Hurricane Hal | 1925 | Western

Title: Hurricane Hal | 1925 | Western Director: Studio: Ermine Productions Starring: Jack Meehan, Alma Rayford, George A. Williams, Bud Osborne, Ralph Yearsley, Paul Hurst Release Date: November 13, 1925 Format: Silent, black-and-white, 4 reels Country: United States Language: Silent with English intertitles Genres: Western --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Border rescue 00:08:00 New hand at the ranch 00:18:00 Ambush on the trail 00:29:00 Cabin capture and escape 00:40:00 Runaway locomotive --- Summary: On the Texas–Mexico border, a drifting cowboy nicknamed “Hurricane Hal” rescues rancher Bill Adams from bandits and is rewarded with a job on the Adams–McFarland spread. His presence antagonizes foreman Lacey and draws him to Virginia McFarland, daughter of Adams’ partner. When a large cash shipment is sent out under Lacey’s charge, the crooked foreman conspires to steal it, forcing Hal into a running battle to save Virginia and recover the money. The pursuit escalates from a hideout standoff to a high-speed climax involving a stolen locomotive and a burning bridge, with Hal fighting aboard the engine as Federales close in. Themes include frontier justice, loyalty, and the porous, perilous borderlands of the silent-era Western. --- Background: Hurricane Hal was produced by the independent Ermine Productions and distributed by Usla Co., part of a short-run slate of low-budget Westerns Ermine assembled in 1924–1925. Contemporary sources list a four-reel release; AFI records the film at 3,872 feet and note its borderland setting and train-wreck finale. Ermine’s program was cited in trade coverage alongside titles such as The Passing of Wolf MacLean, indicating a concerted push into quick-turn Western features for the states-rights market. --- Trivia: AFI notes that some sources list Jack Meehan’s character name as Buck Anderson, illustrating the crediting inconsistencies common to states-rights Westerns of the period. The lead actor is generally known as Jack Mower but is credited on this production as Jack Meehan. Library of Congress catalog data lists additional contributors and cast associated with the film, including George Hively, H. Farnsworth Macpherson, Bud Osborne, Ralph Yearsley, and Paul Hurst. AFI’s synopsis highlights the concluding set piece: a pursuit onto a stolen locomotive that crashes through a burning bridge, after which Hal and Virginia escape and the Federales capture the villains. The film’s recorded length—four reels—aligns with the brisk “program Western” format typical of independent producers in the mid-1920s. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: November 13, 1925 Original Studio / Distributor: Ermine Productions / Usla Co. Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: HurricaneHal SilentFilm Western PublicDomain 1925 JackMeehan AlmaRayford ErmineProductions SilentCinema FilmHistory Source page: https: //www.loc.gov/item/2024601117/ Direct media URL: https: //tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/mbrs/ntscrm/02301698/02301698.mp4