Item description for DON QUICKSHOT OF THE RIO GRANDE (1924) Jack Hoxie Silent Western Gang Plots!

Vintage original 8x10 in. US single-weight glossy photograph from the 1920's western drama, DON QUICKSHOT OF THE RIO GRANDE, released in 1923 by Universal Pictures and directed by George Marshall. Based upon a short story of the same name by Stephen Chalmer, "Pep" Pepper (Jack Hoxie) is a romantic young cowboy whose propensity for daydreaming costs him his job. After reading the classic novel "Don Quixote", he decides to follow in that character's footsteps, but things take a wrong turn when he intervenes in a saloon fight in which the owner is killed and Pep gets blamed for it. He escapes but must find the real killer and clear his name. On his search, he finds his own Dulcinea--a wealthy cattleman's daughter named Tulip Hellier (Elinor Field), who has been kidnapped by a bandit gang. The cast includes Emmett King, William Steele, Fred C. Jones, Robert McKenzie, Harry Woods, Ben Corbett, Hank Bell, and Skeeter Bill Robbins.

Don Quickshot of the Rio Grande was Jack Hoxie's first production for Universal. The image features an exterior shot of Jim Hellier (Emmett King) trying to calm his gang while Bill Barton (William Steel) smiles while standing next to him. It is in fine+ condition with a 4 in. long by 2.5 in. wide area of thin vertical kinks (similar to creases) in the top right hand portion of the image area with a 1 in. diagonal crease on the top right corner and light signs of wear on the other three corners. There are no pinholes, tears, stains, writing, or other flaws.

The March 31, 1923 Moving Picture World announced the recent purchase by Universal Pictures of screen rights for Stephen Chalmers’s 1921 short story, “Don Quickshot of the Rio Grande,” intended as a vehicle for cowboy star Hoot Gibson. The sale was arranged through the firm of Brandt & Kirkpatrick. On June 2, 1923, Motion Picture News reported that Universal had reassigned the title role to Jack Hoxie, marking his first production for the company. Don Quickshot of the Rio Grande was released on June 4, 1923, followed by a New York City opening eleven days later at Loew’s New York Theatre. Although critics for the June 3 Film Daily and the June 9 Motion Picture News found the film to be highly entertaining, neither was sure if its humorous content was accidental or intentional.