1918: when the Wild West met World War and cowboys became secret agents.
Cowhand Steve Ransom discovers that German spies are operating along Mexican border, relaying their radio messages into Mexico and thus on to Germany. The spies learn that Steve is a fugitive from American justice.
Acting
Hart's thousand-yard stare conveys more than any intertitle could manage.
Direction
Hart stages border chases that predate Indiana Jones by sixty years.
Director
William S. Hart
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released months before WWI's end, this was part of a wave of films demonizing German-Americans that contributed to real-world harassment and violence.
Hart was already 53 and nearing career's end; this was one of his last major starring roles before talkies erased the silent cowboy archetype he helped create.
US
