The Aryan

The Aryan (1916)

A Profound Play of the Desert

Steve Denton, rich from years of prospecting, is fleeced by the citizens of Yellow Ridge. In his rage, he kidnaps the woman most responsible and makes her his slave in a desert hideaway.

Date of release
1916-04-09
TMDB
5.5 / 10 (2)
Runtime
50m
Genres
Western
Director
William S. Hart

Casting

Interesting facts

The Aryan is a 1916 American silent Western film starring William S. Hart, Gertrude Claire, Charles K. French, Louise Glaum, and Bessie Love.

Production

Hart initially rejected the screenplay by C. Gardner Sullivan for lacking a clear motive behind the protagonist's harsh demeanor. He pushed for an explanation that would make the character's cruelty believable. Sullivan eventually agreed.

Although silent, the script included long speeches, which were filmed and edited down.

Hart wanted Mae Marsh for the role of Mary Jane, but she was unavailable. D. W. Griffith suggested newcomer Bessie Love.

The film was produced during the height of Hart's career, but was notable for casting him as a severe and unsympathetic figure. The title reflects the racial ideologies common in early 20th-century American cinema. Hart later described the character of Steve Denton as "a white man who, foreswearing his race, makes outlaw Mexicans his comrades and allows white women to be attacked by them."

Filming took place at Inceville and in Sulphur Canyon.

Read on Wikipedia · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Data from Wikidata.

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