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.
