The Half-Breed
In an attempt to brand himself as a serious actor, the smiling swashbuckler Douglas Fairbanks starred in THE HALF-BREED (1916), a Western melodrama written by Anita Loos and directed with flair by Allan Dwan. Fairbanks stars as Lo Dorman, who has been ostracized from society because of this mixed ethnicity - his Native American mother was abandoned by his white father. When Lo catches the eye of the rich white debutante Nellie (Jewel Carmen), he becomes a target for the racist Sheriff Dunn (Sam De Grasse), who wants to break them up and take Nelli for his own. This love triangle becomes a quadrangle with the arrival of Teresa (Alma Rubens), who is on the run from the law. Through fire and fury Lo must decide who and what he truly loves.
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📋 Film Details
| Year | 1916 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Genre | Western |
| Director | Allan Dwan |
| Runtime | 72 min. |
| Rating | TMDB: 6.6/10 (9 votes) |
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🎬 MovieFinder's Take
Allan Dwan constructs the film, relying on the tension between Douglas Fairbanks' established athletic persona and a somber, dramatic role. Anita Loos's script explores themes of racial prejudice, building its social critique around a fraught romantic quadrangle.
What lingers after the final reel is the boldness of the attempt—a major star subverting his image in a socially conscious melodrama. Those who tire of simplistic early Westerns will find surprising depth here. — MovieFinder Editorial
Director: Allan Dwan
Best Watched
Best viewed as a historical piece, with attention to its silent-era dramatic conventions.
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