Loco Luck (1927) is a 50-minute silent western starring Art Acord (1890-1931) and a pre-King Kong Faye Wray. Acord was a real-life cowpoke who worked for the famed Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West show. It was with the 101 that he made friends with other cowboys of the early silver screen: Tom Mix, “Broncho Billy” Anderson, Hoot Gibson, Buck Jones and others.
Acord starred in more than 100 shorts, serials and features from 1910 to 1929. He worked for studios including American, Fox, Universal, and Blue Streak Westerns before hard luck or hard times ended his career in Mexico at the age of 41.
The plot for Loco Luck involves a lovesick ranch hand who must win an all-important horse race to save his girl and her ranch. Our hero himself is saved by his faithful horse, who breaks down a cabin door to free him. It all features what Acord did best: trick riding and roping. As an actor, Acord’s career began to fade as the talkies replaced the silent picture format in 1927. He fell on hard times,
His obituary which ran in the Los Angeles Times on January 5, 1931: “Art Acord was working as a miner in Mexico when he was found dead in a Chihuahua City hotel room. Although initial newspaper reports called the death a suicide and said he had taken poison — another said he was shot — a (newspaper report) on his death said the local coroner had determined the cause was acute alcoholism.
“Acord had led a rough life — working with the Dick Stanley Wild West Show in 1919 and with Buffalo Bill in 1911. He took part in many round-ups and won the championship in bronco riding at Klamath Falls in 1912. In motion pictures he was starred in Charles E. Van Loan’s stories “Buck Parvin in the Movies,” “The Mayor of Gopher Hall” and others. Acord was more than six feet tall and in his prime weighed 186 pounds. Almost all of his pictures were made for Universal.
“In the final years of his life, Acord had filed for bankruptcy and was in and out of trouble with the law. In 1929, after jumping bail on a liquor charge, bondsmen caught him in Nogales and brought him back to Los Angeles for trial. He settled his case by paying a fine of $150 and then announced that he was returning to Mexico to recoup his fortunes.”
Most of his films are now lost, but some survive, including this rare short entitled ‘The Showdown’ from 1921.
