Sunday, August 24, 2014

Silent Sundays: The Perils of Pauline: The Goddess of the Far West (1914)


         This episode of The Perils of Pauline entitled Goddess of the Far West continues where episode one left off.
            Pauline Marvin (Pearl White) had been kidnapped and left for dead in a burning house until Harry Sanford came and rescued her. No ones that Harry’s father’s secretary Koerner was the one who was trying to kill her so he and his associate Hicks could take her money.
            Now Pauline is constantly hounded by the press. She needs a break so she decides to go to her aunt’s house in Montana. Koerner still wants Pauline’s money. He packs his bags as well and heads out west without Pauline knowing. Hicks tags along with him as well. Koerner gets some local rough necks to go along with his plan of kidnapping Pauline and leaving her in the woods.
            Pauline is picked up from the train station by her uncle. On the way the rough necks that Koerner hired kidnap Pauline right off the wagon. They take her out into the woods and tie her up and leave her in a cave. Pauline is able to untie herself but she cannot find a way out.
            Some Indians in the hills are fox hunting. The pursued fox comes into the cavern where Pauline is stuck. She figures if the fox can get in and out then there must be some way for her to do the same. She manages to climb out of a small hole in the ground but gets stuck. She sees one of the Indians and asks for his help. The Indian thinks she is part of a legend that a white woman would come from the ground and help their people in battle. Pauline is brought back to the camp and brought to the chief. He promises to train her for her battle.
            In the city both Harry and Koerner receive letters. Harry’s comes from Pauline’s aunt telling him that Pauline has been kidnapped. Harry rushes out to Montana. Koerner’s letter is from Hicks and the rough necks that the job has been done.
            One hundred volunteers are rounded up back in town in Montana to find Pauline. They get to Pauline just in time to save her from the plans the Indians have in mind for her.
            Goddess of the Far West was fast paced and exciting. It was nice to see a female lead in such an early film use her head to get out of a jam instead of being a damsel in distress. I think the title is a bit funny because Pauline did not go to the Far West as in Asia she went out to the far west of the United States and she was a goddess-like figure to the Indians.  

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