The Trail of Hate (1917)

Interesting facts

The Trail of Hate is a 1917 American silent drama film that portrayed the military exploits and personal rivalries of two United States Army officers stationed in the American West and later in the Philippines. The production starred John Ford, who at that time was credited as "Jack Ford". Currently classified as a lost film, this two-reel short is identified by some biographers of John Ford and in many filmographies, both in print and online, to be his second release as a director. He is also credited in various sources for writing the film's screenplay or "scenario".

Production and release

This production is recognized by some John Ford biographers and film references as the second of the first three films he directed during his long career. All three of those early directorial projects were Western shorts and were separately released over a period of three months in 1917: The Tornado on March 3, The Trail of Hate on April 28, and The Scrapper on June 9.

In its May 19, 1917 issue—three weeks after the release of The Trail of Hate—the trade journal The Moving Picture Weekly informs its readers about "Jack Ford's Company" and features the adjacent photograph of Ford on set with cast members.

Although The Moving Picture Weekly in the preceding news item does not use the term "director" specifically, the publication's references to "Jack Ford's Company” and to "his players" certainly indicate that the trade journal identified Jack in command of production. A coming-attractions notice in an earlier issue of the same journal promotes the film and does highlight the credit "Directed by Jack Ford" in bold print.

In addition to the attribution to Francis in Motion Picture News and Bogdanovich's credits to him, other biographers of John Ford, such as Ronald L. Davis, Lindsay Anderson, and Andrew Sarris, exclude this short from his filmographies in their works.

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