Matchin' Jim

Matchin' Jim comes to the "Flying A" ranch and is employed as one of its cowboys. His name is well justified, as he has a mania for matching coins. Not far from the ranch lives Ellings, an old placer miner. He has a daughter, Phyllis, whose sole delight in life seems to be in caring for a puny rose bush that she has planted at the side of her father's cabin. By diligent nursing she has managed to bring it to such a stage that it produces a single blossom. As Matchin' Jim is wandering near the cabin one day, hunting, a wild shot from his gun narrowly misses Phyllis and cuts from the rose bush its one lone flower. She calls to Jim, and when he comes to her she points out the damage that he has done. But Jim only grins and tells her that he'll match her to see whether she is going to be mad at him or not.

Directed by Frank Borzage, Matchin' Jim leans on a strong ensemble — Frank Borzage, Chick Morrison, Ann Little — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1916.