Wolves of the Rail
{{short description|1918 film}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{infobox film
| name = Wolves of the Rails
| image = Wolves of the Rail (1918) - 1.jpg
| caption = Advertisement
| director = William S. Hart
| producer = William S. Hart
Thomas H. Ince
| writer = Denison Clift (scenario)
| starring = William S. Hart
| cinematography = Joseph H. August
| studio = William S. Hart Productions
| distributor = Artcraft Pictures Corporation
| released = {{Film date|1918|1|14}}
| runtime = 50 minutes; 5 reels
| country = United States
| language = Silent
English intertitles
}}
Wolves of the Rail is a 1918 American silent Western film produced, directed by, and starring William S. Hart. Thomas H. Ince assisted Hart in supervising the production.[http://www.afi.com/memberes/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=15256 AFI Catalog of Feature Films; Wolves of the Rail]
Plot
As described in a film magazine,{{cite journal |title=Reviews: Wolves of the Rail |journal=Exhibitors Herald |volume=6 |issue=6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/exhibitorsherald06exhi/page/n32 25] |publisher=Exhibitors Herald Company |location=New York City |date=February 2, 1918 |url=https://archive.org/details/exhibitorsherald06exhi}} "Buck" Andrade (Hart), an outlaw, promises his dying mother (Midgley) that he will reform himself. Taking a letter of introduction from a wounded man, he becomes a detective for the railroad, which he had previously held up several times. He is successful in capturing several bandits and also wins the love of Faith Lawson (Vale), who is a towerman (a type of railroad signalman). When the real detective recovers from his wounds and returns to duty, he discloses the true identity of Buck. Buck attempts to escape, but an attack on the railroad by his old gang forces him to remain. After he captures all of them, president of the railroad Murray Lemantier (MacDowell) assists by allowing Buck to escape.
Cast
- William S. Hart as "Buck" Andrade
- C. Norman Hammond as David Cassidy
- William Elmer as Pablo Trilles (credited as Billy Elmer)
- Melbourne MacDowell as Murray Lemantier
- Vola Vale as Faith Lawson
- Kisaburo Kurihara as Pasquale Trilles
- Fanny Midgley as Buck's Mother (uncredited)
Reception
Like many American films of the time, Wolves of the Rail was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors required a cut, in Reel 1, of beams on rail tracks, first three scenes of handling loot, Buck shooting Mexican bandits, two scenes of shooting Buck from horse, flagging train, holding up engineer, three scenes of holdup of train, Buck blowing tobacco smoke into detective's face, Buck shooting detective, Reel 4, two intertitles "Renegade deserter from the garrison" etc. and "That train will never get here—we'll wreck it", holdup of engineer in cab, fourteen scenes of Mexican bandits shooting at train, two scenes of bandits falling after Buck shoots, Reel 5, holdup of engine, six scenes of bandits shooting at train, intertitle "I'm going to kill you with my hands", and Buck choking bandits.{{cite journal |title=Official Cut-Outs by the Chicago Board of Censors |journal=Exhibitors Herald |volume=6 |issue=7 |page=29 |date=February 9, 1918 |url=https://archive.org/stream/exhibitorsherald06exhi#page/n300/mode/1up}}
Survival status
A print of Wolves of the Rail is held by the Library of Congress and the Gosfilmofond archive.[http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/W/WolvesOfTheRail1918.html Progressive Silent Film List: Wolves of the Rail] at silentera.com[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.mbrs.sfdb.1560/default.html The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Wolves of the Rail]
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Wolves of the Rail}}
- {{IMDb title|0009826}}
- [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/sayre&CISOPTR=13304&CISOBOX=1&REC=4 Still of a scene in the film] (University of Washington, Sayre collection)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolves of the Rails}}
Category:1918 Western (genre) films
Category:Films directed by William S. Hart
Category:Paramount Pictures films
Category:American black-and-white films
Category:Silent American Western (genre) films