A weak-willed parson and his pious sister are sent to the town of Placer Center, known far and wide as Hell's Hinges for its immorality. There, Blaze Tracy a local gunfighter (William S Hart) is won over to belief by the sister's sincerity. A battle of wills ensues between the faithful churchgoers and the rowdy townspeople, with devastating results. Directed by Charles Swickard, William S. Hart and Clifford Smith.
HELL'S HINGES is a more mature, serious brand of Western than many may expect. It examines religious hypocrisy in the form of the weak reverend, easily swayed into debauchery by the townspeople. It also features an anti-hero character in Tracy, who is not the typical affable good guy in white, but a violent, brooding man who is gradually won over to belief. The story is told in a compact, economical fashion, with not a wasted moment in its hour length. Each event in the story drives it to an unforgettable climax, full of action, where the tensions inherent in the story reach a cataclysmic boiling point.
The acting is uniformly excellent and naturalistic. Standouts: William S Hart was one of the biggest stars of his time, and he shows why here. Hart has genuine star quality, acting with ease and restraint but also displaying charismatic power in his role. Clara Williams is completely believable in her turn as Faith, the reverent sister of the wayward parson. I was impressed with her work in the previous year's THE Italian, and she impresses again here, displaying conviction and tenderness in equal measure.
Jack Standing is also fine as Bob Henley, a young man who was goaded into the ministry by his mother even though he doesn't have the right character for it. Another standout is Louise Glaum, one of the famous "vamps" of the period, who ably displays her seductive charms as a dance-hall girl who is urged to lead the minister to ruin. She conveys the character effectively without overacting.
The cinematography here conveys the barren emptiness and imposing landscapes of the desert. The editing enables the film to move at a comfortable pace. Especially notable is the end, where the tensions between the two factions literally explode into nightmarish frenzy, as the church, then the whole town, is set ablaze. The images in the ending are exquisitely captured, showing the movies' ability to iconize people and images, as the hero and his love walk from the ruins of the town to start a new life.
HELL'S HINGES is a memorable, powerful film from the early days of cinema, and merits viewing today. SCORE: 10/10
HELL'S HINGES is a more mature, serious brand of Western than many may expect. It examines religious hypocrisy in the form of the weak reverend, easily swayed into debauchery by the townspeople. It also features an anti-hero character in Tracy, who is not the typical affable good guy in white, but a violent, brooding man who is gradually won over to belief. The story is told in a compact, economical fashion, with not a wasted moment in its hour length. Each event in the story drives it to an unforgettable climax, full of action, where the tensions inherent in the story reach a cataclysmic boiling point.
The acting is uniformly excellent and naturalistic. Standouts: William S Hart was one of the biggest stars of his time, and he shows why here. Hart has genuine star quality, acting with ease and restraint but also displaying charismatic power in his role. Clara Williams is completely believable in her turn as Faith, the reverent sister of the wayward parson. I was impressed with her work in the previous year's THE Italian, and she impresses again here, displaying conviction and tenderness in equal measure.
Jack Standing is also fine as Bob Henley, a young man who was goaded into the ministry by his mother even though he doesn't have the right character for it. Another standout is Louise Glaum, one of the famous "vamps" of the period, who ably displays her seductive charms as a dance-hall girl who is urged to lead the minister to ruin. She conveys the character effectively without overacting.
The cinematography here conveys the barren emptiness and imposing landscapes of the desert. The editing enables the film to move at a comfortable pace. Especially notable is the end, where the tensions between the two factions literally explode into nightmarish frenzy, as the church, then the whole town, is set ablaze. The images in the ending are exquisitely captured, showing the movies' ability to iconize people and images, as the hero and his love walk from the ruins of the town to start a new life.
HELL'S HINGES is a memorable, powerful film from the early days of cinema, and merits viewing today. SCORE: 10/10