A tidy western from the early days of silent films, "Wagon Tracks" stars William S. Hart as a buckskin-clad scout for a wagon train crossing the plains to Santa Fe. As Buckskin Hamilton, Hart pursues the truth behind the shooting death of his younger brother on a Mississippi river boat. Conveniently, the suspects and witnesses to the killing are traveling with Hamilton on the same wagon train. The plot is simplistic, the inter-titles border on florid, and the villain wears black and sports a dark mustache.

Made before the heights of silent film-making in the mid-1920's, "Wagon Tracks" is close to what many consider a typical silent film. The interior backdrops appear fake and flimsy, the acting is at times over-wrought, men are men, and women are, well, the weaker sex. Despite the age-related flaws, the nearly century-old film is worthwhile for many reasons. Among them, fine location photography, appropriate tinting to reflect time of day, and a formidable silent western star, William S. Hart. While not matinée-idol handsome, Hart was the epitome of the strong silent type, who preferred his horse over women, and, as Hamilton, his performance is not above showing emotion or nuance. Robert McKim is an appropriately dastardly villain, Lloyd Bacon is a weakling accomplice, and Jane Novak the easily manipulated female lead.

While "Wagon Tracks" is not a film to introduce silent movies to a new audience, this short western with a legendary star is a good follow-up for those who have sampled silent cinema and want to explore more films of the pre-sound era.

William S. Hart had a habit of proposing to his leading ladies and Jane Novak was no exception. Part of her attraction may have been that she was more interested in appearing in wholesome family films than the more sensational roles on offer. That seemed to fit in with Hart's Victorian views on women but although she appeared with him in five films and was at one time engaged to him, a marriage never took place.

Jane Washburn (Novak) is convinced she murdered Billy Hamilton in a struggle with a gun. Her brother Donald (good old Robert McKimm) puts the story about that she was fighting for her honour and in her dazed state she believes him, but the reality is the men were fighting in a crooked game of cards. Billy found them out and the fight broke out. Buckskin Hamilton (Hart), Billy's brother, who is down at the docks to meet him on the paddle boat sees through the old "death before dishonour" gambit. The titles are beautiful - "velvet nights and purple - ", "the race against the sun with the toiling blistered wagons" - Hart's titles are often complicated and florid but here they are stripped away and only the beauty remains.

They have joined a wagon train and Buck's natural leadership qualities have him voted the wagon master. Observing Buck on the journey, cheerfully giving his water ration to his horse and dogs, Jane begins to realise what a "real man" is like and courageously tells the truth about his brother. The critics of the day thought the mood was a lot darker than the usual Hart and indicated that "manly" Americans would look down on the overdone dramatics. I think this is one of Hart's best combining the emotional acting - when he realises his brother has been killed and by a young, innocent girl, with a gripping tale of revenge.

"I'm leavin' tonight with two men - mebbe we'll come back, mebbe we won't"!! He takes the two men out into the desert determined to make them half crazed with thirst and heat so they will confess their crime. Meanwhile back at the wagon train there has been a fatal shooting of an Indian who was admiring a scarf. They demand a life for a life and Buck, now returned, gives the guilty man the choice between death at his own hands or fronting up to the Indian party.

One of Hart's best.

I saw this for the first time recently. The film is about a caring desert guide Hamilton (William S. Hart) who has been hired to lead passengers across a dangerous desert. Hamilton is awaiting a train which has the passengers n also his younger brother who is a doctor. Unknown to Hamilton, a crooked gambler has killed his younger brother on the train n made it look like an accident. The gambler has convinced his sister that the accident happened due to her. Hamilton guides the passengers including the murderer across the desert hoping to solve the murder of his brother. The film has some top notch cinematography n acting, ther r no shootouts but a picture of a gun keeps popping up on the screen whenever ther is a talk about the murder. Also the torture by the Red Indians is implied while they keep dancing around the fire the whole night.