Rob Roy

This has just been posted to the BFI's YouTube's site and, despite its lack of a score, is very watchable. All political content about Scots independence has been removed -- was this considered a problem in 1922, or was it a simplification for the sake of converting Sir Walter Scot's novel to a movie? Now the story is one of conflict between Rob Roy MacGregor (David Hawthorne: looking uncannily like John Cleese) and the Duke of Montrose (Simeon Stuart) over pride, money and, of course, the beautiful Helene (Gladys Jennings).

What makes this movie ever so watchable is the beautiful photography. It's hard to say whether the point is show the story or the rough countryside, but there are some lovely dance scenes, and the fight in which Hawthorne fights Tom Morris as Sandy the Biter, throws him into a loch and is acclaimed clan chief remains thrilling. So much for the longstanding claims that British film making was second rate!