Based on the novel by one-time prospector and Olympic medal winner Rex Beach, Flowing Gold depicts a homesteading family who strike it rich in the North Texas oil boom. Rousing sequences—including terrifying thunderstorms and a massive oil fire—dazzle in this new tinted and toned restoration. The detailed sets are contemporaneous representations of the oil rigs of the time—industrial behemoths that create instantly recognizable Texan vistas. Flowing Gold is Joseph de Grasse’s penultimate film as director, coming at the end of a prolific career in silent cinema.
The only extant elements related to this film were inspected at the Czech National Film Archive (Národní Filmový Archiv) in 2016. The film features numerous instances of tinting, including a spectacular bright red tint used to highlight a thrilling fire sequence. To the befast of our knowledge, this film has not been screened in any capacity since the silent era. This restoration was made possible with support from the National Film Preservation Foundation.
