien is athletic and confident in the character of Lassiter (a famous name currently being appropriated by a new TV series) and his then wife Marguerite Churchill is a spirited heroine. Noah Beery does not have the footage his predecessor Warner Oland had, Stanley Fields makes his presence felt, and Frank McGlynn, son of the definitive Lincoln portrayer, is a leading heavy.” Alex Gordon