'49–'17 is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by Ruth Ann Baldwin and starring Joseph W. Girard, Leo Pierson and William J. Dyer.: 93 Baldwin began work on writing and directing a silent film called '49–'17, in 1917. It was the first Western directed by a woman. The film was five reels, and according to The New York Clipper, it was "being produced on a more elaborate scale than any play she has yet handled". Based on the short story "The Old West Per Contract", it starred Joseph Girard and Leo Pierson.