The Toll Gate

Although not his best (see "Hell's Hinges", "The Narrow Trail" or "Wagon Tracks"), this is a fine example of a William S. Hart Western. He plays his patented role of the good bad-man, whose regeneration is progressed by the love of a pure woman. Here, it seems more of a personal battle of conscience, and there's the revenge plot.

The plot of "The Toll Gate" is not as tight as in other Hart vehicles, and, this one is excessively melodramatic. There's also some mild racism; moral goodness is equated to being white (as in Caucasian). On the other hand, there's nighttime photography and some nice use of tinting. The wear of age aggrandizes the odd, striking look of some of these scenes, such as with the glowing, red tinted silhouettes, or the blue sky from color deterioration in the final reel. The print, however, is in bad shape during the dénouement.

Hart's face was very expressive, and nowhere is that more visible than here. The refinements in film-making by 1920 help that and reflect the superior gloss and look of films at this time. Still, Hart's Westerns seemed outdated by then--not as entertaining and well constructed as just a few years ago.