Man of the West (1958)

A reformed outlaw becomes stranded after an aborted train robbery with two other passengers and is forced to rejoin his old outlaw band.

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Will C. Brown (novel), Reginald Rose (screenplay)

Stars:

Gary Cooper, Julie London, Lee J. Cobb

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gary Cooper	...	Link Jones
Julie London	...	Billie Ellis
Lee J. Cobb	...	Dock Tobin
Arthur O'Connell	...	Sam Beasley
Jack Lord	...	Coaley
John Dehner	...	Claude
Royal Dano	...	Trout
Robert J. Wilke	...	Ponch (as Robert Wilke)

Storyline

On his way to hire a schoolteacher, a homesteader is left a hundred miles from anywhere when the train he is on is robbed. With him are an attractive dancehall girl and an untrustworthy gambler and he decides to get shelter nearby from outlaw relatives he used to run with. They don't trust him and he loathes them but they decide he can help them with one last bank job.

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Plot Keywords:

two gun holster | gun holster | gun | holster | double gun holster | 

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Taglines:

IN THE ROLE THAT FITS HIM LIKE A GUN FITS A HOLSTER! GARY COOPER as the MAN OF THE WEST (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Screenwriter Philip Yordan had previously written a novel entitled "Man of the West", but it bears no relation at all to this film. Yordan's novel was filmed as "Gun Glory (1957)."

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Goofs

Link Jones gives the lawman in Crosscut a fake name Henry Wright. He tells different people he is from two different places Good Hope and Sawmill. Later when he tells Billie Ellis he is married it's kind of hard to know if he's telling the truth or why stretches the truth so often.

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Quotes

Dock Tobin: There'a more money in that Lassoo bank than any one of you could think.

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Alternate Versions

To receive an 'A' certificate for UK cinema cuts were made to edit some scenes of violence. These included the fight between Link and Coaley, the scene where Billie is forced to strip at gunpoint, and shots of Trout staggering and screaming after being shot by Link. DVD releases are 12 rated and fully uncut.

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Connections

Featured in Goodbye Gary Cooper (2009)

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Soundtracks

Man of the West
By Bobby Troup

User Reviews

I think "Man of the West" is one of the best westerns ever.

Of all the western movies that I have seen in my time, I would definitely have to say that "Man of the West" is one of the best. Gary Cooper does an excellent job of portraying an ex con who must confront his past and deal with a gang who does not trust him but would like him to help them out. He acts just as though he did in many of his films, playing a quiet, easy going cowboy who knows how to act in tight situations. I also thought Cooper had a very supportive cast that included Jack Lord as a wild and rebellious killer, John Dehner as a cool but equally violent person, Lee J. Cobb as a filthy old man who was the leader of the gang and who surely was the example for the other gangmembers and Arthur O'Connell and Julie London as the innocent bystanders who Cooper must look out for. I also thought that the content and violence was very well done to help people get the feeling of what people could be like. All in all, "Man of the West" is not only one of Cooper's best but one of the best westerns ever.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 November 1958 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Man of the West

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ashton Productions, Walter Mirisch Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1