The Tornado

55%% | Mar 03, 1917 | Western

The Tornado mostly followed pulp Western formula -- bad guys hold up a town, take a girl hostage, and the hero rides to the rescue. But there were a couple of twists that made it seem more personal than the usual cowboy fare. Ford's Jack Dayton ... is known as "the No-Gun Man" because he faces the villains unarmed, anticipating the character played by James Stewart in George Marshall's 1939 Western comedy classic Destry Rides Again. Dayton is an immigrant who uses the reward money to bring over his mother (Jean Hathaway) from Ireland, a prototypically Fordian situation if there ever was one.

Featured Cast

John Ford
Director
Grace Cunard
Story

Cast

John Ford
Jack Dayton (as Jack Ford)
Jean Hathaway
Jack's mother
Peter Gerald
Pendleton - banker from Rock River (as Pete Gerald)
Elsie Thornton
Bess - Jack's daughter
Duke Worne
Lesparre - the lead of Cayote gang
John Duffy
Slick - Jack's partner

Images