The Last Outlaw

The Last Outlaw (1919) is an intriguing Western that marks the end of an era. It follows a grizzled hero returning to the town of his youthful exploits, now transformed by modern civilization. This theme prefigures that of Ride the High Country (1962), as the town has been overtaken by progress—cars chase the protagonist from the streets, and a theater now shows movies, including Universal Bluebirds, a subtle example of product placement. Director John Ford emphasizes the contrast between past and present by incorporating the hero’s memories, introduced by the title: “Memories of the past flashing back to him,” which is considered one of the earliest cinematic references to the term “flashback.”