''The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws'', subtitled ''Picturization of Early Days in Oklahoma'', is a 1915 American silent

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film produced by the Eagle Film Company. It depicts the end of the outlaw gangs which operated freely during the closing days of the Twin Territories (Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory). The movie was directed by

Bill Tilghman William Matthew Tilghman Jr. (July 4, 1854 – November 1, 1924) was a career lawman, gunfighter, and politician in Kansas and Oklahoma during the late 19th century. Tilghman was a Dodge City city marshal in the early 1880s and played a role in ...

, noted Western lawman, and filmed by Benny Kent, a pioneer movie photographer and Tilghman's neighbor in

Lincoln County, Oklahoma Lincoln County is a county in eastern Central Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,458. Its county seat is Chandler. Lincoln County is part of the Oklahoma City, OK metropolitan statistical area. In 2010, the center of popu ...

Production

Tilghman organized the Eagle Film Company in response to several movies which glamorized outlaws and depicted lawmen as fools. He intended to produce a movie that gave a realistic portrayal of outlaws and lawmen. ''The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws'', while consisting of many actual events, contains several fictional people and scenes. One of the more famous fictional characters shown is

Rose Dunn Rose Elizabeth Dunn (September 5, 1878 – June 11, 1955) also known as Rose of Cimarron and later Rose of the Cimarron, was best known for her good looks and for her romantic involvement with outlaw George "Bittercreek" Newcomb when she was a t ...

, the ''Rose of the Cimarron''. Tilghman filmed on location at many of the old outlaw hideouts in Lincoln and Payne counties and in the old Creek and Osage reserves. He recruited local people, as well as cowboys from the 101 Ranch, to act in the film. He played himself, and also enlisted Deputy U.S. Marshals Bud Ledbetter and

Chris Madsen Chris Madsen (February 25, 1851 – January 9, 1944) was a lawman of the Old West who is best known as being one of The Three Guardsmen, the name given to Madsen and two other Deputy US Marshals who were responsible for the apprehension and/or k ...

to take part in the film. Arkansas Tom Jones (

Roy Daugherty Roy Daugherty, also known as Arkansas Tom Jones, (1870 – August 16, 1924) was an American outlaw of the Old West, and a member of the Wild Bunch gang, led by Bill Doolin. He was the longest-lived, as well as the last surviving member of the gan ...

), the only survivor of the Doolin–Dalton Gang, also played himself.

Reception

Like many American films of the time, ''The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws'' was subject to city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors refused to issue a permit allowing the showing of the film because it featured the exploits of a band of train robbers and outlaws. Tilghman toured with the film, since he found as many people came to see him and his collection as came to see the film. Most of the film is available from the National Archives, although some of it is damaged and a couple of reels are missing.

Companion book

* Graves, Richard S. ''Oklahoma Outlaws: A Graphic History of the Early Days in Oklahoma; the Bandits Who Terrorized the First Settlers and the Marshals Who Fought Them to Extinction; Covering a Period of Twenty-Five Years''. Oklahoma City: State Printing & Publishing Company, 1915.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws, The 1915 films 1915 Western (genre) films American black-and-white films 1910s English-language films Films set in Oklahoma Films shot in Oklahoma Silent American Western (genre) films 1910s American films English-language Western (genre) films