Western Wednesdays: Hell's Hinges (1916)

     Hell's Hinges was released on March 5th, 1916. Directed by Charles Swickard, Clifford Smith and William S. Hart and written by C. Gardner Sullivan (All Quiet on the Western Front) it tells the story of Blaze Tracy (Hart), gunfighter who is won over and reformed by the sister (Clara Williams) of Reverend Bob Henley (Jack Standing), the towns newly arrived minister. Blaze becomes caught up in the conflict between the peaceful, church going folks and Silk Miller, the saloon owner (Alfred Hollingsworth).

     Like so many other westerns, it highlights the conflict between civilization, represented by the minister and the good, churchgoing townsfolk, and the wilderness, represented by the unruly cowboys and gunmen and the loose women who inhabit Silk Miller's saloon. Less typical is the way the conflict ends, with Blaze setting the town on fire in retaliation for the destruction of Henley’s church. Also of note is the tragic depiction of Reverend Henley, who is seduced by Miller's lifestyle and burns down his own church in a drunken stupor. Hell’s Hinges is an uncharacteristically dark film for its time.

     More typical of westerns, we see our hero being civilized by our heroine. The inter-titles describing Tracy's reaction on first seeing Faith Henley, "One who is evil, looking for the first time upon that which is good" could sum up the central conflict in many a western made since. Tracy and Faith's relationship drive the film, as he becomes the Church's protector (much to Miller's consternation) and later it's avenger.

     Hart's direction (Swickard, though the credited director, was mostly just following his lead) is really masterful, especially in the dramatic mob scenes that make up the film's climax. Striking images of the church, and later the town itself, burning, linger long after the credits roll. Hart had a real flair for the dramatic. He was also an accomplished rider and does some impressive stunt-work here, riding his horse down a steep embankment as Blaze rushes into town to rescue Clara.

     Hell's Hinges may not be a terribly nuanced western but it does what (perhaps) silent films do best: it breaks the genre down to its most primal elements to tell a stirring tale, one with timeless resonance.

Score: 8/10