Some 75 years after it was filmed in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, the silent movie The Winning of Barbara Worth still screens at silent film festivals, late night television and on the TV screens of film buffs who own the videotape.

Almost universally, the film buffs who watch the videotape at home are fans of the late Gary Cooper, for this was his first film role.

Some of the fans may also be dedicated to Ronald Colman or Vilma Banky, both of whom starred in the movie. Some may simply be fans of silent films, for this was one of the most powerful examples of the last days of the silent movie.

Gary Cooper and Ronald Colman went on to stardom. But Vilma Banky, the Hungarian beauty who starred as both Barbara and her mother, couldn’t make the transition to talkies. Her heavy accent killed her chances.

The Boston Transcript movie reviewer wrote that the move was “sure-fire stuff” for moviegoers. Writing in the Nov. 26, 1926 issue, he said that it had all the necessary elements, landscapes of striking beauty and dramatic strength, race against time, impending catastrophe, the glory and strength of a woman’s love, excellent photography, and the ultimate triumph of virtue...

The review in Daily Variety (Oct. 20, 1926), stated that producer Sol Lesser had his eye on the HBW novel, but that Samuel Goldwyn outbid him with $125,000, believing that if he invested $1,000,000 making a movie which was already familiar to the ten million or so readers of some 2.8 million (sic) copies of the book that had been sold, it would be a good investment.

“The epic had them cheering on opening night,” said the reviewer, ‘Ung’, “Sold from an entertainment and educational basis, Barbara Worth should easily repay Goldwyn for his endeavors, as the Wright following will flock to see it and bring double their number with them.”

Ung wrote that star Vilma Banky as Barbara, just had to show her winsome and gorgeous self and personality by looking sweet and now and then indulging in love scenes with Ronald Colman...

“An outstanding performance was given by Gary Cooper as Abe Lee, played in a most sympathetic manner, and came near taking the stuff away from Colman,” Ung continued, prophetically adding: “Cooper is a youth who will be heard of on the screen and possibly blossom as an ‘ace’ lead, of which there seems to be a scarcity on the coast right now.”

It was a prescient observation. While Vilma Banky, a Hungarian actress who wasn’t able to make the transition from silent pictures to “talkies”, faded from the silver screen, both Colman and Cooper blossomed in the new, sound-tracked Hollywood. Ms. Banky, by the way, played both Barbara’s mother and Barbara herself in the movie.

Prior to Barbara Worth, Cooper had only a few roles as a stuntman in movies. In his biography of Cooper, Hector Arce relates the circumstances which won the young Montana cowboy the role:

A popular cowboy star, Harold Goodwin, had been assigned the part. A conflict in dates occurred, and Goodwin was a no-show. Director Henry King confided his woes to his staff in the film’s location set office one morning as filming was due to begin. One of the women pointed to a lanky stunt horse-rider who ambled by the office from time to time. Cooper was hauled before the cameras under tight security. He was asked to read some lines, then collapse on the ground. King was flabbergasted by the young man’s performance. He showed the takes to Goldwyn, who immediately signed Cooper up for the role of Abe Lee ... at $65 per week.

In January, 1926, King had started his search for a site for the outdoor location shooting of The Winning of Barbara Worth by driving around California, Arizona and Nevada. He found the spot of choice in the Black Rock desert of Nevada, located on the main line of the Union Pacific railway, between Gerlach and Winnemucca. The desert boasted white sands like Imperial Valley’s prior to reclamation and a backdrop of mountains.
There followed months of preparation, as movie set architects drew up the plans for three cities, each housing 1000 people, which were to be built on the desert. By June 21, 1926, the first special trainload of carpenters, laborers, horses, mules and construction materials and equipment left Los Angeles and was diverted onto a spur track at the site of “Barbara Worth, Nevada.” After the unloading of 500,000 board feet of lumber, a mess hall capable of seating 3,000 people was constructed. It was supported by a huge kitchen, and a bakery capable of producing 200 loaves of bread and 800 buns a day.

Gary Cooper in the Winning of Barbara Worth

Gary Coleman and Vilma Banky in a still from the movie

Vilma Banky in her role as Barbara Worth

Water was found at 185 feet, and a complete plumbing and sanitation system installed. There was housing for up to 3,000 people, including a technical staff of 50, 24 principals, 150 “bit” players, 100 carpenters, and hundreds of other trades-men and laborers. There was a hospital with an operating room. A recreation center provided such things as dancing and boxing, and a drug store, hotel, motion picture theater and a newspaper provided creature comforts. Los Angeles was 800 miles away; there would be no weekend furloughs.

There could hardly have been a worse time of the year—midsummer—to film a movie in the desert. Although nights were cool, the days were hot, with temperatures reportedly reaching 130°. Sandstorms visited the set almost daily from noon to 2 p.m., making filming impossible. One twister was so spectacular that it was filmed and included in the movie.
Despite all this—and a complicated move of the set to a different location 70 miles away—filming was completed in eight weeks.

The Winning of Barbara Worth was a box office success in its day, but Wright did not see any box office profits. This was because he had earlier sold screen rights to nine of his books, including Barbara, to Principal Pictures in 1922. It was Principal who sold the rights to Goldwyn.

Luckily for HBW devotees, it was transferred from unstable film base early in its life. Today, over 75 years after it was made, it continues to pop up from time to time on late-night TV. Gary Cooper fans acclaim it as their hero’s first screen role. At silent movie festivals it is often accompanied today, just as it was in the ’twenties, by a pianist or organist. A 16-mm version could until recently be rented from Samuel Goldwyn studios. But now that the studio’s film archives have been purchased by Ted Turner, Barbara Worth has appeared as a video cassette. It can be obtained from Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee at 5006 Vineland, North Hollywood, CA 91606. Phone: 818 506-7722.

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