Completed during Progressive era of the mid 1910s, this 1916 silent era film was made for the film audiences of the time, in a strong attempt to teach them, the dangers of the church-less social anarchism. In their view, the dangers of foreign anarchists, were so-close to home that writer, C. Gardner Sullivan had to make a morality tale about the vulnerabilities of having a stateless society. After all, World War 1 (1914-1918) was caused by an anarchist assassin, and the Red Scare of 1919–20 were a few years ahead, was caused by the aftermath of 1919 United States anarchist bombings. So it makes sense for, director Charles Swickard, to make a film like this. Set in the fictional Wild West town of Hell's Hinges, a good minded, woman named Faith Henley (Clara Williams), tries hard to reform local tough outlaw, Blaze Tracy (William S. Hart) as a last ditch attempt to save her wild and debauched frontier town. However, her weak-willed minister brother, Rev. Bob Henley (Jack Standing) & a local saloon owner, Silk Miller (Alfred Hollingsworth), think otherwise, causing trouble and encourage the local rowdies to disrupt the attempts to evangelize the community. Without spoiling the movie, too much, this movie does seem a bit heavy-handed and preachy with its religious message. Added to the fact that the film is so grim and somber, that it made for a very hard watch for any modern viewer. Still, this moral retribution film, does have good things about the dark mood. Sepia, blue and red tainting are used to convey the atmosphere of different scenes. It really gave the movie, its unique look. That cinematography style is quite innovative for the time, when you think about it. Not only that, the film does make a good use of the close-up, long shot, panning, and continuity editing. One notably shot is the wide shot with extended panning to follow a stage coach travelling in the hills. Because of camera angles like that, this movie has some really entertaining shots. Most of it, comes with the intense action scenes. Made before the Hay Codes, ever existed. The violence throughout this film really made this film more gritty and rugged than other westerns at the time. They really did burn down most of the Wild West set, toward the end of the film. I also like how the main lead, is an interesting complex main character. Yes, maybe the character's transformation of Blaze Tracy came too abrupt in the beginning, Hart himself is quite effective in the role, despite that his character wasn't so reluctantly. Fascinated by the Old West, this role was made for William S. Hart. Not only did he acquired Billy the Kid's "six shooters" and was a friend of legendary lawmen Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. He live the Wild West lifestyle, for years, before entering the film industry in 1914 where, he played supporting roles. Hart was particularly interested in making realistic western films. His films are noted for their authentic costumes and props, as well as Hart's acting ability, honed on Shakespearean theater stages in the United States and England. Because of this, I'm glad to see that this movie still existed for this long, when a total of 70% of American silent feature films are believed to be completely lost. This is one of the earlier known realistic silent western out there. However, the film is quite unidimensional, when it comes to supporting characters. Since, most silent film actors emphasized body language and facial expression so that the audience could better understand what an actor was feeling and portraying on screen. Much silent film acting is apt to strike modern-day audiences as simplistic or campy. There is no bigger laughable performance than Jack Standing as Rev. Bob Henley. His acting as a drunk alcoholism, was a bit hilarious, than tragic. I really didn't feel much, about him. Another actor that seem a bit off is Clara Williams. Still, she's not awful, like other critics make her out to be. Yes, she doesn't have the good looks, but she does plays the motherly role, well. However, I don't really see her, as a love-interest or a morality saint. I find her quest to sudden transformation of Blaze from bad to good as unrealistic, because she barely did anything to force that on Blaze. Another thing, that was a bit jarring about the film is the racist stereotypes when it comes portraying Mexicans. Since, the original producers, fail to renew the film's copyright. It resulted, with the film, falling into public domain, meaning that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of 'Hells Hinges'. Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely or badly edited. Since many of them, come from extremely poor quality, having been duped from second- or third-generation copies. Don't count on the audio and film footage to be good. Not only that, but it had a lot of scratches, and discoloring in the film footage. Overall: Despite that, Hell's Hinges is preserved in the archives of the National Film Registry as culturally significant. It's a must-watch for anybody who is a western fan and anybody who like silent era films. So check it out, if you want.
25 Reviews
Hell Yeah! This movie is indeed one of the finest silent westerns ever made.
ironhorse_iv31 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Pure Hart
Cineanalyst26 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
"Hell's Hinges" is one of William S. Hart's best Westerns, and it's available today in better condition than most of his others, including some nice tinting. Its religious story, the instantaneous first look at a pure woman transforming bad guy Hart into the good guy are basic to the formula of his Westerns. As fellow commenter metaphor-2 said, much of the power of the film comes from its simplicity. Even the small town, simple as a cheap producer can afford, helps intensify the climax. A town inhabited by evildoers and fittingly called "Hell's Hinges" ends in an inferno. It does well to overcome some of the overly preachy hokum and offensive moments such as the title that says the villain has "the oily craftiness of a Mexican". Hart gives one of his better performances stalking beside fiery blazes, looking to gun down the bad guys. The close-ups help his performance greatly. Pure Hart.
"Then fell the purple shadows of the western night..."
utgard1414 July 2017
Fascinating silent western about a gunslinger who is reformed by the love of a woman newly arrived in the lawless and Godless town of Hell's Hinges with her weak-willed brother, the town's new preacher. William S. Hart directs and stars as the gunslinger, Blaze Tracy. An appropriate name for his character given the fiery climax of the film, which is a little reminiscent of the western High Plains Drifter made many decades later. A really good movie made during Hollywood's infancy. One of the first westerns to show what the genre could be capable of. Well-paced with fine performances from Hart and the rest of the cast. If I had one complaint, it's that there are a lot of intertitles with a lot of text to read. A minor complaint, really. The film holds up very well today, despite its age. Man, over a century old. Crazy.
Extraordinarily powerful in its simple way
metaphor-213 January 2002
The story is dead simple: a tough guy is redeemed by love and becomes a defender of good over evil. The fact that it is told just as simply as it's constructed gives it a lot of power, though. The saloon-owner and the tough hombre both want to keep law and religion out of town, for different reasons. The saloon keeper sees it as a threat to his trade. The cowboy sees it as a curtailment of personal freedom. One look at the new preacher's sister changes his life: is it her beauty or her purity that strikes him to the core? In W.S. Hart's cosmos, they are the same thing. Whereas most great westerns are about the control of land, about advancing through physical spaces (and that's why they're such excellent visual subject matter) this one is really about the control of spiritual territory. The physical town will be conquered by the church-group only if it conquers the spiritual realm.
William S. Hart, who had considerable experience as a stage actor, including the performance of a good deal of Shakespeare, clearly understood that in the movies, acting and personal presence were inseparable. His acting is incredibly restrained, and he lets the contours of his face speak volumes. He makes a few very stylized gestures, but mostly relies on his personal presence, which is considerable. He is much more animated early in the film, before his conversion. Once he is won over by the message of the church, he never cracks a smile, barely moves his face at all unless he's really angry.
The entire film is as straightforward and unvarnished as Hart himself. The town is a spare group of unpainted wood buildings in barren wasteland. The Villain wants to run things, and he'll do whatever it takes with no subtrefuge necessary. The saloon girls are blatantly prostitutes. The church-goers are women and older men; all the young men are hell-raisers. The hero's prayer is, in essence, "God, if you really answer prayers, then what I want is the girl." It all sounds incredibly corny, but it rings so true when you watch it, it's hard not to feel a thrill.
William S. Hart, who had considerable experience as a stage actor, including the performance of a good deal of Shakespeare, clearly understood that in the movies, acting and personal presence were inseparable. His acting is incredibly restrained, and he lets the contours of his face speak volumes. He makes a few very stylized gestures, but mostly relies on his personal presence, which is considerable. He is much more animated early in the film, before his conversion. Once he is won over by the message of the church, he never cracks a smile, barely moves his face at all unless he's really angry.
The entire film is as straightforward and unvarnished as Hart himself. The town is a spare group of unpainted wood buildings in barren wasteland. The Villain wants to run things, and he'll do whatever it takes with no subtrefuge necessary. The saloon girls are blatantly prostitutes. The church-goers are women and older men; all the young men are hell-raisers. The hero's prayer is, in essence, "God, if you really answer prayers, then what I want is the girl." It all sounds incredibly corny, but it rings so true when you watch it, it's hard not to feel a thrill.
Blazing a New Trail!
bsmith55524 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"Hell's Hinges" is one of William S. Hart's better known westerns. He always strived for authenticity in the settings and costumes in his films. The town of Hell's Hinges looks like those depicted in old 19th century photographs and the costumes match the scenario as well.
A newly ordained minister Reverend Bob Henley (Jack Standing), who is less than committed to his job, is assigned to a town in the west, with the hope that he will strengthen his faith among the people there. His young diminutive sister Faith (Clara Williams) decides to accompany him. Arriving in the sin laden town that was re-named Hell's Hinges, the pair are greeted by the "good" citizens of the town.
Town baddie Silk Miller (Alfred Hollingsworth) fears that the new parson might undermine his hold on the evils of the town. In order to rid the town of the parson, Miller brings in gun man Blaze Tracy (Hart) to run him out of town.
Tracy at first, relishes his assignment but relents when he meets the virginal Faith. When the parson attempts to deliver a sermon in a makeshift church, Miller and his cronies try to disrupt the service. Tracy intervenes and drives the intruders away. Over the next few weeks, the congregation builds a new church.
Miller, sensing that the parson is less than committed to his job decides to employ different tactics. He lures the parson to his saloon and offers him a drink and the company of saloon girl Dolly (Louise Glum). Faith becomes worried and asks Blaze to find out what has happened to her brother. They find him in a back room of the saloon drunk and in the arms of Dolly.
Miller rallies his supporters, including the parson, to march on the church and set it ablaze. Blaze in turn becomes enraged and..............................
Hart was in his fifties when this film was made but could still hold the audience's interest with his cold and serious personality. His sudden change from a two gun evil doer to good Samaritan is a little hard to believe, though you are still with him.
In the unbilled cast are John Gilbert in his first film as one of Miller's rowdies. Future "B" western bad guys Robert Kortman and Wheeler Oakman are also cast as rowdies. And yes, that's Jean Hersholt as the bartender.
Although Hart was not as flamboyant as his contemporaries, Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson et al, his westerns were nonetheless entertaining and authentic looking. He would ride into the sunset in 1925 with "Tumbleweeds" at the age of 60.
A newly ordained minister Reverend Bob Henley (Jack Standing), who is less than committed to his job, is assigned to a town in the west, with the hope that he will strengthen his faith among the people there. His young diminutive sister Faith (Clara Williams) decides to accompany him. Arriving in the sin laden town that was re-named Hell's Hinges, the pair are greeted by the "good" citizens of the town.
Town baddie Silk Miller (Alfred Hollingsworth) fears that the new parson might undermine his hold on the evils of the town. In order to rid the town of the parson, Miller brings in gun man Blaze Tracy (Hart) to run him out of town.
Tracy at first, relishes his assignment but relents when he meets the virginal Faith. When the parson attempts to deliver a sermon in a makeshift church, Miller and his cronies try to disrupt the service. Tracy intervenes and drives the intruders away. Over the next few weeks, the congregation builds a new church.
Miller, sensing that the parson is less than committed to his job decides to employ different tactics. He lures the parson to his saloon and offers him a drink and the company of saloon girl Dolly (Louise Glum). Faith becomes worried and asks Blaze to find out what has happened to her brother. They find him in a back room of the saloon drunk and in the arms of Dolly.
Miller rallies his supporters, including the parson, to march on the church and set it ablaze. Blaze in turn becomes enraged and..............................
Hart was in his fifties when this film was made but could still hold the audience's interest with his cold and serious personality. His sudden change from a two gun evil doer to good Samaritan is a little hard to believe, though you are still with him.
In the unbilled cast are John Gilbert in his first film as one of Miller's rowdies. Future "B" western bad guys Robert Kortman and Wheeler Oakman are also cast as rowdies. And yes, that's Jean Hersholt as the bartender.
Although Hart was not as flamboyant as his contemporaries, Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson et al, his westerns were nonetheless entertaining and authentic looking. He would ride into the sunset in 1925 with "Tumbleweeds" at the age of 60.
The burdens of a western/silent/religious film
returning15 January 2005
The silent western has a lot going against it. As a western, the plot is grounded in an exaggerated human experience heightened by a minimised physical environment. The silent film too has to exaggerate the experience, not only in the mannerisms of the actors, but in the setting and props as well. No wonder so many silent westerns are seen as inflated and risibly tiresome.
Add a third problem: the religious experience. This too is often exaggerated because of how profoundly inward the process is. So we have a scene with Hart cleaned up, hair combed back, nodding his head as he reads the Bible. Avoidable? Probably, Demille would have been a better candidate. But we can still admire how free of convention the film is in its structure and methods, something Hart would pursue in his more worthwhile works.
3 out of 5 - Some strong elements
Add a third problem: the religious experience. This too is often exaggerated because of how profoundly inward the process is. So we have a scene with Hart cleaned up, hair combed back, nodding his head as he reads the Bible. Avoidable? Probably, Demille would have been a better candidate. But we can still admire how free of convention the film is in its structure and methods, something Hart would pursue in his more worthwhile works.
3 out of 5 - Some strong elements
Classic, iconic silent western
morrisonhimself23 August 2015
Just a few intertitles into "Hell's Hinges," I said, That must be by Gardner Sullivan. I stopped the movie -- which I was watching at YouTube.com -- and came to IMDb to see the credits: Sure enough, C. Gardner Sullivan wrote the story and the screenplay.
Mr. Sullivan produced some of the most poetic intertitles in all of silent Hollywood, and went on to write some talkie screenplays, too.
His prose coupled with the drama of the story and the acting of William S. Hart and a talented large cast and with the excellent directing of Charles Swickard as well as Mr. Hart and Clifford Smith make "Hell's Hinges" one of the most gripping of silent westerns.
It is, in fact, so classic and so iconic that the great Jon Tuska included it in his PBS series, "They Went Thataway."
That TV show was probably my introduction to William S. Hart, and when I moved to Los Angeles, one of my first missions was to find the (now defunct) Silent Movie Theatre, run by the lamented John Hampton and his wife, and beg for William S. Hart movies.
Alas, the Theatre never showed any, but I was able to rent "Tumbleweeds" in a 16 mm. format to project in my tiny living room. (It's also available at YouTube and I urge you to see it.)
I have been a Hart fan really since Jon Tuska's introduction, and my admiration has only grown with each Hart movie viewing.
"Hell's Hinges" is almost 100 years old at this writing, 21 August 2015, and it holds up extremely well, although I do recommend the "A cinema history" print at YouTube rather than another, which plays some Beethoven piano reductions as the music score, which is, of course, beautiful but really not appropriate.
Also, the print by "A cinema history" is clear and crisp.
Hart looked young and even chubby-faced, especially as compared to his craggier later looks, as in, for example, "Tumbleweeds." A trained stage actor, he was always able to portray his needed emotion or thought or action beautifully for the camera, and one can just look at him and realize why an entire town would be cowed.
When you watch this, do remember the context: It was produced in 1916, and styles of acting and writing were different. Not worse, in fact in lots of ways better, but decidedly different, so remember context.
Frankly, I LOVED "Hell's Hinges," and am so grateful to YouTube and "A cinema history" for posting this excellent movie and allowing me to watch it, and watch it again in the future.
Mr. Sullivan produced some of the most poetic intertitles in all of silent Hollywood, and went on to write some talkie screenplays, too.
His prose coupled with the drama of the story and the acting of William S. Hart and a talented large cast and with the excellent directing of Charles Swickard as well as Mr. Hart and Clifford Smith make "Hell's Hinges" one of the most gripping of silent westerns.
It is, in fact, so classic and so iconic that the great Jon Tuska included it in his PBS series, "They Went Thataway."
That TV show was probably my introduction to William S. Hart, and when I moved to Los Angeles, one of my first missions was to find the (now defunct) Silent Movie Theatre, run by the lamented John Hampton and his wife, and beg for William S. Hart movies.
Alas, the Theatre never showed any, but I was able to rent "Tumbleweeds" in a 16 mm. format to project in my tiny living room. (It's also available at YouTube and I urge you to see it.)
I have been a Hart fan really since Jon Tuska's introduction, and my admiration has only grown with each Hart movie viewing.
"Hell's Hinges" is almost 100 years old at this writing, 21 August 2015, and it holds up extremely well, although I do recommend the "A cinema history" print at YouTube rather than another, which plays some Beethoven piano reductions as the music score, which is, of course, beautiful but really not appropriate.
Also, the print by "A cinema history" is clear and crisp.
Hart looked young and even chubby-faced, especially as compared to his craggier later looks, as in, for example, "Tumbleweeds." A trained stage actor, he was always able to portray his needed emotion or thought or action beautifully for the camera, and one can just look at him and realize why an entire town would be cowed.
When you watch this, do remember the context: It was produced in 1916, and styles of acting and writing were different. Not worse, in fact in lots of ways better, but decidedly different, so remember context.
Frankly, I LOVED "Hell's Hinges," and am so grateful to YouTube and "A cinema history" for posting this excellent movie and allowing me to watch it, and watch it again in the future.
An Unconventional and Powerful Western
romanorum126 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
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.
Don't miss this one!
JohnHowardReid6 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Hell's Hinges (1916) rates as not only a masterpiece but, so far as its main story is concerned, as a unique offering with few if any imitators. Preachers in Hollywood movies are invariably sturdily pretentious, like the self-ordained church-builder in Hart's own The Silent Man. The preacher villain, the preacher cad, the preacher down-and-out, the preacher who'd sell his soul, betray his trust, desert his flock, indulge himself in sex and booze is a definite Hollywood no-no. Yet here he is - and most ably portrayed by Jack Standing, while Louise Glaum does the sex bit.
Another writing innovation by scriptwriter C. Gardner Sullivan lies in the film's extremely pessimistic mood. It wasn't until Clint Eastwood rode the range in High Plains Drifter (1973) and The Unforgiven (1992) that Hollywood re-introduced the downbeat mood of damnation with which this film concludes.
Although the direction is credited to Joseph Swickard, Hart himself directed the movie from early September to late October 1915. As it's a five-reeler running only 64 minutes, my guess is that Swickard's scenes were limited to the ten-minute introductory episode with heroine Clara Williams, clergyman Robert McKim and turncoat Standing. When Hart himself finally enters the action in cahoots with smooth heavy, Alfred Hollingsworth, he presumably took over the direction as well.
Joseph August's appropriately bleak photography is seen to advantage in the superb, richly red-tinted print available
Another writing innovation by scriptwriter C. Gardner Sullivan lies in the film's extremely pessimistic mood. It wasn't until Clint Eastwood rode the range in High Plains Drifter (1973) and The Unforgiven (1992) that Hollywood re-introduced the downbeat mood of damnation with which this film concludes.
Although the direction is credited to Joseph Swickard, Hart himself directed the movie from early September to late October 1915. As it's a five-reeler running only 64 minutes, my guess is that Swickard's scenes were limited to the ten-minute introductory episode with heroine Clara Williams, clergyman Robert McKim and turncoat Standing. When Hart himself finally enters the action in cahoots with smooth heavy, Alfred Hollingsworth, he presumably took over the direction as well.
Joseph August's appropriately bleak photography is seen to advantage in the superb, richly red-tinted print available
Solid William S. Hart western
scsu197521 November 2022
Hart plays a borderline bad guy reformed by a preacher's sister. The idea does sound corny but the darn thing works.
A young minister (Jack Standing) and his sister (Clara Williams) arrive in a wide-open town which is nicknamed "Hell's Hinges." The town villain (Alfred Hollingsworth), who, of course, runs the saloon, decides he is going to run the minister out of town. Hart wants nothing to do with religion, so he is on board with the plan ... until he meets Williams.
Eventually, Hollingsworth engages the town "ho" (Louise Glaum) to get the minister drunk, which gives the townspeople license to burn down the church. In one of the better climaxes of any western, Hart angrily but methodically gets revenge. In one very powerful scene, he stands calmly outside the saloon as it is burning behind him. A complete town (35 buildings, in this case) was built at Inceville, the studio owned by producer Thomas Ince. It was burned to the ground during the climax. Some newspapers reported that several extras were injured during the fire.
The film has some historical significance as it features the first screen appearance of John Gilbert, who can be spotted in a few scenes. Supposedly Hart was so impressed with Gilbert that he signed him for another western.
A young minister (Jack Standing) and his sister (Clara Williams) arrive in a wide-open town which is nicknamed "Hell's Hinges." The town villain (Alfred Hollingsworth), who, of course, runs the saloon, decides he is going to run the minister out of town. Hart wants nothing to do with religion, so he is on board with the plan ... until he meets Williams.
Eventually, Hollingsworth engages the town "ho" (Louise Glaum) to get the minister drunk, which gives the townspeople license to burn down the church. In one of the better climaxes of any western, Hart angrily but methodically gets revenge. In one very powerful scene, he stands calmly outside the saloon as it is burning behind him. A complete town (35 buildings, in this case) was built at Inceville, the studio owned by producer Thomas Ince. It was burned to the ground during the climax. Some newspapers reported that several extras were injured during the fire.
The film has some historical significance as it features the first screen appearance of John Gilbert, who can be spotted in a few scenes. Supposedly Hart was so impressed with Gilbert that he signed him for another western.
Disappointing; terrific craftsmanship is undercut by gawky, unworked storytelling.
I_Ailurophile31 January 2024
One hundred or more years later, some titles of early cinema come off very differently than they would have upon release in an era of different values. Well regarded as it accordingly was in 1916, in my opinion this is absolutely one of those titles. "Reverend" Robert Henley is greatly sympathetic at the very beginning, a man goaded by well-meaning but ignorant and overbearing relations into a life he never wanted in the first place. When a turn comes for his character later in the picture, the shift is so complete, and oversimplified without any real progression, that the contrivance is overwhelming. The missionary mindset of the "god-fearing" characters to whom we're initially introduced, upheld in the narrative as paragons of virtue - praising the idea of evangelizing to far-flung populations and poo-pooing Capital "C" Cities as dens of iniquity - reeks of stunning naiveté at best and awful colonialist privilege and arrogance at worst. This is to say nothing of the terribly gauche, dubious trope of an antagonistic figure abruptly and wholly changing their ways in the instant that they fall in love and/or witness vague, bland "goodness" "for the first time." Factor in the unremittingly hokey, unconvincing, gag-worthy, brow-beating Bible-thumping represented throughout C. Gardner Sullivan's screenplay, and it takes no time at all for the high esteem of 'Hell's Hinges' to start to look decidedly questionable several decades later.
It is sometimes said, not unreasonably so, and especially by those who have a harder time engaging with silent films, that this period in the medium is characterized by "simpler entertainment for a simpler time." I find myself agreeing with that sentiment in some cases; while some of the greatest features ever made hail from before the advent of talkies, there are nevertheless many other contemporaries that are more middling and unremarkable. More than that, where this is concerned, I'm unsure if to date I've ever seen another example of early cinematic storytelling that was so thoroughly reduced to unrefined, simple-minded notions that they can't possibly hold up unless one is already perfectly sold hook, line, and sinker on the core underlying messaging.
There are actually some great story ideas on hand which, if treated with all due care, could have been the foundation for a deeply compelling, riveting viewing experience. Manipulation, seduction, corruption, and madness, the weapons of unbridled immoderation and wickedness, clash against the less outwardly noteworthy figures that are upheld as positive influences, or protagonists, resulting in conflict and abject violence. Unfortunately, neither screenwriter Sullivan nor director Charles Swickard possessed the delicate hand necessary to render these concepts with tact and impactful gravity. No, "the rowdies" aren't relatable or sympathetic, and they are very distinctly and surely the antagonists here. Yet those portrayed as righteous and honorable aren't exactly the most relatable or sympathetic characters, either. Meanwhile, every step along the path in the narrative is blocky and unwieldy, represented in its most gawkily crude form - not just unpolished, but not even fully chiseled into a commendable, consequential shape - and as such I find it difficult even as an avid cinephile, and as someone who generally loves the silent era, to extend particular favor to this flick. From early exposition, to the sudden lightbulb going off in Blaze Tracy's head and the introduction of an obligatory (read: tiresome) romantic element; from the change that Henley undergoes, to the clunky, quizzical parable Blaze attempts to relate about "Arizona Frank"; from the eruption of violence, to the outrageously heavy-handed, rash warpath our chief "hero" subsequently embarks on, a storm of vengeance so ham-fisted as to be goofy: all the best thoughts poured into 'Hell's Hinges' are served poorly by writing and direction that are handled with club feet, leaden hands, and dull minds. If a modern superhero film were marked with the same sensibilities it would be laughed into the memory hole of mediocrity. Why should we treat this any differently?
In fairness, putting aside the storytelling (including a last couple minutes that feel utterly superfluous), there really is much to admire in these sixty-four minutes. Troubled as the writing is, and its realization, Swickard's direction is technically sound, and were the entirety given all due consideration, each scene in turn really would be a veritable thunderclap in its potency. It's not the fault of the cast that the ultimate arrangement of the movie would reduce their performances to expressions of schlock. On the contrary: at a time when acting in cinema was typified by exaggerated body language and facial expressions, William S. Hart, Clara Williams, Louise Glaum, Jack Standing, and Alfred Hollingsworth break through those constraints, along with those in smaller parts, to deliver acting of meaningful range and emotional depth; we can feel the power of their scenes despite the ends to which those scenes are subsequently twisted. Joseph H. August's cinematography strikes me as especially smart, with some superb shots scattered throughout the runtime, and even the tinting here makes a little mark of its own. The costume design, hair, and makeup are gorgeous, and the sets are highly laudable. The stunts, effects, and action sequences are excellent and exciting, and as they define the last act, almost help to give the picture an extra boost that it needed. Why, I don't know if Sullivan himself penned the intertitles or if an uncredited person behind the scenes did, but even as the specifics leave much to be desired, there's a poetry and finesse to the language being employed that is wonderful. And unfortunately, all these appreciable facets are undercut by storytelling that blunt and forced, and when you get down to it, kind of oafish. If the ideal form of what 'Hell's Hinges' could have been is Michaelangelo's David, 'Hell's Hinges' as it presents is the almost totally unworked slab of marble to which tools had scarcely yet been taken.
I'm unimpressed, and I'm disappointed. I recognize that this movie was regarded well upon release, and even still it holds a special place in the annals of cinema. I recognize what it does well, and why it most certainly deserves such respect. I also recognize where it falls short, and how much significantly better it could have been. We can't even wave off the overt simplicity of the storytelling with indifferent remarks of "it was a different time," because there's no small amount of contemporary fare that is not marked by such issues. I'm glad (I think) for those who get more out of the flick than I do; I'm put out by the artlessness with which this tale was crafted, a bouquet of deficiencies that diminish the lasting value of the other contributions. I don't altogether dislike 'Hell's Hinges,' but it falls well short of my expectations, and the sad fact of the matter is that it just doesn't hold up all that well in retrospect.
It is sometimes said, not unreasonably so, and especially by those who have a harder time engaging with silent films, that this period in the medium is characterized by "simpler entertainment for a simpler time." I find myself agreeing with that sentiment in some cases; while some of the greatest features ever made hail from before the advent of talkies, there are nevertheless many other contemporaries that are more middling and unremarkable. More than that, where this is concerned, I'm unsure if to date I've ever seen another example of early cinematic storytelling that was so thoroughly reduced to unrefined, simple-minded notions that they can't possibly hold up unless one is already perfectly sold hook, line, and sinker on the core underlying messaging.
There are actually some great story ideas on hand which, if treated with all due care, could have been the foundation for a deeply compelling, riveting viewing experience. Manipulation, seduction, corruption, and madness, the weapons of unbridled immoderation and wickedness, clash against the less outwardly noteworthy figures that are upheld as positive influences, or protagonists, resulting in conflict and abject violence. Unfortunately, neither screenwriter Sullivan nor director Charles Swickard possessed the delicate hand necessary to render these concepts with tact and impactful gravity. No, "the rowdies" aren't relatable or sympathetic, and they are very distinctly and surely the antagonists here. Yet those portrayed as righteous and honorable aren't exactly the most relatable or sympathetic characters, either. Meanwhile, every step along the path in the narrative is blocky and unwieldy, represented in its most gawkily crude form - not just unpolished, but not even fully chiseled into a commendable, consequential shape - and as such I find it difficult even as an avid cinephile, and as someone who generally loves the silent era, to extend particular favor to this flick. From early exposition, to the sudden lightbulb going off in Blaze Tracy's head and the introduction of an obligatory (read: tiresome) romantic element; from the change that Henley undergoes, to the clunky, quizzical parable Blaze attempts to relate about "Arizona Frank"; from the eruption of violence, to the outrageously heavy-handed, rash warpath our chief "hero" subsequently embarks on, a storm of vengeance so ham-fisted as to be goofy: all the best thoughts poured into 'Hell's Hinges' are served poorly by writing and direction that are handled with club feet, leaden hands, and dull minds. If a modern superhero film were marked with the same sensibilities it would be laughed into the memory hole of mediocrity. Why should we treat this any differently?
In fairness, putting aside the storytelling (including a last couple minutes that feel utterly superfluous), there really is much to admire in these sixty-four minutes. Troubled as the writing is, and its realization, Swickard's direction is technically sound, and were the entirety given all due consideration, each scene in turn really would be a veritable thunderclap in its potency. It's not the fault of the cast that the ultimate arrangement of the movie would reduce their performances to expressions of schlock. On the contrary: at a time when acting in cinema was typified by exaggerated body language and facial expressions, William S. Hart, Clara Williams, Louise Glaum, Jack Standing, and Alfred Hollingsworth break through those constraints, along with those in smaller parts, to deliver acting of meaningful range and emotional depth; we can feel the power of their scenes despite the ends to which those scenes are subsequently twisted. Joseph H. August's cinematography strikes me as especially smart, with some superb shots scattered throughout the runtime, and even the tinting here makes a little mark of its own. The costume design, hair, and makeup are gorgeous, and the sets are highly laudable. The stunts, effects, and action sequences are excellent and exciting, and as they define the last act, almost help to give the picture an extra boost that it needed. Why, I don't know if Sullivan himself penned the intertitles or if an uncredited person behind the scenes did, but even as the specifics leave much to be desired, there's a poetry and finesse to the language being employed that is wonderful. And unfortunately, all these appreciable facets are undercut by storytelling that blunt and forced, and when you get down to it, kind of oafish. If the ideal form of what 'Hell's Hinges' could have been is Michaelangelo's David, 'Hell's Hinges' as it presents is the almost totally unworked slab of marble to which tools had scarcely yet been taken.
I'm unimpressed, and I'm disappointed. I recognize that this movie was regarded well upon release, and even still it holds a special place in the annals of cinema. I recognize what it does well, and why it most certainly deserves such respect. I also recognize where it falls short, and how much significantly better it could have been. We can't even wave off the overt simplicity of the storytelling with indifferent remarks of "it was a different time," because there's no small amount of contemporary fare that is not marked by such issues. I'm glad (I think) for those who get more out of the flick than I do; I'm put out by the artlessness with which this tale was crafted, a bouquet of deficiencies that diminish the lasting value of the other contributions. I don't altogether dislike 'Hell's Hinges,' but it falls well short of my expectations, and the sad fact of the matter is that it just doesn't hold up all that well in retrospect.
Raising Hell with William S. Hart
wes-connors26 November 2007
As the film begins, William S. Hart (as "Blaze" Tracy) is off-screen, in the appropriately named town of "Hell's Hinges". Mr. Hart is a "man-killer whose philosophy of life is summer up in the creed 'Shoot first and do your disputin' afterward'!" He believes neither law nor religion will ever come to the wretched town he loves. He is wrong. Jack Standing (as Rev. Robert Henley) is on his way to town; he is, as you'll witness, a recently ordained minister with an eye for something other than ladies' souls. Mr. Standing will also reveal a fondness for drink. Accompanying the bad reverend is his good sister Clara Williams (as Faith Henley). Ms. Williams combines "the strength of character her brother so woefully lacks" and leads Hart to God (the Jesus Christ version). But, is Hart a faithful servant of God, or just another Hell-raising western rogue?
This is an excellent, albeit absurd, film. Steely-eyed Hart is well heeled; and, the fiery ending is tremendous. Standing's debauched preacher is unexpectedly entertaining. Williams was a noted actress; but, she doesn't play innocent and alluring; mainly, she looks admiringly at Hart (and her brother). You may wonder what Hart sees in her, when they first meet; although, Hart plays the scene well. It's difficult to understand the Williams/Hart attraction, which worked in other films. Thankfully, Louise Glaum (as Dolly) is around to play guiltily alluring; presumably, Hart has had his fill of such women by the time Williams arrives.
******** Hell's Hinges (3/5/16) Charles Swickard ~ William S. Hart, Clara Williams, Jack Standing, Louise Glaum
This is an excellent, albeit absurd, film. Steely-eyed Hart is well heeled; and, the fiery ending is tremendous. Standing's debauched preacher is unexpectedly entertaining. Williams was a noted actress; but, she doesn't play innocent and alluring; mainly, she looks admiringly at Hart (and her brother). You may wonder what Hart sees in her, when they first meet; although, Hart plays the scene well. It's difficult to understand the Williams/Hart attraction, which worked in other films. Thankfully, Louise Glaum (as Dolly) is around to play guiltily alluring; presumably, Hart has had his fill of such women by the time Williams arrives.
******** Hell's Hinges (3/5/16) Charles Swickard ~ William S. Hart, Clara Williams, Jack Standing, Louise Glaum
Majorly weird old-style Western that probably will turn off many viewers
planktonrules29 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This William S. Hart film is an exciting film to watch--particularly at the end. However, it's almost like two separate films grafted not too seamlessly together. Part of the film is a morality play about God and redemption. In this regard, the film is awfully "heavy-handed" and melodramatic. It probably played pretty well back in 1916, but today it just looks very, very, very preachy. The other part is about Hart taking revenge on an evil little town by burning it down and killing a lot of scumbags in the process--and is very reminiscent of Clint Eastwood's HIGH PLANES DRIFTER. As you can guess, the two goals of the film can't exactly work together. It's a lot like combining TERMINATOR with THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD!!! As a result, the strong religious message will turn off many and the violence and almost demonic reaction of Hart when he takes retribution will most likely turn off Evangelical Christians. A very odd and muddled film indeed. But, I must also say that despite the stupidness of the plot, the final portion of the film when the city is burned to the ground is amazing and breathtaking to watch. The film earns a seven just for this and the film is well worth seeing because of this.
Grim, Somber Western With Several Strengths
Snow Leopard22 August 2005
The grim, somber tone of this Western does not at all keep it from being a watchable and interesting feature. William S. Hart's screen presence is put to very good use, and the tension is built up steadily. The atmosphere is effective, and along with the story, it is interesting in its contrast with the usual expectations of the genre.
Hart is well-cast as the stoical gunslinger who becomes fascinated by the purity of a preacher's sister. The character's transformation might be a little too abrupt, and it might have been an even better movie if 'Blaze' had changed more reluctantly, but Hart himself is quite effective in the role. Jack Standing also does a good job as the weak-willed preacher whose folly leads to so much havoc.
The story is quite moralistic in its way, but it is nevertheless pretty interesting. The conflicts and tensions are of a much different nature than westerns usually feature, and the tone is unrelentingly serious and foreboding. Things are built up carefully into a harrowing finale that is filmed with a lot of detail.
Features like this show why Hart rose to such popularity. His persona seems to have been a good one for the times, and his strengths as an actor show up well in silent cinema.
Hart is well-cast as the stoical gunslinger who becomes fascinated by the purity of a preacher's sister. The character's transformation might be a little too abrupt, and it might have been an even better movie if 'Blaze' had changed more reluctantly, but Hart himself is quite effective in the role. Jack Standing also does a good job as the weak-willed preacher whose folly leads to so much havoc.
The story is quite moralistic in its way, but it is nevertheless pretty interesting. The conflicts and tensions are of a much different nature than westerns usually feature, and the tone is unrelentingly serious and foreboding. Things are built up carefully into a harrowing finale that is filmed with a lot of detail.
Features like this show why Hart rose to such popularity. His persona seems to have been a good one for the times, and his strengths as an actor show up well in silent cinema.
Technically impressive but thin story
georg-604 March 2021
I have to admit that I do not quite understand why "Hell's Hinges" is held in such high regard. It is by no means bad and has certainly a few things going for it: Given that movies were still in their infancy when this was produced, it is made very professionally (it helps that hundred years on, the movie is still in a much better condition than many of its contemporaries). The sets are elaborate, there are a lot of crowd scenes that are choreographed to a high degree of sophistication and William S Hart delivers his usual, highly charismatic performance. The fire scenes towards the end of the movie are particularly worth mentioning. The atmosphere of panic and the blaze of the fire are very palpable.
However, in my opinion, this cannot fully compensate for a thin plot, even for those times. If you know that the story is about a bad hombre who suddenly turned good after his eyes fell on the pious sister of a preacherman, you practically know everything. No character has any depth, there is nothing that makes the sudden conversion of Hart's character credible. In fact, there isn't really any conversion, as we are merely told at the beginning that he is 'a man-killer whose philosophy of life is summed up in the creed "Shoot first and do your disputin' afterwards"' - but on screen, the worst thing he does is having a drink in the saloon. So the potentially most interesting thread of the story goes completely to waste. The fall of Jack Standing's Reverend is just as incomprehensible. (Being a weak character is one thing, completely abandoning every shred of respectability within about 10 minutes of arriving in the town, especially as your life more or less depends on it, is quite another). The love interest (Clara Williams) stands in various corners and looks piously on while events are unfolding - we learn practically nothing about her. And to top it all off, after the lead character has been fully converted from evil gun slinger to good man, he decides to burn down a whole town in revenge. A true Christian ! Even for those times, there are plenty of movies who do a much better job in storytelling than this one (Hart's earlier vehicle "The Bargain", shot two years earlier, for a start). Five stars for the technical achievements and production values, plus two for Hart's charisma and performance, not much else here.
However, in my opinion, this cannot fully compensate for a thin plot, even for those times. If you know that the story is about a bad hombre who suddenly turned good after his eyes fell on the pious sister of a preacherman, you practically know everything. No character has any depth, there is nothing that makes the sudden conversion of Hart's character credible. In fact, there isn't really any conversion, as we are merely told at the beginning that he is 'a man-killer whose philosophy of life is summed up in the creed "Shoot first and do your disputin' afterwards"' - but on screen, the worst thing he does is having a drink in the saloon. So the potentially most interesting thread of the story goes completely to waste. The fall of Jack Standing's Reverend is just as incomprehensible. (Being a weak character is one thing, completely abandoning every shred of respectability within about 10 minutes of arriving in the town, especially as your life more or less depends on it, is quite another). The love interest (Clara Williams) stands in various corners and looks piously on while events are unfolding - we learn practically nothing about her. And to top it all off, after the lead character has been fully converted from evil gun slinger to good man, he decides to burn down a whole town in revenge. A true Christian ! Even for those times, there are plenty of movies who do a much better job in storytelling than this one (Hart's earlier vehicle "The Bargain", shot two years earlier, for a start). Five stars for the technical achievements and production values, plus two for Hart's charisma and performance, not much else here.
An unusual pre-code Western
a-cinema-history15 November 2013
This is an unusual Western which uses the freedom which existed before the Hays Code to cast as a villain a faithless Reverend who gets drunk in the local saloon, spends the night with one of the saloon girls and takes part in the arson of his own church. Opposite him we find the Reverend's saintly sister, adequately called Faith, and the big gun Blaze who was determined to get rid of the parson but falls in love with Faith and because of that start believing in God, protects the justs and destroys the villains. Apart from the parsons who is torn between good and evil, the characters are quite unidimensional and racist stereotypes are present, in this case concerning Mexicans. The sudden transformation of Blaze from bad to good is a bit too sudden to be credible.
The cinematography is quite innovative for the time with the use notably of a very wide shot with extended panning to follow a stage coach traveling in the hills. Editing is dynamic with efficient use of cross-cutting. Most of the action is filmed outdoor with the reconstitution of a Wild West settlement which is entirely burned down at the end. Sepia, blue and red tainting are used to convey the atmosphere of different scenes. Humour is also present e.g. when we are shown how the parsons imagines the West. The moralizing ending where the bad are punished is a bit too conventional.
a-cinema-history.blogspot.com/2013/11/
The cinematography is quite innovative for the time with the use notably of a very wide shot with extended panning to follow a stage coach traveling in the hills. Editing is dynamic with efficient use of cross-cutting. Most of the action is filmed outdoor with the reconstitution of a Wild West settlement which is entirely burned down at the end. Sepia, blue and red tainting are used to convey the atmosphere of different scenes. Humour is also present e.g. when we are shown how the parsons imagines the West. The moralizing ending where the bad are punished is a bit too conventional.
a-cinema-history.blogspot.com/2013/11/
A Gripping Narrative with a Haunting, Powerful Climax
CJBx726 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
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
Hell's Hinges review
JoeytheBrit29 June 2020
Bad hombre William S. Hart turns almost instantly good at the sight of preacher's sister Clara Williams in this ordinary oater that is partly redeemed by its spectacular finale in which the entire town of Hell's Hinges is set ablaze. Hart's redemption is indecently swift due to the film's brief running time, as is the corresponding downfall of rookie preacher Jack Standing, whose fall from grace is complete after just one night on the juice with villainous Silk Miller (Alfred Hollingworth) and his cronies, who count amongst their number a certain young John Gilbert.
Some Say Greatest Silent Western Ever
springfieldrental28 June 2021
Numerous movies, past and present, use the theme first found in cinema in William Hart's March 1916 "Hell's Hinges," about a less-than-noble gunslinger who discovers good and battles the Old West's evil in a small western town. Hart acted as the jaded gunman, considered the most dangerous man in the region, who finds a spiritual awakening and wants to correct the wrongs he has witnessed.
This pattern has proven successful and enlightening in a number of westerns, including the Clint Eastwood 1992 Academy Awards Best Picture, "The Unforgiven." So well-regarded is "Hell's Hinges" that it has been cited as the best silent western by many historians. Some even go as far as to say it's the best western from 1916 until the release of John Ford's 1939 classic, "Stagecoach."
Producer Thomas Ince built an entire town on his studio's Inceville Pacific Palisades grounds for the movie, only to have it entirely burn down in a planned fire filming the exciting conclusion. Scriptwriter Charles Sullivan, who wrote the screenplay for 1915's "The Italian" and 1930's "All Quiet on the Western Front," composed an unique plot with a moral framework never used in cinema before.
In his book about screen play composers, Marc Norman noted that Sullivan, who was the lead writer for the Ince/Triangle Corporation, greatly expanded the industry's normal one-page treatments used to serve as guideposts by directors for ad-libbing and elaboration. Sullivan was the first to submit detailed scripts for his movies. These details included the number and physical appearances of each actor, the type of clothing each wears, the placement of the camera and what is to be seen in the frame, e.g. Wide shot, medium or closeups, and the emotions expressed by each performer in that frame.
Producer Ince, upon reading each screenplay for his studio filmed, stamped on the scripts' front page intended for his directors to read: "Produce exactly as written," an unusual Hollywood directive leaving little room for the director to input his own ideas into the film.
The descriptive script, however, allowed for some stunning photographic scenes in "Hell's Hinges." Cinematographer Joseph August was able to pull off unusual shots, such as placing the camera above the gas lamps illuminating the saloon, showing Hart firing at the supports to create the inferno inside. His silhouetting people in their mad scramble to get away from the town's blazes serves as an example of backlighting to accentuate dramatic events. August's was recognized by the Academy Awards when he was nominated for an Oscar in Best Cinematography for his work in 1939's "Gunga Din."
As for Hart, movie theater owners polled named him the highest money maker after "Hell's Hinges" was released. The film also marks one of the first films for John Gilbert, who became a prominent prototype for romantic actors during the silent era,. He appeared as one of the bad citizens in Hell's Hinges, the name of the town in Ince's western.
This pattern has proven successful and enlightening in a number of westerns, including the Clint Eastwood 1992 Academy Awards Best Picture, "The Unforgiven." So well-regarded is "Hell's Hinges" that it has been cited as the best silent western by many historians. Some even go as far as to say it's the best western from 1916 until the release of John Ford's 1939 classic, "Stagecoach."
Producer Thomas Ince built an entire town on his studio's Inceville Pacific Palisades grounds for the movie, only to have it entirely burn down in a planned fire filming the exciting conclusion. Scriptwriter Charles Sullivan, who wrote the screenplay for 1915's "The Italian" and 1930's "All Quiet on the Western Front," composed an unique plot with a moral framework never used in cinema before.
In his book about screen play composers, Marc Norman noted that Sullivan, who was the lead writer for the Ince/Triangle Corporation, greatly expanded the industry's normal one-page treatments used to serve as guideposts by directors for ad-libbing and elaboration. Sullivan was the first to submit detailed scripts for his movies. These details included the number and physical appearances of each actor, the type of clothing each wears, the placement of the camera and what is to be seen in the frame, e.g. Wide shot, medium or closeups, and the emotions expressed by each performer in that frame.
Producer Ince, upon reading each screenplay for his studio filmed, stamped on the scripts' front page intended for his directors to read: "Produce exactly as written," an unusual Hollywood directive leaving little room for the director to input his own ideas into the film.
The descriptive script, however, allowed for some stunning photographic scenes in "Hell's Hinges." Cinematographer Joseph August was able to pull off unusual shots, such as placing the camera above the gas lamps illuminating the saloon, showing Hart firing at the supports to create the inferno inside. His silhouetting people in their mad scramble to get away from the town's blazes serves as an example of backlighting to accentuate dramatic events. August's was recognized by the Academy Awards when he was nominated for an Oscar in Best Cinematography for his work in 1939's "Gunga Din."
As for Hart, movie theater owners polled named him the highest money maker after "Hell's Hinges" was released. The film also marks one of the first films for John Gilbert, who became a prominent prototype for romantic actors during the silent era,. He appeared as one of the bad citizens in Hell's Hinges, the name of the town in Ince's western.
Western Realism
kidboots22 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The town bad girl ready to seduce the weakling for a price, the pious parson in reality easily led and the tough Blaze Tracey, redeemed by the faith and purity of the minister's sister - it's all there in "Hell's Hinges" one of William S. Hart's biggest hits. He originated "the good bad man" character and he came to films from the stage, determined to put poetry and vision back into the Western genre he loved so much. His titles were flowery and too sentimental ("a gun fighting, man killing, devil's den of iniquity that scorched the earth") but there was deep sincerity and power behind the sentiment. Hart grew up loving the West but was appalled at the low standard of movie westerns at that time. Apparently he once complained to a cinema owner who replied that that particular film was one of the best he had screened.
More full driven drama than straight forward Western, it tells of the arrival in town of a weak willed young minister, Rev. Robert Henley - a man who has no belief in his calling, only becoming one to keep his mother happy and his sister, Faith (Clara Williams) who hopes that the new town will make a man of him. In reality, the town, "Hell's Hinges" is one of the worst towns in the West and oily "Silk" Miller has already secured the services of Blaze Tracy (Hart), a tough gun man, to run the minister out of town before religion can take over.
Blaze is instantly won over by Faith who has a "different type of smile". (I know it's hard to believe - Williams being probably the homeliest actress ever)!! He warns the bad element of the town to keep away from the siblings but listening to the parson's sermon he remains unmoved and realises that all the power and conviction lies in Faith. Henley is being corrupted by "Silk" who convinces him to give a talk to the dancing girls but once in the saloon he is introduced to hard liquour and is then seduced by captivating Dolly (Louise Glaum). The next morning he is too drunk to give a sermon and, what is worse, he drunkenly incites the town's folk to burn down the newly erected church.
The action was reserved for the last 20 minutes and was powerful and realistic. Panoramic long shots and terrific control over the masses of extras used in scenes of mob violence and pandemonium, there was plenty of blazing guns as well.
Just a tremendous movie.
More full driven drama than straight forward Western, it tells of the arrival in town of a weak willed young minister, Rev. Robert Henley - a man who has no belief in his calling, only becoming one to keep his mother happy and his sister, Faith (Clara Williams) who hopes that the new town will make a man of him. In reality, the town, "Hell's Hinges" is one of the worst towns in the West and oily "Silk" Miller has already secured the services of Blaze Tracy (Hart), a tough gun man, to run the minister out of town before religion can take over.
Blaze is instantly won over by Faith who has a "different type of smile". (I know it's hard to believe - Williams being probably the homeliest actress ever)!! He warns the bad element of the town to keep away from the siblings but listening to the parson's sermon he remains unmoved and realises that all the power and conviction lies in Faith. Henley is being corrupted by "Silk" who convinces him to give a talk to the dancing girls but once in the saloon he is introduced to hard liquour and is then seduced by captivating Dolly (Louise Glaum). The next morning he is too drunk to give a sermon and, what is worse, he drunkenly incites the town's folk to burn down the newly erected church.
The action was reserved for the last 20 minutes and was powerful and realistic. Panoramic long shots and terrific control over the masses of extras used in scenes of mob violence and pandemonium, there was plenty of blazing guns as well.
Just a tremendous movie.
Plane Center-Hell's Hinges.
hitchcockthelegend25 August 2011
Hell's Hinges is an early silent William S. Hart Western that sees Hart co-direct himself with Charles Swickard. He stars as Blaze Tracy, a gun-slinger who falls for a pastor's sister (Clara Williams) when she and her inadequate brother arrive in Hell's Hinges to preach the gospel. Once he catches her eye, this town will never be the same again.
"Shoot first and do your disputin afterwards"
Although a touch too heavy on the religious moral retribution angle, where the good-badman has his epiphany and the town of Hell's Hinges becomes a battle of the church against, well, this devil's den of iniquity, Hell's Hinges flies by. Acted superbly by Hart, a one time stage performer who was a hugely popular silent star of the time, film is full of action, often violent and closes down with a memorable bang. Jack Standing is suitably shifty as the hopeless parson (by parental pressure) easily led astray, and Williams provides some much needed emotional thrust when the film veers to being over preachy. 7/10
"Shoot first and do your disputin afterwards"
Although a touch too heavy on the religious moral retribution angle, where the good-badman has his epiphany and the town of Hell's Hinges becomes a battle of the church against, well, this devil's den of iniquity, Hell's Hinges flies by. Acted superbly by Hart, a one time stage performer who was a hugely popular silent star of the time, film is full of action, often violent and closes down with a memorable bang. Jack Standing is suitably shifty as the hopeless parson (by parental pressure) easily led astray, and Williams provides some much needed emotional thrust when the film veers to being over preachy. 7/10
Classic Western
Michael_Elliott3 March 2010
Hell's Hinges (1916)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Historic Western has William S. Hart playing "Blaze" Tracy, a notorious gunfighter who is evil pure through until he meets a young woman (Clara Williams) arriving in town with her Reverend brother (Jack Standing). Blaze is immediately attracted to the woman and soon he begins to have thoughts about changing his ways but the bad folks in town are trying to turn the Reverend into one of them. This is a pretty strong little movie even if it barely runs an hour and spends way too much of that time on top of a soap box. I was really impressed with what this film had to offer and I think it's fair to say that it deserves every bit of its reputation and status of being one of the first classics from the genre. The film is about good versus evil and religious versus non-religious and there's no question what side the film is on. I think the film spends too much time preaching to us but this is a small problem and one that isn't overly distracting. With that said, the film contains some very memorable shots including the first look at the town known as Hell's Hinges. I love the high shot overlooking the town where we get a good look at all the evils going on within this short take. The scene will take your breathe away as it's such a terrific shot and it lets you know everything you need to know about this place. We also get another terrific shot towards the end of the movie when the church is attacked and we get to see it's aftermath. Hart is terrific in his role and he does very good job at showing off the evils of his character but the actor also makes us believe his changing. I think the change happens too fast but there's no question Hart owns this role and really makes it a memorable character. Williams and Standing are also very good as is Alfred Hollingsworth in his role. Jean Hersholt is somewhere in the film but unspotted by myself as is John Gilbert in his first screen appearance. Apparently Hart directed the majority of the film even though he doesn't get credit for it and I must say that the entire film is quite an impressive achievement even if it doesn't run as long as some of the films were starting to do at the time. The movie contains some memorable characters, some terrific shots and a rather rousing ending and all of this makes it a must see.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Historic Western has William S. Hart playing "Blaze" Tracy, a notorious gunfighter who is evil pure through until he meets a young woman (Clara Williams) arriving in town with her Reverend brother (Jack Standing). Blaze is immediately attracted to the woman and soon he begins to have thoughts about changing his ways but the bad folks in town are trying to turn the Reverend into one of them. This is a pretty strong little movie even if it barely runs an hour and spends way too much of that time on top of a soap box. I was really impressed with what this film had to offer and I think it's fair to say that it deserves every bit of its reputation and status of being one of the first classics from the genre. The film is about good versus evil and religious versus non-religious and there's no question what side the film is on. I think the film spends too much time preaching to us but this is a small problem and one that isn't overly distracting. With that said, the film contains some very memorable shots including the first look at the town known as Hell's Hinges. I love the high shot overlooking the town where we get a good look at all the evils going on within this short take. The scene will take your breathe away as it's such a terrific shot and it lets you know everything you need to know about this place. We also get another terrific shot towards the end of the movie when the church is attacked and we get to see it's aftermath. Hart is terrific in his role and he does very good job at showing off the evils of his character but the actor also makes us believe his changing. I think the change happens too fast but there's no question Hart owns this role and really makes it a memorable character. Williams and Standing are also very good as is Alfred Hollingsworth in his role. Jean Hersholt is somewhere in the film but unspotted by myself as is John Gilbert in his first screen appearance. Apparently Hart directed the majority of the film even though he doesn't get credit for it and I must say that the entire film is quite an impressive achievement even if it doesn't run as long as some of the films were starting to do at the time. The movie contains some memorable characters, some terrific shots and a rather rousing ending and all of this makes it a must see.
A Biblical Cleansing of a Western Town
briantaves15 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Civilization's influence, particularly as manifested in Christianity, was especially evident on the frontier and was a pervasive theme in many of the William S. Hart westerns. The impact of faith was also a recurrent theme in Thomas Ince's productions, as I outline in my biography, and together these elements created a masterpiece.
In Hell's Hinges, the theme was vividly demonstrated in C. Gardner Sullivan's script, which is less a western than a religious parable. The saloon owner and a gunslinger (Hart) resolve to undercut any effort to bring the gospel to the town of Hell's Hinges.
However, meeting the minister's sister causes a transformation in the gunslinger, and he refuses to allow the first service to be broken up by the lawless men from the saloon. Weakened by liquor, the minister is seduced by one of the dance hall girls, but the congregation remains loyal to their faith. He is killed when the saloon owner torches the church, but in revenge the gunslinger burns the saloon.
The whole corrupt city goes up in flames, a cleansing akin to the Biblical flood from which only Noah's ark survived, as the gunslinger and the minister's sister ride off to a new life together. As in Ince's The Wrath of the Gods two years earlier, the clash of faith—and lack therof—can only be resolved by a destructive but cleansing conflagration. However, Hell's Hinges went even farther; as the critic for Photoplay Magazine declared, "In making the hot settlement's only clergyman a negative villain, author and producer did a bold thing; but in making the town's combined destroyer-saviour an out-and-out bad man, they were bolder still." The vivid film, directed by Hart and Charles Swickard in five reels, cost $32,676.43 and was shot from early September to late October 1915.
In Hell's Hinges, the theme was vividly demonstrated in C. Gardner Sullivan's script, which is less a western than a religious parable. The saloon owner and a gunslinger (Hart) resolve to undercut any effort to bring the gospel to the town of Hell's Hinges.
However, meeting the minister's sister causes a transformation in the gunslinger, and he refuses to allow the first service to be broken up by the lawless men from the saloon. Weakened by liquor, the minister is seduced by one of the dance hall girls, but the congregation remains loyal to their faith. He is killed when the saloon owner torches the church, but in revenge the gunslinger burns the saloon.
The whole corrupt city goes up in flames, a cleansing akin to the Biblical flood from which only Noah's ark survived, as the gunslinger and the minister's sister ride off to a new life together. As in Ince's The Wrath of the Gods two years earlier, the clash of faith—and lack therof—can only be resolved by a destructive but cleansing conflagration. However, Hell's Hinges went even farther; as the critic for Photoplay Magazine declared, "In making the hot settlement's only clergyman a negative villain, author and producer did a bold thing; but in making the town's combined destroyer-saviour an out-and-out bad man, they were bolder still." The vivid film, directed by Hart and Charles Swickard in five reels, cost $32,676.43 and was shot from early September to late October 1915.
Different in a number of ways
JLarson200624 November 2001
There is a strong Christian content to the movie that most future westerns would not bring up (at least not like this). The main character, Blaze Tracy, goes from being the toughest, meanest guy in town to a defender of the Christian faith, although in a very individual way, i.e. no church affiliation. The plot centers greatly around faith and lack of faith. The events can be spiritually interpreted in a number of cases. This movie is no simple western.
Catalyst for other Westerns
cbass-215 June 1999
Though a silent picture, this movie had a huge influence on Westerns after it. It reveals several characters which exist in almost any good Western: the hooker with the heart of gold, the tough cowboy, the religious, weak dude, the petticoat brigade, and the redemptive woman. Though not a great Western, it was exceptional for its time and extremely revolutionary. It's definitely a must-see for anyone studying the Western.
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