User Reviews

Richard Harding Davis, now barely remembered, was a hugely popular author-journalist in the years just after the Great War. A war correspondent, Davis covered many dangerous events and wrote thrillingly about them. When he turned his talents to fiction, he used his long experience as a newspaperman; Davis's fiction is extremely believable and remains highly readable. Some of his best (and best-selling) stories were about a Tintin-like boy named Gallegher who aspires to be a newspaperman. In the 1960s, Walt Disney's studio made several highly entertaining telefilms about Gallegher, scrupulously kept in their original period.

"Let 'Er Go Gallegher" dramatises a Davis story that was later remade by Disney as one of his 'Gallegher' episodes. This silent version isn't bad, but the Disney remake is better in every way except for period detail.

Young Gallegher, who aspires to be a newsman, witnesses the murder of W.H. Burbank by a mysterious man with a finger missing on one hand. Bootleggers are involved. Gallegher gives the scoop to his hero, Henry Clay Callahan, a conceited crime reporter. This leads to Gallegher getting a job as the newspaper's office boy. Callahan is engaged to Clarissa, the newspaper's prissy society editor. But after one drink too many, Callahan loses his job and Clarissa.

Meanwhile, Gallegher is hot on the trail of the murderer. He spots a man wearing gloves, with one finger jutting at an unnatural angle. (Shades of 'The Invaders'.) Could this be the four-fingered killer? SPOILERS COMING NOW. Gallegher follows Four Fingers to his hideout and then gets word to Callahan, who arrives just as Prohibition agents raid the joint. Gallegher and Callahan, rather implausibly, spirit Four Fingers away from the cops and rush him back to the news office -- one jump ahead of the feds -- where he confesses all.

This movie is less plausible than Davis's stories, but it's fast-moving and enjoyable. Harrison Ford (the silent-film actor) is good in a role that's only somewhat sympathetic. This is the only film I've seen to date in which silent-screen actor Harrison Ford gives a performance that reminds me of his modern namesake. Elinor Fair is much less effective as the love interest. In the lead role, Junior Coghlan is excellent: it's a pity that he had a screen name which doomed him to playing juvenile roles. Coghlan might have had a decent career in adult roles, but they failed to materialise. As the chief villain on offer here, Ivan Lebedeff is far less impressive. I'll rate this neat caper 7 out of 10. The Disney 'Gallegher' episodes are much more enjoyable.

Let 'Er Go, Gallegher (1928) is currently only available in its cut-down 60 minutes Kodascope version. The movie is actually listed as 5,888 feet, so even at sound speed, you're looking at 65 minutes. Fortunately, it runs quite well (if a little too speedily in the chase sequences). Elliott Clawson made a good job of expanding the 1890 short story, "Gallegher: A Newspaper Story", by Richard Harding Davis, while the direction was in the capable hands of Elmer Clifton. The movie is always great to look at, thanks to the noirishly black-as-midnight cinematography by Lucien Andriot and a good transfer to DVD by Alpha. Junior Coghlan sometimes comes across as a little too pugnacious for his own good, but this quality serves him well at the climax when he corners Ivan Lebedeff's menacing villain. Harrison Ford does a good job in the now hackneyed role of a tosspot newspaper man (but maybe it was fresher back in 1895 or even 1928?), while Elinor Fair (costumed by Adrian, although you'd never know it) does her best in a nothing part as the tosspot's love interest. Production values are superb. It's an "A" picture all the way, from the flourishing Cecil B. De Mille stable.