Day of the Outlaw (1959)

Cowboys and ranchers have to put their differences aside when a gang of outlaws, led by army captain Jack Bruhn, decide to spend the night in a little Western town.

Director:

André De Toth

Writers:

Lee E. Wells (novel), Philip Yordan (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert Ryan, Burl Ives, Tina Louise

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Ryan	...	Blaise Starrett
Burl Ives	...	Jack Bruhn
Tina Louise	...	Helen Crane
Alan Marshal	...	Hal Crane
Venetia Stevenson	...	Ernine, Vic's Daughter
David Nelson	...	Gene, Bruhn's Gang
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Dan, Starret's Foreman
Jack Lambert	...	Tex (Bruhn's gang)
Frank DeKova	...	Denver, Bruhn's Gang (as Frank deKova)
Lance Fuller	...	Pace, Bruhn's Gang
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Larry Teter (town barber) (as Elisha Cook)
Dabbs Greer	...	Doc Langer, Veterinarian
Betsy Jones-Moreland	...	Mrs. Preston (as Betsey Jones-Moreland)
Helen Westcott	...	Vivian
Donald Elson	...	Vic, General Store Owner

Storyline

Cowboys and ranchers have to put their differences aside when a gang of outlaws, led by army captain Jack Bruhn, decide to spend the night in a little Western town.

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Plot Keywords:

outlaw | street shootout | winter | based on novel

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tag der Gesetzlosen

Filming Locations:

Mount Bachelor, Oregon, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Security Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Sound)

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Goofs

The stacks of precisely-cut firewood that are often seen in the village must have been made by using C20th machinery.

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Quotes

Blaise Starrett: I'm through being reasonable. I told Crane what would happen if he strung that wire.
Dan, Starret's Foreman: Blaise, we've pulled over some hard hills together, and I've rode behind you all the way. But a wire fence is a poor excuse to make a widow out of Crane's wife. What have you been thinking about all winter - Crane's barb wire fence, or Crane's pretty wife, Helen?

User Reviews

Fresh enough to merit a watch

I must admit up front that I am not a huge fan of Westerns and the biggest reason I watched this film was because it had Robert Ryan in it. For some time, I have thought that Ryan was one of the best "unknown" actors, as he appeared and even starred in quite a few films but most people today have no idea who he was. My admiration for him is because he looked a lot like an ordinary guy (since he wasn't overly handsome) but despite this, his performances always seemed so realistic. He really was a heck of a good actor and his work in this film is no exception.

DAY OF THE OUTLAW isn't a great Western but it is different enough from the average film that it seems fresh enough to merit watching. What I particularly liked is how the first 15 minutes or so of the film turned out to be not at all directly related to where the film went next. Not knowing the plot, this really took me off guard--and I like when a film isn't easy to predict.

I also liked the idea of a gang of thugs invading and holding a town hostage--though this idea has been done before in Westerns (FIRECREEK) and non-Westerns (THE WILD ONE). What made this one stand out more from the others is that this group wasn't just bad in the usual sense, they were moral degenerates--rapists and sadists, not just socipaths or thieves. Plus, the idea of a strong but wounded leader (Burl Ives) trying to control these sick freaks was fascinating--as was the final showdown.

All in all, a very good film and one you should try to find due to its intelligent script and excellent acting.

By the way, one reviewer said they felt Burl Ives was wrong for the part since in real life he was a nice-guy folk singer. Well, with gritty previous roles in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF and THE BIG COUNTRY, I would certainly have to disagree with the sentiment, as Ives played the heavy in movies about as often as he played a good guy.