The Expressions of Tom Mix (1921) 🇬🇧

The romantic life story of the King of the Cowboys

Everyone who goes to picture shows knows that Tom Mix is the King of Cowboys, but few realise that underneath the blue shirt of the cowpuncher beats a heart that is attuned to romance. Tom is magnificent in manly strength when he rushes into a herd of stampeding steers, throws, or as he would say, “bull dogs” one, and behind the quivering flesh hurls down the heroine and saves her life, as he did in Treat ‘em Rough.

Tom as a Lover

Tom Mix would never win a prize as an ideal lover; he draws a gun much quicker than he can pay a compliment, but sometimes I think that Tom’s rough-and-ready chivalry must mean more to a woman who sees him on the screen, than the studiously correct lover of the films.

Tom Mix expresses in action, admiration, friendship, love, where other people speak it. All who have seen Tom in that last close up, when, after proving his love by a hundred acts of sacrifice, the time has come for him to tell the heroine, “I love you,” must have been moved to pity for Tom in his awkwardness, when trying to tell the old, old tale.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

The truth is that any city clerk with a well pressed suit and a cheap tie could give Tom a three furlongs start in a five furlongs race and beat him. It is the close up that closes Tom down.

Like all men who have lived a life of action, he cannot act.

On the screen, as in his life, Tom does things. A real cowboy, he imbibes his respect and admiration for women, because most of his life was spent in the solitudes where the dainty foot of Eve never trod.

Under the starshine, crooning the soft melodies that kept the cattle peacefully grazing or sleeping, Tom, like every other man who rides the ranges with a house carried lightly in two blankets on the saddle of his pony, dreamed of a wife and home.

He found the woman of his dreams — the woman whose face he had seen dimly outlined in the white fleecy clouds when the pale moon shone behind them.

He found her in Victoria Forde, herself a cinema star, and those who love Tom Mix, the manly man of the screen, will be glad to know that the woman sought in the starshine of the ranges came to him at last.

A Real Cowboy

As you may know, Tom has been a cowboy all his life. During his early days he was to be found wherever there was a chance of excitement; cattle roping, bull-dogging, fighting, bandit hunting were a few of the things he did before he entered motion pictures as one of the hard-riding “extra” cowboys, who lent colour and excitement to the old-time Wild Western dramas. His dare-devil feats soon won for him promotion to the task of playing “double” for a leading player who did not possess much horsemanship.

No feats are too daring for Tom Mix; he regards broken wrists and sprains as a necessary, if uncomfortable, part of the day’s work.

A story is told of him that one day his director was showing him a number of Remington paintings. One was of a cowboy thrown from his pony, being dragged by one foot, caught in a stirrup, and after seeing it Tom went away with a thoughtful face. The next morning he went up to the director with a happy smile.

“I can do it!” he said, pointing to the picture of the cowboy. He was actually filmed in the three ensuing productions, doing this dangerous “stunt,” and refusing to “fake” the scenes in any way.

Author, Star and Director

Like most other film stars, Tom finds that his day is fully occupied. His favourite hobbies are boxing; he has a specially constructed gymnasium at the back of his home, where he has a round daily with his sparring partner; swimming, reading, and motoring. Tom has written many of the plays in which he has appeared, and has also directed them himself.

One of his latest productions is “Prairie Flowers.” It is adapted from the well-known novel of the same name, and is a sequel to “The Texan.” In it he presents many new stunts, said to be the most thrilling he has ever attempted. Other pictures in which he has appeared are “Six Shooter Andy,” “Treat ‘em Rough,” “Rough Riding Romance,” “Fame and Fortune,” “Cupid’s Round Up,” “The Coming of the Law,” “Roaring Reform,” “Western Blood,” “Ace High,” “Mr. Logan, U.S.A.,” “The Wilderness Trail,” and one that will shortly be seen over here, “The Feud.”

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(Special to the “Picture Show.”)

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Photo captions:

• Just happy.
• Just suspicious.
• Just determined.
• Just bored.
• Just interested.
• Just angry.

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If you wish to write to him, address your letter —

Tom Mix,
c/o Fox Film Co.,
130, West 46th Street,
New York City,
U.S.A.

Collection: Picture Show Magazine, January 1921