The Aryan

The Aryan (1915) is a silent western film starring William S. Hart, which Hart himself believed to be "one of the best Westerns ever made". The film was made at the height of Hart's career, but was unusual because Hart played a ruthless individual described as "hard as flint". As the title suggests, the movie draws on racial ideologies of the era. Hart stated that the central character, Steve Denton, was "a white man, who, foreswearing his race, ... more

The Aryan (1915) is a silent western film starring William S. Hart, which Hart himself believed to be "one of the best Westerns ever made". The film was made at the height of Hart's career, but was unusual because Hart played a ruthless individual described as "hard as flint". As the title suggests, the movie draws on racial ideologies of the era. Hart stated that the central character, Steve Denton, was "a white man, who, foreswearing his race, makes outlaw Mexicans his comrades and allows white women to be attacked by them." Hart was given a scenario by the writer C. Gardner Sullivan, in which the hero had, according to Hart, "no motive for his hardness". He argued that the audience needed an explanation. Sullivan preferred the idea that his ruthless personality was simply a given, but eventually accepted Hart's wishes. Hart wanted Mae Marsh for the lead female role, but she was working on a D. W. Griffith film at the time. Griffith recommended a new actress, Bessie Love. Hart was... less