| ~Wild Bill Hickok~ 1923 |
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| ~497-96: Kathleen O'Connor, William S. Hart & Ethel Grey Terry~ |
| ~Plot Synopsis~ |
In his third-to-last Western, austere silent-screen hero William S. Hart tackles the legend of
gambler/lawman Wild Bill Hickock. Unfortunately, Hart's approach was, to quote the trade-paper Wid's,
"rather dull and tedious." Hart belonged thoroughly to the 1910s, and his stark ways were considered old
hat and no match for the circus atmosphere created by younger cowboy stars. Hart is otherwise well-cast
as the former gambler turned upholder of law and order after a run-in with a gang of stage robbers.
Having given up his guns for good, he finds Dodge City so rough that he quickly retrieves them. Only an
approaching blindness can threaten Hickock's tough adherence to law and order, but when arch-enemy
Jack McQueen (James Farley) accuses him of losing his nerve, Hickock is ready with his usual
no-nonsense response. There's a woman (Kathleen O'Connor), of course, but only briefly since she is
devoted to another (Carl Gerard). And there's the inevitable gallery of colorful supporting characters,
from Bat Masterson (Jack Gardner) and Calamity Jane (Ethel Grey Terry) to none other than Abraham
Lincoln himself. Despite all this, the film was an expensive failure and hastened Hart's departure from
Famous Players Lasky. Supporting actors Carl Gerard and Ethel Grey Terry were married in real life.
Plot Synopsis is from allmovie.com
gambler/lawman Wild Bill Hickock. Unfortunately, Hart's approach was, to quote the trade-paper Wid's,
"rather dull and tedious." Hart belonged thoroughly to the 1910s, and his stark ways were considered old
hat and no match for the circus atmosphere created by younger cowboy stars. Hart is otherwise well-cast
as the former gambler turned upholder of law and order after a run-in with a gang of stage robbers.
Having given up his guns for good, he finds Dodge City so rough that he quickly retrieves them. Only an
approaching blindness can threaten Hickock's tough adherence to law and order, but when arch-enemy
Jack McQueen (James Farley) accuses him of losing his nerve, Hickock is ready with his usual
no-nonsense response. There's a woman (Kathleen O'Connor), of course, but only briefly since she is
devoted to another (Carl Gerard). And there's the inevitable gallery of colorful supporting characters,
from Bat Masterson (Jack Gardner) and Calamity Jane (Ethel Grey Terry) to none other than Abraham
Lincoln himself. Despite all this, the film was an expensive failure and hastened Hart's departure from
Famous Players Lasky. Supporting actors Carl Gerard and Ethel Grey Terry were married in real life.
Plot Synopsis is from allmovie.com
| Directed by: Clifford Smith Written by: William S. Hart - writer J.G. Hawks - writer |
William S. Hart ... Wild Bill Hickok Ethel Grey Terry ... Calamity Jane Kathleen O'Connor ... Elaine Hamilton Jim Farley ... Jack McQueen Jack Gardner ... Bat Masterson Carl Gerard ... Clayton Hamilton William Dyer ... Colonel Horatio Higginbotham Bert Sprotte ... Bob Wright Leo Willis ... Joe McCord Naida Carle ... Fanny Kate Herschel Mayall ... Gambler |
| ~Remaining Credits~ Production Company: Famous Players-Lasky Corporation Distribution Company: Paramount Pictures Produced by: William S. Hart Cinematography by: Arthur Reeves & Dwight Warren Presenter: Adolph Zukor Length: 7 Reels Runtime: 70 Minutes Released: November 18, 1923 |
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