Face of a Fugitive (1959)

Director:

Paul Wendkos

Writers:

David T. Chantler (screenplay) &
Daniel B. Ullman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

May 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

Of all the hunters he alone knew the fugitive's face - because it was his own!

Plot:

A man who was falsly accused for murder escapes the sheriffs and starts a new life in a town at the border of the States to Mexico...

Plot Keywords:

Brother Brother Relationship | Barbed Wire | Beautiful Woman | Escapee | Gunfight

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Fred MacMurray	...	Jim Larsen aka Ray Kincaid
Lin McCarthy	...	Sheriff Mark Riley
Dorothy Green	...	Ellen Bailey
Alan Baxter	...	Reed Williams
Myrna Fahey	...	Janet Hawthorne
James Coburn	...	Purdy
Francis De Sales	...	Deputy Sheriff George Allison (as Francis deSales)
Gina Gillespie	...	Alice Bailey
Ron Hayes	...	Danny Larsen
Paul E. Burns	...	Jake the Barber (as Paul Burns)

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #19217) | Finland:K-16 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Bell Ranch, Santa Susana, California, USA

Company:

Morningside Productions

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the climactic scene, when the damaged player piano runs down, its pitch slides downward, like a tape recording slowing down. Indeed, electric player pianos didn't exist until the 20th century, anyway - the early ones were all treadle-operated.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[the train carrying the Deputy Sheriff and his prisoner, Jim Larsen, pulls into the depot at Porter]
Deputy Sheriff: We'll be in Porter for a few minutes. Want some air, Jim?
Jim Larsen: Why don't you get off without me?
Deputy Sheriff: I'd be lonely.

A slow-moving gem

I must admit, I have never before liked any movie that starred Fred McMurrey. This is a first.

The action moves slowly here, as much of the tension has to do with how the characters think and interact. However, that's exactly what makes it special. Even the female lead has important lines, which is exceedingly rare in this genre. McMurray's character is one you would expect Gary Cooper to have played, and he pulls it off surprisingly well.

While not a classic, this is an extremely well-made Western, and I highly recommend it.