Yellow Sky (1948)

Pistol-packing tomboy, and grandfather come to discover band of bank robbing bandits taking refuge in the neighboring ghost town.

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Lamar Trotti (screenplay), W.R. Burnett (story)

Stars:

Gregory Peck, Anne Baxter, Richard Widmark

2 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gregory Peck	...	James 'Stretch' Dawson
Anne Baxter	...	Constance Mae 'Mike'
Richard Widmark	...	Dude
Robert Arthur	...	Bull Run
John Russell	...	Lengthy
Harry Morgan	...	Half Pint (as Henry Morgan)
James Barton	...	Grandpa
Charles Kemper	...	Walrus

Storyline

A band of bank robbers on the run from a posse flee into the desert. Near death from lack of water they stumble into what appears to be a ghost town, only to discover an old prospector and his granddaughter living there. The robbers discover that the old man has been mining gold and set out to make a quick fortune by robbing the pair. Their plan runs foul when the gang leader, Stretch, falls for the granddaughter, which sets off a showdown between the entire gang.

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Plot Keywords:

ghost town | prospector | desert | bank robber | gold | 

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Taglines:

It was a moment for being a woman for only a woman's weapon could keep her alive... now!

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Genres:

Crime | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

December 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nevada

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 95 min (FMC Library Print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gregory Peck initially felt he was miscast as the bank robber.

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Goofs

Story is set in 1867, according to the opening scene, yet all handguns in the movie are 1873 Colt Peacemakers.

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Quotes

James 'Stretch' Dawson: I ain't talkin to hear my voice. I'm ordering ya.

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Connections

Remade as The Jackals (1967)

User Reviews

Classic Black and White Western

The plot of "Yellow Sky" may not be the most original but the performances more than make up for it. A gang of bank robbers cross a dangerous desert only to find themselves in a ghost town. But there are two inhabitants in the ruins; a young woman and her prospecting grandfather. The gang members immediately suspect that the two are hiding gold in their dilapidated mine and set out to rob them. The leader of the gang, however, (a young Gregory Peck) falls in love with the young woman (Anne Baxter) and a showdown is inevitable with the rest of the outlaws. Richard Widmark, in fine form as "Dude" a gambler/murderer with his trademark smirk intact, is Peck's main rival in the gang. The Black and White photography is excellent and the exteriors, filmed in Death Valley, give the movie a much-needed sense of realism. Director William Wellman received outstanding performances from this cast and the movie is considered a minor classic by most film historians. They don't make 'em like this anymore---but they should.