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:

"Take them clothes off girl... real slow like..."

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Warner Bros first announced this as a John Wayne vehicle in 1955.

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Goofs

In the brief shot of the train traveling at night, it is not the same train as in other scenes.

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Quotes

Dock Tobin: Remember a place called Lassoo?
Link Jones: Yes.
Dock Tobin: Ha-ha-ha. Oh, it makes my tired old heart PUMP like a young boys every time I hear the name. There's a stage bank there. Oh, big one. All the mines in the area ship there gold through there. I've been wanting to take it for years. Oh, ha-ha, Oh, it RINGS IN MY HEAD LIKE A BELL! LASSOOooooo! Ha-ha-ha!

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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

Very interesting Western in parts with a fascinating performance of Gary Cooper

Film critic Jean Luc Godard was right when he liked this film. Though the film has its weak spots, the good bits outweigh those. Gary Cooper is outstanding in the main role--a performance as creditable as his role in High Noon. The character of Beasley (Arthur O'Connel) is interesting to note when his role is only a sidebar plot in the main structure. Lee J Cobb is almost unrecognizable (recognizable by his voice) thanks to the beard and other make-up. Julie London is also notable. The cameo of the Mexican lady and then of her Mexican husband returning to a dead town called Lassoo are, for me, high points. But the concept of the ghost town having a bank with lots of money for the gang leader (Cobb) is a very interesting way to look at the way the Wild West was evolving. What does not add up is Cooper's character at the end. Does he eventually hire Billie (London) as the schoolteacher? Does he get married to her, after stating that he has two kids and a wife? An unusual western indeed.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 October 1958 (Canada)

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