The bandit Jim Stokes, wanting to go straight and settle down with his new bride, strikes a bargain with the sheriff for his freedom.The bandit Jim Stokes, wanting to go straight and settle down with his new bride, strikes a bargain with the sheriff for his freedom.The bandit Jim Stokes, wanting to go straight and settle down with his new bride, strikes a bargain with the sheriff for his freedom.
- Awards
- 1 win
Joseph J. Dowling
- Rev. Joshua Wilkes
- (as James Dowling)
Charles K. French
- Bartender
- (uncredited)
Fritz the Horse
- Fritz the Horse
- (uncredited)
Roy Laidlaw
- Miner
- (uncredited)
Herschel Mayall
- Gambler
- (uncredited)
Charles Swickard
- Miner
- (uncredited)
Leo Willis
- Sheriff's Deputy
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFeature debut of William S. Hart.
- Crazy creditsThe main actors are introduced in evening clothes, bowing to the audience, then in-camera dissolves show them in full makeup
Featured review
The First True Gritty Western
William S. Hart was passionate about the Old West. As a teenager, Hart traveled with his family to various western outposts where he became familiar with cattle ranchers, cowboys, outlaws and saloon keepers. He eventually became friends with Wyatt Earp and Bill Masterson, and possessed Billy The Kid's six-shooter. Gravitating towards the stage, Hart rose to play several lead roles, including Messala in the orginal theater production of Ben-Hur. A visit to a local nickelodeon showing westerns would change the direction of the young actor, who was stunned at the portrayal of the West he was seeing on the screen he was not familiar with. He immediately wanted to change that perception and show the public how the real West was.
Hart knew Bison Motion Pictures' Thomas Ince through his earlier stage career, and convinced the West Coast studio manager to produce a new form of Western films, one that reflected a gritty, realistic setting serving as a backdrop to moralistic themes playing out. Ince co-wrote Hart's first feature film, "The Bargain," released in December 1914. Ince followed through on Hart's insistence the motion picture be true in all forms of Western customs, from the authentic apparel and props worn by the entire cast while taking advantage of the West's breathtaking typography. (The opening scenes were filmed in the Grand Canyon.)
Ince's script called for a stagecoach robber to meet and fall in love with a rancher's daughter. The romance causes Hart to rethink about his bad behavior, and he returns the stolen money to the pursuing sheriff. His situation doesn't become any easier, as he undergoes a series of twists and turns before a final resolution takes place. Hart, playing Jim Stokes, became cinema's first Western anti-hero who changes his way. He set the stage for future classics such as "Shane" and Clint Eastwood's Spaghetti Westerns. Hart would continue his moral reformations in film throughout the remainder of his movie career.
Audiences ate up his Westerns in droves throughout the late 1910's and into the early 1920's. But a new breed of cowboys was emerging as the 20's progressed. These new cowboys with flashy outfits and spending less time with character changes began to gain in popularity, replacing the dusty dirt accumlated by Hart and his associates. The actor eventually retired to, naturally, a ranch in Newhall, California, to ride into the sunset. He donated his ranch to the public where the William S. Hart Museum and Park is located today.
Hart knew Bison Motion Pictures' Thomas Ince through his earlier stage career, and convinced the West Coast studio manager to produce a new form of Western films, one that reflected a gritty, realistic setting serving as a backdrop to moralistic themes playing out. Ince co-wrote Hart's first feature film, "The Bargain," released in December 1914. Ince followed through on Hart's insistence the motion picture be true in all forms of Western customs, from the authentic apparel and props worn by the entire cast while taking advantage of the West's breathtaking typography. (The opening scenes were filmed in the Grand Canyon.)
Ince's script called for a stagecoach robber to meet and fall in love with a rancher's daughter. The romance causes Hart to rethink about his bad behavior, and he returns the stolen money to the pursuing sheriff. His situation doesn't become any easier, as he undergoes a series of twists and turns before a final resolution takes place. Hart, playing Jim Stokes, became cinema's first Western anti-hero who changes his way. He set the stage for future classics such as "Shane" and Clint Eastwood's Spaghetti Westerns. Hart would continue his moral reformations in film throughout the remainder of his movie career.
Audiences ate up his Westerns in droves throughout the late 1910's and into the early 1920's. But a new breed of cowboys was emerging as the 20's progressed. These new cowboys with flashy outfits and spending less time with character changes began to gain in popularity, replacing the dusty dirt accumlated by Hart and his associates. The actor eventually retired to, naturally, a ranch in Newhall, California, to ride into the sunset. He donated his ranch to the public where the William S. Hart Museum and Park is located today.
helpful•00
- springfieldrental
- Jun 2, 2021
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Two-Gun Man in the Bargain
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 10 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content