The above photo of Mix is used in a variety of articles and books, and normally includes the caption that he is riding Tony (which is incorrect).  This is Mix on Tony Jr. (four white socks).

But let's get back to Universal !

In all probability, the main reason that Universal was able to entice Mix back to the silver screen was $$$, as he had lost a bundle in the stock market crash and subsequent fallout.

In 1932, Mix was in his early fifties.  He hadn't made any movies for about three years.  And he had never worked with a microphone.  Injuries and age also had to be in his thoughts --- but he was THE Tom Mix and ego probably dictated that he do most of his own stunts and ridin', a tough job for an old man who had suffered many bone breaks and injuries during a long career.

Carl Laemmle Sr. and Jr., the bosses at Universal, gave Mix his own production unit along with budgets of about $100,000 to $150,000 per film.  Mix had approval over the cast, script, etc., but apparently did not get involved in the production nuts and bolts like Ken Maynard (who would be Mix's replacement at Universal, and be generally regarded as a pain-in-the-posterior).

Universal wanted a big name and big productions to mark their return to westerns ... and the advertising and poster art for the first film, DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (Universal, 1932), proudly proclaimed:

The initial plans for the 1932-1933 release season were for six adventures with each taking about a month to film.  Apparently, the fans flocked to the theaters to see the born again screen legend --- in response, Mix and Universal turned out nine entries.

Several were excellent: DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (JUSTICE RIDES AGAIN) (Universal, 1932), THE FOURTH HORSEMAN (Universal, 1933), and probably the best of the series, THE RIDER OF DEATH VALLEY (Universal, 1932).  The offbeat MY PAL, THE KING (Universal, 1932) featured a very young Mickey Rooney (of the 'Mickey McGuire' shorts) in a tale of Mix saving the young monarch from a couple baddies, one of which is Paul Hurst (Monte Hale's sidekick for a while at Republic).

The remaining five were solid, respectable oaters ... but not as outstanding as the titles noted above.  These five were: HIDDEN GOLD (Universal, 1932), FLAMING GUNS (Universal, 1932), THE TEXAS BAD MAN (Universal, 1932), TERROR TRAIL (Universal, 1933), and RUSTLER'S ROUNDUP (Universal, 1933).

Mix and Mickey Rooney in MY PAL, THE KING

Some authors are relentless in their criticism of Mix's delivery of dialog in these talkies.  I'm not sure why --- cowboy heroes of that day (and later) were never known as great thespians, and the scripts were often inane and juvenile.  Mix's delivery is superb when compared to Sunset Carson, Reb Russell or Bob Custer.  He was certainly on even ground with Ken Maynard and Tom Tyler.  I might suggest that the main issues with Mix and 'talking pictures' are a simple lack of experience and training, coupled with a 50+ year old voice.

Some also criticize these as a poor showcase of a fading cowboy star.  Again I disagree!  During this 1932-1933 period, there were some good series westerns such as the Columbia groups of Tim McCoy and Buck Jones, and Ken Maynard was doing his low-budget features at Tiffany and KBS/World Wide.  But there were a lot of mediocre (bad) westerns starring the likes of Jack Hoxie, Bill Cody, Bob Custer and Buffalo Bill Jr. (Jay Wilsey).

Note the news about "Tom Mix and his new pony, Tony Jr." When Mix began work at Universal in 1932-1933, he still was riding Tony.  But during those Universal films, he started using a mount named Tony Jr. (no relation to the original). Back in the Selig days, Mix rode a hoss named 'Old Blue'.

A couple things occurred during the filming. The original Tony was injured and put out to pasture, and the replacement was a new mount named Tony Jr. (which was no relation to the original).  Mix was also injured in one or more horse falls.  Over the pleading and objections of the Universal brass, Tom Mix decided he was too old or tired to do another season of screen adventures.  And so, Mix and Universal parted company.  Universal then hired Ken Maynard for the 1933-1934 season.

Mix in THE TEXAS BAD MAN



(Courtesy of Les Adams)
Above, Mix in TERROR TRAIL

(Courtesy of Fred D. Pfening, Jr.)

Tom hit the sawdust trail again, and was the headline attraction for the Sam B. Dill Circus.  As best I can recall, Mix purchased the Dill show around 1935 and fashioned it into into his own circus and wild west extravaganza.  Mix did not foresee the problems of a traveling show as well as the financial difficulties that would confront the venture over the next few years.  In retrospect, the late 1930s were not kind to these shows and many failed (such as Tim McCoy's Wild West show which opened and closed in less than a month).

Around this time, the Ralston Purina Company of St. Louis negotiated a deal with Mix to use his name and character for a new radio show, and 'The Tom Mix Ralston Straight Shooters' first hit the airwaves in September, 1933 over NBC.  Mix was never a participant in the broadcasts --- the TM-Bar Ranch was the setting for the radio series with Ralston peddling their cereal products from 'Checkerboard Square'.  For much of its run, the program was a 15 minute serial adventure, running Monday through Friday around 5:00 p.m. along with other quarter hour adventures such as 'Captain Midnight' and 'Jack Armstrong'.  It went off the air for a year during WW2 but returned over the Mutual Broadcasting Network, in 15 and 30 minute versions, with Curley Bradley in the role of Tom Mix.  The show ended in 1950.