The film was directed by George B. Seitz and starred Richard Dix and Lois Wilson, recently paired in several screen dramas by Paramount.

[2] Grey depicted the white settlers as missionaries who preyed upon the subordinate race, forcefully converting them into Christianity and altering their way of life.

The reservation's stark and boundless desert scenery captivated Lasky and after spending nearly two months there, he suggested they use the vast ranges as the background for a motion picture.

[3] Later, in the early 20th century, a tribe of Navajo are living on a reservation overseen by an individual who hates Native Americans, named Booker.

When World War I breaks out, Army Captain Earl Ramsdale comes west in search of the horses that Booker was supposed to have bought from the Natives for a fair price.

[4] The Vanishing American was produced by Famous Player-Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures, and it is considered to be one of the most ambitious productions of the Twenties.

[2] The majority of the film was shot on the Navajo Nation, including locations in Monument Valley, Rainbow Bridge and Tsegi Canyon.

"[11] Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times had some reservations about the performances, but he admired the film's "matchless photography" and the "great artistry" of the cliff dwelling and World War I battle sequences.