Hangman’s House *** (1928, Victor McLaglen, June Collyer, Larry Kent, Earle Fox, Hobart Bosworth) – Classic Movie Review 7466

John Ford’s good-looking 1928 silent movie Hangman’s House is a romantic drama set in County Wicklow, Ireland. Based on a novel by Brian Oswald Donn-Byrne, it is adapted by Philip Klein with scenarios by Marion Orth and with inter-titles written by Malcolm Stuart Boylan.

Victor McLaglen as hero Hogan in Hangman’s House (1928).

Victor McLaglen stars as Foreign Legionnaire ‘Citizen’ Hogan, an exiled Irish Republican patriot with a price on his head, who risks his life to return to Ireland to kill John D’Arcy (Earle Foxe), a fortune-hunter who has turned British informer, and to help a young couple, ‘Conn’ O’Brien (June Collyer) and Dermot McDermot (Larry Kent). It is ideal material both for Ford and McLaglen, both in their element, and cinematographer George Schneiderman’s images are impressive.

Hangman’s House is notable for containing the first confirmed appearance by John Wayne in a John Ford film. He is uncredited as a Horse Race Spectator and a Condemned Man in Flashback. Future film director Brian Desmond Hurst also appears uncredited as Horse Race Spectator and witness to the horse shooting.

Larry Kent and June Collyer as the romantic couple in Hangman’s House (1928).

Hangman’s House is directed by John Ford, runs 80 minutes, is released by Fox, stars Victor McLaglen as Commandant ‘Citizen’ Denis Hogan, June Collyer as Connaught ‘Conn’ O’Brien, Larry Kent as Dermot McDermot, Earle Foxe as John D’Arcy, and Hobart Bosworth as Lord Justice O’Brien, is shot by George Schneiderman, and is produced by John Ford.

It runs 80 minutes or 71 minutes on DVD.

It is available on DVD with Ford’s 3 Bad Men (1926).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7466

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