The Desert Man (1917)

The Desert Man (1917) poster

William S. Hart directs and stars in a film that is a typical Western of the era. He plays Jim, a prospector who lands in the town of Broken Hope, and the name pretty much describes its inhabitants. Jim meets and falls in love with Jennie (Margery Wilson), whose father (Walt Whitman) is gravely ill. Jim rounds up a reluctant doctor from another town to tend to the old man, but he dies anyway. The doctor, however, gains Jennie's trust and she runs off with him. Only then does he tell her he's already married. She leaves immediately, but is too proud to go home so she finds work as a dance hall girl at Tacoma Jake's saloon. Jim, meanwhile, finds gold near Broken Hope, which raises its inhabitants' attitudes considerably. But the bad element is still there, and Jim is chasing after a group of kidnappers when he enters Tacoma Jake's saloon and sees Jennie. Jim not only overcomes the bad guys, he gets the girl, too.

Director: William S. Hart
Genre: Western
Runtime: 50 min
Release Date:

Cast

Screenplay

Cinematography: Joseph H. August
Production: New York Motion Picture, Kay-Bee Pictures
Country: United States of America
Original Language: en

Keywords

silent film, partially lost film

More Films by Director: William S. Hart
More Films in Genre: Western

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Desert Man about?
William S. Hart directs and stars in a film that is a typical Western of the era. He plays Jim, a prospector who lands in the town of Broken Hope, and the name pretty much describes its inhabitants. Jim meets and falls in love with Jennie (Margery Wilson), whose father (Walt Whitman) is gravely ill. Jim rounds up a reluctant doctor from another town to tend to the old man, but he dies anyway. The doctor, however, gains Jennie's trust and she runs off with him. Only then does he tell her he's already married. She leaves immediately, but is too proud to go home so she finds work as a dance hall girl at Tacoma Jake's saloon. Jim, meanwhile, finds gold near Broken Hope, which raises its inhabitants' attitudes considerably. But the bad element is still there, and Jim is chasing after a group of kidnappers when he enters Tacoma Jake's saloon and sees Jennie. Jim not only overcomes the bad guys, he gets the girl, too.
Who directed The Desert Man?
The Desert Man was directed by William S. Hart.
Who stars in The Desert Man?
The Desert Man stars William S. Hart, Margery Wilson, Buster Irving, Henry Belmar, Milton Ross, Jack Livingston.
How long is The Desert Man?
The Desert Man has a runtime of 50m (50 minutes).
What genre is The Desert Man?
The Desert Man is a Western film.
Where was The Desert Man produced?
The Desert Man was produced in United States of America.