Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Hell Bent Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 14, 2022

Note: This version of this film is available as part of Straight Shooting.

Harry Carey's film career was long enough that when he was working in the proto noir thriller Among the Living in 1941, part of Paramount's publicity push for the film was to cover what at least some of the accounts at the time listed as a 50th Anniversary in Show Business celebration for the venerable actor, where he was feted and given (wait for it) a commemorative watch. That probably questionable number would tend to indicate Carey had been toiling in the movie industry since 1891, but since Carey was born in 1878 and would have been only 13, not to mention the fact that there really wasn't a movie industry in the United States in any meaningful way in 1891 might suggest a certain PR hyperbole was at play, but even so, Carey's film career does stretch back to the earliest years of the silent era, with, according to the IMDb, his first film appearance coming in 1910. Interestingly in that regard, other "snipes" on the backs of press photos distributed by Paramount in 1941 offer a potentially somewhat more accurate description of the event as a celebration of Carey's 33rd year in movies, but that designation would take his career back to circa 1908, which may or may not suggest that there's some unknown or at least unremembered Carey film languishing in some hidden nook and/or cranny somewhere. For those only acquainted with Carey due to his later in life performances, where he could essay either generally avuncular types (as in his Academy Award nominated performance in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) or more sinister types, as in the aforementioned Among the Living, may be downright surprised to think of Carey as a Western star, of all things, but he was in fact one of his era's leading lights in that then still nascent genre. Eureka! Entertainment's Masters of Cinema imprint has aggregated two relatively early Harry Carey western films, both helmed by the legendary John Ford, into an agreeable package that offers generally secure technical merits and some very appealing supplements.

Hell Bent begins with a rather remarkable vignette documenting an author, one assumes from the time period of the film's production, getting a letter from his publisher reprimanding him for creating western novels where the focal character is an unabashed hero, with absolutely no negative aspects whatsoever. It's actually kind of hilarious given the fact that Cheyenne Harry, the kinda sorta recurring character Harry Carey plays in this film and many others, is not exactly a paradigm of moral uprightness. In fact in this film he's once again a bit of a bad boy, a marginal criminal and a guy prone to frequent the local watering hole for a drink (or several).

Rather like the "arc" Cheyenne Harry takes in Straight Shooting, a change of heart from wicked, wicked ways is at the core of the story, though in this case it's a pretty girl named Bess Thurston (Neva Gerber) who leads to the transformation. Unfortunately, there are still bad guys aplenty, including Bess' brother Jack (Vester Pegg).

Hell Bent probably doesn't have the immediacy of Straight Shooting, but it's notable for some really outstanding location photography, especially considering its vintage. There's an especially interesting sequence later in the film featuring a sandstorm that shows Ford was already developing a sense for not just beautifully framing wide open spaces, but also capturing the calamities that can unfold in them.

Hell Bent Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hell Bent is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka! Entertainment's Masters of Cinema imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.35:1. Eureka! sent only check discs for the purposes of this review, and so I'm not privy to any verbiage included in an insert booklet, but the press sheet accompanying the discs states this release is a UK debut on Blu-ray, fully restored in 4K. I'm assuming this was culled from the same master as the U.S. release from 2020 distributed by Kino Lorber. As with Straight Shooting, those with some experience viewing older silents will probably be better prepared for the undeniable damage that's on display in this transfer, with any number of nicks, scratches and other blemishes pretty easily discernable in several of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review. This may be just incrementally rougher looking at times than Straight Shooting, but really not by much. Contrast is generally excellent, and detail levels also commendable within the context of the age of the element. Also as with Straight Shooting, I'm wondering if the opening titles and intertitles may have been recreated (despite some apparent wobble in the opening credits), since the backgrounds are jet black, lettering is completely clear and there's absolutely no sign of any age related wear and tear.

Hell Bent Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hell Bent features an original score by Zachary Marsh delivered via an LPCM 2.0 track. This is a somewhat unusual score which struck me as arguably a little too jazz inflected and almost ragtime like at times to blend completely seamlessly with the imagery, but in terms of its actual sound, there are no complaints whatsoever. A small ensemble which features piano (and perhaps tack piano) along with other instruments like banjo is quite colorful and nicely bright and clear sounding throughout.

Hell Bent Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Joseph McBride


• Interview with John Ford (44:32) is an audio interview conducted by Joseph McBride on August 19, 1970.


• A Horse or a Mary? (HD; 9:14) is one of two video essays by Tag Gallagher included in this set. He gives some background on Ford and other actors in Ford's company. I found Gallagher just a tad difficult to understand at times due to a somewhat unusual accent.

Eureka! provided only check discs for purposes of this review, but the press sheet they sent mentions a collector's booklet.

Hell Bent Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's really interesting to see a film this early in the Western genre offering what amounts to an anti-hero, even if Cheyenne Harry comes to his senses pretty darn quickly once he meets Bess. This film doesn't quite have the narrative thrust of Straight Shooting, but the location photography is really remarkable. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplements appealing. Recommended.