“A Debtor to the Law” is a 1919 American silent Western film starring the enigmatic Henry Starr, a man with a notorious past. What sets this film apart is that Starr himself, a convicted bank robber, takes on the lead role-essentially portraying his own life story on the silver screen. The plot revolves around Starr’s audacious attempts to rob not one, but two banks in Stroud, Oklahoma, back in 1915. As the film unfolds, we witness the gripping events surrounding the robbery of the Stroud Bank and the subsequent, ill-fated escape. During their getaway, Starr encounters unexpected resistance. A local teenager named Paul Curry, who had witnessed the robbery, courageously shoots Starr in the leg with a rifle. This wound becomes a turning point, leading to the gang’s downfall. What adds an intriguing layer of authenticity to the film is the backstory: Henry Starr, the real-life bank robber, had orchestrated a similar plan in Stroud. Remarkably, the same town that bore witness to the actual crime became the backdrop for the cinematic reenactment. Starr assembled a cast of townspeople, including the very bank tellers he had once robbed, to participate in the film. Astonishingly, he even hired Paul Curry, the young man who had shot him during the original robbery. Despite its historical significance and the unique casting choice, “A Debtor to the Law” is now lost to time. The film’s existence serves as a testament to the blurred lines between reality and fiction, where a criminal-turned-actor immortalized his own misdeeds on celluloid. Henry Starr’s life, both on and off the screen, remains a captivating chapter in the annals of American outlaw lore. In this silent Western, the boundaries between truth and artistry blur, leaving us with a tantalizing glimpse into the daring escapades of a man who lived life on the edge of the law.