The Lady of the Dugout is a real treat for not only fans of silent movies and westerns, but for cinema junkies in general. The film produced, written and starring Al Jennings, an actual ex-bank and train robber whose life sentence was pardoned by President Theodore Roosevelt, gives its viewers an up-close, unglamorous view of desperate times in the often cruel, wild, wild west.
Of course the early Hollywood press and the studios and stars they interviewed, blatantly stretched the truth and the fact that Jennings wrote, produced and starred in this vehicle that supposedly recreated realistic bank robberies, makes one wonder how much of this film was stroking an ego opposed to actual realism.
That being said, The Lady of the Dugout has an authentic, non-Hollywood feel to it that makes you believe, whether accurate or not, that you are watching a recreation of how it actually was when Cowboys roamed the plains. Adding to the authenticity is Jennings real life brother, Frank, another real life ex-bank robber playing not only his brother, but also...a bank robber.
Wisely, the National Film Preservation Foundation has preserved this western tale of hunger and survival for future generations to learn from and enjoy. And what a learning and enjoyable experience it is. This author would like to believe that The Lady of the Dugout represents a small time capsule of days long gone, but should you choose to decide that it's just another Hollywood tall tale, you're still in for a wonderful movie experience.
Of course the early Hollywood press and the studios and stars they interviewed, blatantly stretched the truth and the fact that Jennings wrote, produced and starred in this vehicle that supposedly recreated realistic bank robberies, makes one wonder how much of this film was stroking an ego opposed to actual realism.
That being said, The Lady of the Dugout has an authentic, non-Hollywood feel to it that makes you believe, whether accurate or not, that you are watching a recreation of how it actually was when Cowboys roamed the plains. Adding to the authenticity is Jennings real life brother, Frank, another real life ex-bank robber playing not only his brother, but also...a bank robber.
Wisely, the National Film Preservation Foundation has preserved this western tale of hunger and survival for future generations to learn from and enjoy. And what a learning and enjoyable experience it is. This author would like to believe that The Lady of the Dugout represents a small time capsule of days long gone, but should you choose to decide that it's just another Hollywood tall tale, you're still in for a wonderful movie experience.
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