Red Sundown (1956)

When his life is saved in a shootout by a fellow gunman whose life he in turn had saved, Alex Longmire promises to give up his way of life. Riding into town he finds the only job available ... See full summary »

Director:

Jack Arnold

Writers:

Martin Berkeley (screenplay), Lewis B. Patten (novel)

Stars:

Rory Calhoun, Martha Hyer, Dean Jagger

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Rory Calhoun	...	Deputy Alec Longmire
Martha Hyer	...	Caroline Murphy
Dean Jagger	...	Sheriff Jade Murphy
Robert Middleton	...	Rufus Henshaw
James Millican	...	Bud Purvis
Lita Baron	...	Maria
Grant Williams	...	Chet Swann
Trevor Bardette	...	Sam Baldwin
David Kasday	...	Hughie Clore (as Dave Kasday)
Stephen Wootton	...	Chuck
Leo Gordon	...	Rod Zellman
Steve Darrell	...	Bert Flynn
Johnny Carpenter	...	Zellman Rider (as John Carpenter)
Henry Wills	...	Zellman Rider
Alex Sharp	...	Zellman Rider

Storyline

When his life is saved in a shootout by a fellow gunman whose life he in turn had saved, Alex Longmire promises to give up his way of life. Riding into town he finds the only job available is deputy to sheriff Jade Murphy, an honest man caught between small farmers and a local cattle baron. And he has a pretty daughter. So Longmire decides to stay and see if he can use his expertise with firearms for good.

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Plot Keywords:

shootout | bar shootout | violence | fist fight | outlaw gang | 

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Taglines:

Out of Texas he rode INTO THE FURY OF DURANGO'S WILDEST HOUR! (original print ad - mostly caps)

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

March 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Auf der Spur des Todes

Filming Locations:

Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Grant Williams' film debut.

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Connections

Features Dawn at Socorro (1954)

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Soundtracks

"Red Sundown"
Written and Performed by Terry Gilkyson

User Reviews

Changing His Ways

After hooking up with old time gunfighter James Millican, younger gunfighter Rory Calhoun decides he'd better look for a different line of work himself. Especially after Millican dies holding off a pair of brothers out to get them. But it's not so easy when the only trade you know is a fast draw.

And in Red Sundown that's just what old time sheriff Dean Jagger needs to stop a range war between the local Ponderosa owner Robert Middleton and a bunch of smaller ranchers and farmers. Land titles aren't clear and Middleton's grabbing all he can.

Also keeping Calhoun in town is Jagger's daughter Martha Hyer, but there's a complication there with the presence of Middleton's mistress Lita Baron who has a history with Calhoun. Her function in the film and her relationship with Middleton make Red Sundown quite the adult western for its time.

In only an 81 running minute time Red Sundown packs quite a bit in what is an above average B western. I do love the way that kid actors David Kasday and Scotty Morrow function as a kind of Greek chorus commenting on the comings and goings in the town and showing the voice of public opinion in prevailing mores. Grant Williams the future incredible shrinking man makes his screen debut here playing a vicious punk gunfighter that Calhoun has to deal with.

Red Sundown is one of the best of Rory Calhoun's B westerns and definitely an above average film for the limited production values it got because of its low priority.