Run for Cover (1955)

Mistaken for train robbers, Matt Dow and Davey Bishop are shot at by the sheriff and his posse but they are cleared and hired as lawmen.

Director:

Nicholas Ray

Writers:

Winston Miller (screenplay), Harriet Frank Jr. (story)

Stars:

James Cagney, Viveca Lindfors, John Derek

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Cagney	...	Matt Dow
Viveca Lindfors	...	Helga Swenson
John Derek	...	Davey Bishop
Jean Hersholt	...	Mr. Swenson
Grant Withers	...	Gentry
Jack Lambert	...	Larsen
Ernest Borgnine	...	Morgan
Ray Teal	...	Sheriff
Irving Bacon	...	Scotty
Trevor Bardette	...	Paulsen
John Miljan	...	Mayor Walsh
Gus Schilling	...	Doc Ridgeway

Storyline

Odd little Western that gets off to a snappy start when a man (Matt Dow) is mistaken as a train robber. After the town's sheriff shoots the kid he's riding with, Dow clears his name and ends up as the new sheriff. He romances a Swedish woman and settles in to a peaceful life only to find that the boy has a few secrets of his own.

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Taglines:

The story of a man apart... who brought faith to a youth, love to a woman, justice to a land!

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the second of three westerns that Cagney made. The first was "The Oklahoma Kid" (1939) and his third and final one was "Tribute To A Bad Man" (1956).

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Goofs

In the soundtrack in Spanish --in Spain distribution, at least-- the Swensons are throughout referred to as Swiss people, and their country of origin as Switzerland.

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Quotes

Matt Dow: That's right, I was a jailbird. Six years in a stinkin' cell because I happened to look like another man. Six years out of my life, because men made up their minds too fast - men like you, so righteous, so willing to condemn.

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Connections

Referenced in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to James Cagney (1974)

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Soundtracks

Run for Cover
Music by Howard Jackson
Lyric by Jack Brooks

User Reviews

You think you're the only one in the world ever got a raw deal... There's a lot of people in this world who've had a tougher time than you or me.

Run for Cover is directed by Nicholas Ray and adapted to screenplay by Winston Miller from a story by Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch. It stars James Cagney, Viveca Lindfors, John Derek, Jean Hersholt, Grant Withers, Jack Lambert, Ray Teal and Ernest Borgnine. A Technicolor/VistaVison production, with music by Howard Jackson and cinematography by Daniel Fapp.

When Matt Dow (Cagney) and Davey Bishop (Derek) meet up they quickly become friends, but events conspire to see them wrongly suspected of robbing the train heading for Madison. Hunted down by a Madison posse, Bishop, a Madison resident, is severely injured and Dow taken to town for possible lynching. What unfolds is the truth comes out and the two men end up working as the law in town, but there is many more secrets to be unearthed in this part of New Mexico...

Nicholas Ray brings a meditative state to the picture, ensuring the thematics of surrogate families, generation conflicts, mob justice and the corruption of youth, are all delicately handled by the great director, even dealing in Freudian textures for the key character relationship. There's a whiff of High Noon in how Matt will inevitably have to stand alone, and he will also have to fight inner turmoil about injustices and cope with disappointments as things refuse to go to plan under Madison's glaring sun. But this is a skilled character piece able to stand on its own terms.

As a looker the film is quite simply stunning. Filmed out of Durango, Silverton and Aztec (the latter providing the finale set in the Aztec Ruins), the scenery is breath taking, Ray and Fapp surrounding the story with an imposing beauty that is hard to take your eyes from. Cast are led superbly by a restrained and reflective Cagney, who can say so much with just one glance of his eyes, and while Lindfors as Cagney's love interest is a bit wooden, she's at least given some decent scripting to work with. Elsewhere nobody fails in bringing their respective characters to life.

Absolutely lovely Oater, one that may not break new ground with its formula of plotting, but comes out roaring regardless. It makes you wish Cagney had made more Westerns, Nicholas Ray also, while Fapp's photography here is alone worthy enough to consider catching this on any potential Blu-ray release. 7.5/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 May 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Colorado

Filming Locations:

Bloomfield, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,500,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pine-Thomas Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1