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The Sundowners

  • 1950
  • Approved
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
521
YOUR RATING
John Drew Barrymore in The Sundowners (1950)
DramaWestern

Brother is pitted against brother in this tale of fueding ranchers in the old west.Brother is pitted against brother in this tale of fueding ranchers in the old west.Brother is pitted against brother in this tale of fueding ranchers in the old west.

  • Director
    • George Templeton
  • Writer
    • Alan Le May
  • Stars
    • Robert Preston
    • Robert Sterling
    • Chill Wills
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.6/10
    521
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • George Templeton
    • Writer
      • Alan Le May
    • Stars
      • Robert Preston
      • Robert Sterling
      • Chill Wills
    • 17User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos39

    Robert Preston in The Sundowners (1950)
    Cathy Downs and Robert Preston in The Sundowners (1950)
    The Sundowners (1950)
    The Sundowners (1950)
    The Sundowners (1950)
    The Sundowners (1950)
    John Drew Barrymore in The Sundowners (1950)
    Robert Preston in The Sundowners (1950)
    Cathy Downs, John Litel, and Chill Wills in The Sundowners (1950)
    Cathy Downs and Robert Sterling in The Sundowners (1950)
    Cathy Downs and Robert Sterling in The Sundowners (1950)
    Chill Wills in The Sundowners (1950)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Preston
    Robert Preston
    • James Cloud - aka Kid Wichita
    Robert Sterling
    Robert Sterling
    • Tom Cloud
    Chill Wills
    Chill Wills
    • Sam Beers
    Cathy Downs
    Cathy Downs
    • Kathleen Boyce
    John Litel
    John Litel
    • John Gall
    Jack Elam
    Jack Elam
    • Earl Boyce
    Don Haggerty
    Don Haggerty
    • Sheriff Elmer Gall
    Stanley Price
    Stanley Price
    • Steve Fletcher
    Clem Fuller
    Clem Fuller
    • Turkey
    Frank Cordell
    • Jim Strake
    Dave Kashner
    Dave Kashner
    • Gill Bassen - aka The Whip
    John Drew Barrymore
    John Drew Barrymore
    • Jeff Cloud - The Younger Brother
    • (as John Barrymore Jr.)
    Alan Le May
    • The Parson
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • George Templeton
    • Writer
      • Alan Le May
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Film debut of John Drew Barrymore.
    • Quotes

      Tom Cloud: I think you know who killed Juan.

      Sheriff Elmer Gall: All right. It was you who horned into this valley when there wasn't room for you.

      Tom Cloud: I made room - about fifteen mile!

      Sheriff Elmer Gall: Yeah, and if you expect me to hold onto it for you, you can go rope a duck.

      Tom Cloud: I don't expect anything from you. I came here to report a murder. And that's the last I'll hear of it.

      Sheriff Elmer Gall: I'm not so sure. I'm getting pretty sick of the trouble you bring on.

      Tom Cloud: Trouble? You don't know the meaning of the word.

    • Connections
      Featured in Frances Farmer Presents: The Sundowners (1958)
    • Soundtracks
      O'Riley Song
      . . . Alberto Colombo (as Al Colombo)

    User reviews17

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Choppy, but Good to Look At
    Plot-- Mysterious Kid Wichita arrives to help two brothers Tom and Jeff defend their ranch from cattle rustlers. Trouble is the Kid creates more problems than he solves. So why does straight arrow Tom put up with him.

    Anyone doubting that Texas has a scenic part needs to see this Western. The Palo Dura Canyon in the Texas panhandle looks like a smaller version of the Grand Canyon of Arizona and makes an eye-catching backdrop. In fact, the movie skillfully weaves the action into the red rock slabs, especially the big shoot-out, bull whip and all.

    There're a lot of cross currents to the plot, making the story sometimes difficult to follow, but the central characters—Preston and Sterling—remain clearly drawn. The script only fills in important information in dribs and drabs, which means we have to keep up with why some people are doing what they do as best we can. Thus some patience is needed, but I think it does pay off.

    Preston is obviously enjoying his charming bad-guy role, playing it for all it's worth. His Kid Wichita may be one of the biggest, most booming, personalities in Western annals and probably the only singing villain. Wisely, his opposite number, Sterling, underplays his part as Tom, the reluctant good guy. This makes for a good dramatic contrast and helps build tension for the inevitable showdown. Apparently, Jack Elam helped get financing for the film (IMDB) and so got his first acting part. He sounds a little shaky, but then his cuckolded husband, Earl, is supposed to be. And, of course, there's Chill Wills lending his reliable "aw- shucks" brand of character color.

    Anyway, there's a lot of entertainment in both the scenery and the characters, making this a generally under-rated little Western.
    helpful•1
    1
    • dougdoepke
    • Aug 9, 2010

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 2, 1950 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Zweikampf bei Sonnenuntergang
    • Filming locations
      • Amarillo, Texas, USA(all of this picture was made near)
    • Production company
      • Le May-Templeton Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 23 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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