The Squaw Man on AllMovie

Cecil B. DeMille made The Squaw Man three times; this silent version was the second one. While the 1914 Squaw Man bears more historical significance (as it went a long way in establishing Hollywood as the heart of the film industry), this 1918 version is, by far, the better film, with higher production values and a more sophisticated approach. To briefly recap the plot, James Wynnegate (Elliott Dexter) travels to Wyoming after a scandal involving an embezzlement. His cousin, Henry (Thurston Hall), is the guilty one, but Wynnegate takes the blame out of love for Henry's wife, Lady Diana (Katherine MacDonald). In Wyoming, Wynnegate saves an Indian maiden, Naturich (Anna Little), from the advances of the villainous Cash Hawkins (Jack Holt). Wynnegate and Naturich marry, and she then murders Hawkins. Lady Diana comes to Wyoming to tell Wynnegate that Henry was killed on a hunting trip and confessed to the embezzlement before he died. Naturich, feeling she is in her husband's way, commits suicide. Wynnegate, now the Earl of Kerhill, returns to England with Lady Diana and his half-Indian son (Pat Moore). At the time this drama was made, DeMille was only just becoming known for creating film spectaculars; this production was an assurance that this reputation would grow.