The Girls of the Range
| The Girls of the Range | |
|---|---|
 Director Francis Boggs films a scene for the 1910 film "The Girls of the Range" | |
| Directed by | Francis Boggs |
| Produced by | William N. Selig |
| Starring | Tom Santschi; Guy Oliver |
| Cinematography | James A. Crosby |
Production company | Selig Polyscope Company |
| Distributed by | Selig Polyscope Company |
Release date | 17 February 1910 |
Running time | 1 reel (approx. 1,000 ft) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent |
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The Girls of the Range is a 1910 American silent short Western film directed by Francis Boggs and produced by the Selig Polyscope Company.[1]
Plot
The story revolves around two sisters, Clara and Sadie, who live on the “Red Rock” ranch in the southwestern cattle country. Clara, the elder sister, is a skilled and fearless horsewoman and serves as protector to her more timid younger sister Sadie. A cowboy named Buck Singleton, initially charming to Sadie, is revealed by Clara to be unscrupulous. When Buck is dismissed from the ranch, he and his followers set a scheme of revenge: they kidnap Clara, intending to force her to ride back into the hills as their captive. Clara escapes courageously, alerts the ranch hands, and a large posse of cowboys pursues the outlaws. After a chase, the villains are captured and face justice. Meanwhile Sadie, still fond of Buck, disguises herself as a cowboy to free him from his bonds, but Clara embraces her sister and shows forgiveness, and Sadie ultimately reconciles with their father’s values of loyalty and honour.[2]
Cast[1]
- Thomas Santschi — Tom Santschi
- Guy Oliver — (unspecified role)
Production
The major part of this film was made by the Selig Polyscope Company at its studios at 1845 Allesandro Street (now Glendale Boulevard) in the Edendale neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was filmed in black-and-white, silent format, on one reel (approximately 1,000 feet).[2]
Release and Reception
The Girls of the Range was released on February 17th, 1910. A contemporary review in The Moving Picture World magazine described it as “one of those snappy Western pictures … while this is of a slightly different type, the fact remains that it is quite as pleasing and … quite as satisfactory as those which have gone before.” Another review in Variety called it a “real ‘wooly western’ film” with “hundreds of gun plays, abduction and death.”[2]
Preservation
Currently, the survival status of the film is unknown and it is not listed among titles with known surviving prints.[2]
Significance
This film is an early example of the Western genre produced on the west coast of the United States and highlights the output of the Selig Polyscope Company during the formative years of the film industry in Los Angeles. The story’s focus on female protagonists in a ranch setting is also noteworthy for the period.
See also
- List of American films of 1910
- Selig Polyscope Company
- Francis Boggs
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Girls of the Range, Selig Polyscope Company, 1910-02-17, retrieved 2025-10-28
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
External links
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