In 1914 William S. Hart came to Hollywood when he was a mature 49 year-old man. Born during the American Civil War, he knew the real West, as he had lived in the Dakota Territory in the 1880s. Tall and stern-faced, but also round-shouldered, Hart knew Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. Hart and Tom Mix were the greatest heroes of the silent screen westerns.
"Hell's Hinges" is a western movie with a religious message: moral retribution. Robert Henley (Jack Standing), unfit (weak and selfish), was coerced by his forceful mother to become a clergyman. The church elder parsons, aware of Henley's misgivings, arrange to send him to a parish in a western prairie ("where the people live simply and close to God") to free him from the temptations of a large eastern city. Henley arrives at the dusty western hamlet of Placers Center (Hell's Hinges) with his strong-willed sister Faith (Clara Williams). Hell's Hinges is lawless; the title card describes it as "a gun-fighting, man- killing, devil's den of iniquity." Saloon owner "Silk" Miller (Alfred Hollingsworth) and gunfighter "Blaze" Tracey (Hart) are quite different in character but have one thing in common: law and religion do not exist for them. Two-gun Tracey's philosophy is "Shoot first and do your disputin' afterward." But when he gets his first look at the pure Faith, he is smitten and instantaneously transforms into a moralist. What does Tracey see in that diminutive and plain woman, one may ask? Anyway, the saloon crowd – drunks, bullies, and wild women – threaten the church-going families (called "The Petticoat Brigade") when they hold their first services in Taylor's barn. Tracey springs into action and says that he will not tolerate anyone interfering with the religious folk. He even assists in erecting a new church building. This change does not sit well with Silk.
Pretending to be friendly with Parson Henley, Silk invites him over to his place to preach to the saloon girls (prostitutes). But after several meetings the weakling parson is duped by Dolly (Louise Glaum), who gets him to drink booze, after which she seduces him one night. Henley continues to drink so much that he is unable to conduct the morning services. Blaze has ridden to the next town to fetch the doctor. Notice that whenever Silk goes anywhere, he is often followed by his saloon entourage. When Henley somewhat revives, he staggers over to the saloon where the throng gives him more liquor. When the drunken and rowdy men and women of the saloon decide to torch the church, Henley helps them. But in a raucous gunfight the drunken parson is killed. The outnumbered churchgoers fight back, but are unable to stop the destruction of their new church building. Dead bodies are strewn everywhere, and only a few of the original congregation survives.
When Tracey returns he becomes outraged. After shooting Silk and a supporter, he proceeds to burn down the whole town, which is comprised of wooden structures. Townsfolk scatter in every direction. After burying Henley, Blaze tells Faith, "Over Yonder hills is the future – both yours and mine." Blaze has reformed from a gunslinger to a respectable person of faith.
There is plenty of symbolism. For instance the burning town represents the inferno (hell), Silk is obviously evil, the saloon crowd is the fallen, Blaze is redemption, and Faith is goodness. The flight of the congregation into the surrounding desert reminds one of the Israelites three thousand years ago. The popular Hart acts with his stone-face and a few gestures; he was a trained stage performer. Note the scene at the 50:30 mark, where Blaze rides on the ridge around the low crater and his horse takes a tumble. Hart (or his double) and his steed topple partway down the hill. Quickly brushing off a fall that could have had a serious consequence, Hart remounts and continues his ride towards the doomed town. Future silent screen star John Gilbert can be seen at the 12:16 mark laughing at Blaze's jest (he's on the right with a white hat and scarf). He is also easily spotted elsewhere throughout the film. The feature is preserved in the archives of the National Film Registry as culturally significant.
"Hell's Hinges" is a western movie with a religious message: moral retribution. Robert Henley (Jack Standing), unfit (weak and selfish), was coerced by his forceful mother to become a clergyman. The church elder parsons, aware of Henley's misgivings, arrange to send him to a parish in a western prairie ("where the people live simply and close to God") to free him from the temptations of a large eastern city. Henley arrives at the dusty western hamlet of Placers Center (Hell's Hinges) with his strong-willed sister Faith (Clara Williams). Hell's Hinges is lawless; the title card describes it as "a gun-fighting, man- killing, devil's den of iniquity." Saloon owner "Silk" Miller (Alfred Hollingsworth) and gunfighter "Blaze" Tracey (Hart) are quite different in character but have one thing in common: law and religion do not exist for them. Two-gun Tracey's philosophy is "Shoot first and do your disputin' afterward." But when he gets his first look at the pure Faith, he is smitten and instantaneously transforms into a moralist. What does Tracey see in that diminutive and plain woman, one may ask? Anyway, the saloon crowd – drunks, bullies, and wild women – threaten the church-going families (called "The Petticoat Brigade") when they hold their first services in Taylor's barn. Tracey springs into action and says that he will not tolerate anyone interfering with the religious folk. He even assists in erecting a new church building. This change does not sit well with Silk.
Pretending to be friendly with Parson Henley, Silk invites him over to his place to preach to the saloon girls (prostitutes). But after several meetings the weakling parson is duped by Dolly (Louise Glaum), who gets him to drink booze, after which she seduces him one night. Henley continues to drink so much that he is unable to conduct the morning services. Blaze has ridden to the next town to fetch the doctor. Notice that whenever Silk goes anywhere, he is often followed by his saloon entourage. When Henley somewhat revives, he staggers over to the saloon where the throng gives him more liquor. When the drunken and rowdy men and women of the saloon decide to torch the church, Henley helps them. But in a raucous gunfight the drunken parson is killed. The outnumbered churchgoers fight back, but are unable to stop the destruction of their new church building. Dead bodies are strewn everywhere, and only a few of the original congregation survives.
When Tracey returns he becomes outraged. After shooting Silk and a supporter, he proceeds to burn down the whole town, which is comprised of wooden structures. Townsfolk scatter in every direction. After burying Henley, Blaze tells Faith, "Over Yonder hills is the future – both yours and mine." Blaze has reformed from a gunslinger to a respectable person of faith.
There is plenty of symbolism. For instance the burning town represents the inferno (hell), Silk is obviously evil, the saloon crowd is the fallen, Blaze is redemption, and Faith is goodness. The flight of the congregation into the surrounding desert reminds one of the Israelites three thousand years ago. The popular Hart acts with his stone-face and a few gestures; he was a trained stage performer. Note the scene at the 50:30 mark, where Blaze rides on the ridge around the low crater and his horse takes a tumble. Hart (or his double) and his steed topple partway down the hill. Quickly brushing off a fall that could have had a serious consequence, Hart remounts and continues his ride towards the doomed town. Future silent screen star John Gilbert can be seen at the 12:16 mark laughing at Blaze's jest (he's on the right with a white hat and scarf). He is also easily spotted elsewhere throughout the film. The feature is preserved in the archives of the National Film Registry as culturally significant.