Western Wednesdays: The Squaw Man (1914)

    The Squaw Man was released on February 12th, 1914. The first feature length film to be shot in what we now call Hollywood, it is written and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and Oscar C. Apfel. In it an English Calvary Officer named James Wynnegate (Dustin Farnum) leaves his homeland to go out west after taking the blame for his cousins embezzlement of the 16th Lancer's orphans fund in order to protect the family name. 

     Arriving in America, Wynnegate befriends a ranch-hand named Big Bill (Dick La Reno), who takes the Englishman to Wyoming where he starts up his own ranch. In Wyoming he befriends Tab-y-wana, chief of the Utes (Joseph Singleton), and his daughter Nat-u-Ritch (Lillian St. Cyr) and runs afoul of fellow rancher and cattle rustler Cash Hawkins (William Elmer) when he saves the chiefs daughter from him. Nat-u-Ritch shoots the vengeful Hawkins to protect James and they eventually fall in love but, when the sheriff finally traces the murder back to Nat-u-Ritch, the future of Wynnegate's new found family is placed in jeopardy. 

     For a film based on a play The Squaw Man has a rather disjointed narrative. Much of the film is taken up with pointless excursions like the fire that takes place aboard the boat which brings Wynnegate to the United States. At other times the film obtrusively jumps forward in time with no real transition. It all makes for a frustrating experience. This is too bad as the film features some really innovative filmmaking. Already, director Cecil B. DeMille was experimenting with his unique lighting style. Paticuasalry impressive is the scene where Wynnegate daydreams about his life in England, which uses double exposure to superimpose an image from the magazine Wynnegate is looking at with the memory of the woman he left behind in England. The film also features some really good performances, particularly from  Dustin Farnum and co-star Lillian St. Cyr. 

      It is of note that Lillian St. Cyr, better known as Red Wing, was born into the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and, along with her husband James Young Deer was one of the first successful Native Americans in Hollywood. I'd imagine that the romantic pairing of Red Wing and Dustin Farnum caused quite a stir back in 1914 when interracial marriage was still illegal in many states. Miscegenation is a major theme in the movie. When his cousin dies near the end of the film and admits his wrongdoing, James is told that he can return to England and claim his cousins fortune but he refuses to leave his Indian wife, who he knows will not be accepted in the old country. With his ranch failing and the sherriff after his wife however, he is persuaded to send his young son back to England in order to secure his financial future. The end of the picture, where Nat-u-Ritch kills herself (possibly out of grief or possibly to ensure that her husband and son are not seperated) is truly tragic.

Despite this, the films awkward pacing prevents it from really coming together in a satisfying way. It's no wonder DeMille would go back to this material, remaking the film in 1918 and again, with sound, in 1931.

Score: 6/10