Tracy the Outlaw (1928) - Once Upon a Time in a Western

Jack Hoey plays Harry Tracy in this silent film about how a honest cowpoke wound up spurring one of the biggest manhunt’s in the history of the West.

It all starts when Tracy has a run of bad luck at cards and loses everything, including his horse.

Hired at the Gallagher Ranch, he saves his money so he can get even with the “runt” who ran the game.

In a rematch, he realizes he’s being cheated and a struggle ensues. The gambler’s gun goes off and he falls dead.

Tracy winds up in jail in a cell alongside Dave Merrell, put behind bars for defending his sister Mary’s honor.

While Mary distracts the sheriff, the two men wind up breaking out of jail together.

From that point on, Tracy finds it difficult to stay on the right side of the law, though he’s fallen in love with Mary and tries to start a new life in Oregon as freight inspector John Dolan.

One of his biggest problems is Dave Merrell. He’s learned that Mary isn’t his blood sister. He loves her too.

And he’ll do his best to get Harry Tracy out of the way so the two of them can enjoy a life together.

Jack Hoey as Harry Tracy, determined to win back his money in Tracy the Outlaw (1928)

Doris Chadwick as Mary Merrell, learning she’s not Dave’s blood sister in Tracy the Outlaw (1928)

Review:

Harry Tracy breaks out of jail three times over the course of this film. Surprisingly, he did so in real life too.

But the hero treatment he gets in this silent is far from the truth. The real-life Tracy was a bandit and killer.

In fact, six people — three lawmen and three civilians — died when he escaped jail with Dave Merrell.

Here, two scenes stand out. A near lynching of Tracy during which Mary rushes to his defense. And a fight with Dave Merrell in which both men wield jackhammers.

IMDb shows no other credited roles for any of the film’s three leading actors.