Acting
Walter Huston growling through every scene like he owns the place.
Production
Pre-Code freedom means they actually went there with the romance.

Director
George Archainbaud
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was one of RKO's 'B' pictures rushed out to capitalize on the brief pre-Code window before censorship tightened in mid-1934.
The 'wild horse tamed by soldier' trope here directly echoes WWI propaganda about American ' Rough Riders' civilizing nature through military discipline.