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Winchester '73
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Winchester '73 (1950) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   4,588 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 6% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Anthony Mann
Writers:
Robert L. Richards (screenplay) &
Borden Chase (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Winchester '73 on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 July 1950 (USA) more
Genre:
Western more
Plot:
In a marksmanship contest, Lin McAdam wins a prized Winchester rifle, which is immediately stolen by the runner-up... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 nomination more
User Comments:
Like the rifle it's named after, "One in a Thousand" more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

James Stewart ... Lin McAdam

Shelley Winters ... Lola Manners
Dan Duryea ... Waco Johnnie Dean
Stephen McNally ... Dutch Henry Brown
Millard Mitchell ... High Spade
Charles Drake ... Steve Miller
John McIntire ... Joe Lamont
Will Geer ... Wyatt Earp
Jay C. Flippen ... Sgt. Wilkes

Rock Hudson ... Young Bull
John Alexander ... Jack Riker
Steve Brodie ... Wesley
James Millican ... Wheeler
Abner Biberman ... Latigo Means

Tony Curtis ... Doan (as Anthony Curtis)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Montana Winchester (USA) (working title)
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Runtime:
92 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Norway:16 | West Germany:12 (nf) | Australia:G | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #14546) | UK:U
Filming Locations:
Mescal, Arizona, USA more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The filmmakers did not have the budget to pay James Stewart his requested fee of $200,000, so he suggested they take the then-unusual step of paying him a cut of the profits instead. This deal, the first of its kind since the advent of talkies, would soon become the norm and change the studio-agent-actor relationship, leading to the demise of the long-term contract and the studio system. Stewart is believed to have made around $600,000 from this film. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Sgt. Wilkes welcomes Lola, his neck cloth repeatedly changes between shots. more
Quotes:
Lin McAdam: Yeah, I hear 'em.
High-Spade Frankie Wilson: I told you night riding wasn't smart.
Lin McAdam: I guess you did.
High-Spade Frankie Wilson: Now we're smack in the middle of 'em.
Lin McAdam: I guess you're right again.
High-Spade Frankie Wilson: Being right ain't gonna do us any good. What do we do now?
Lin McAdam: Well, keep riding.
High-Spade Frankie Wilson: With injuns all around us?
Lin McAdam: Maybe you'd feel better if we stopped?
High-Spade Frankie Wilson: Ah... no.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Babel (2006) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
11 out of 16 people found the following comment useful:-
Like the rifle it's named after, "One in a Thousand", 18 July 2004
9/10
Author: Euromutt from Thurston Co., WA, USA

For the viewer who comes upon it long after its making, "Winchester '73" has something in common with "Casablanca." While you watch it, you get this feeling that you're looking at a string of clichés encountered so often in the genre; then you realise that the clichés became clichés only after being copied from this particular film, and that they were so widely copied because this film was so great. In other words, it's a seminal work.

"Winchester '73" is a joy to watch. The broad lines of the plot are somewhat predictable, but mostly because you've seen them copied so many times in later movies, and nevertheless it still contains a number of twists which surprise you. The dialogue, the pacing and Mann's direction are excellent. Stewart shines in particular, and if you're a fan this is a "must-see," but he is not alone in delivering a good performance. Remarkably, many of the most thoughtful and/or witty lines go to minor characters. Because this makes these characters (much) more than cardboard cutouts, it lent additional realism to the film.

This is a remarkably underrated film, and well worth keeping an eye out for. The DVD also contains an interview with Stewart which provides some background on the film.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Winchester '73 (1950)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Horrible Casting ! 80334080
Were indians that weak? KingFritzLang
Swastika??? Shown in the Movie? csr1917
What's the backstory on High-Spade? adamyshoe
Dutch Henry Should Have Won The Rifle motorsoft
Winchester '73 Vs. Lord Of The Rings j-pudwill
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