utgard14 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.

wes-connors 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

JLarson2006 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.

cbass-2 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.