The Last Sunset (1961)

At a Mexican ranch, fugitive O'Malley and pursuing Sheriff Stribling agree to help rancher Breckenridge drive his herd into Texas where Stribling could legally arrest O'Malley, but Breckenridge's wife complicates things.

Director:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

Howard Rigsby (novel), Dalton Trumbo (screenplay)

Stars:

Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Rock Hudson	...	Dana Stribling
Kirk Douglas	...	Brendan 'Bren' O'Malley
Dorothy Malone	...	Belle Breckenridge
Joseph Cotten	...	John Breckenridge
Carol Lynley	...	Melissa 'Missy' Breckenridge
Neville Brand	...	Frank Hobbs
Regis Toomey	...	Milton Wing
James Westmoreland	...	Julesburg Kid (as Rad Fulton)
Adam Williams	...	Calverton
Jack Elam	...	Ed Hobbs
John Shay	...	Bowman

Storyline

Brendan O'Malley arrives at the Mexican home of old flame Belle Breckenridge to find her married to a drunkard getting ready for a cattle drive to Texas. Hot on O'Malley's heels is lawman Dana Stribling who has a personal reason for getting him back into his jurisdiction. Both men join Breckenridge and his wife on the drive. As they near Texas tensions mount, not least because Stribling is starting to court Belle and O'Malley is increasingly drawn by her daughter Missy.

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Plot Keywords:

cattle | rancher | mexico | texas | fugitive | 

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Taglines:

When giants clash, a woman trembles!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

14 June 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sundown at Crazy Horse

Filming Locations:

Bavispe, Sonora, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brynaprod S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastman Color)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Someone commented that between the shots of Rock Hudson's horse in the quicksand that his horse was at different depths. Well, of couse, they were sinking.

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Goofs

When the Yaqui Indians turn up the second time, as the first Yaqui rider pulls his horse up, arrows can be seen falling from his quiver onto the the ground to his right (screen left).

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Quotes

Belle Breckenridge: To me, it always seems like it's the women who keep on living. Men kill or get killed and women bury them. We're professional survivors.

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Connections

Referenced in The Spider's Stratagem (1970)

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Soundtracks

Pretty Little Girl In The Yellow Dress
Music - Dimitri Tiomkin
Lyric - Ned Washington
Performed by Kirk Douglas (uncredited)

User Reviews

Good movie, great memories.

Major portions of this movie were filmed on my grandfather's ranch "La Presa" in Aguascalientes, Mexico. My family and the locals still remember the excitement of hosting Hollywood stars and a film crew in such an unlikely place. Throughout the film the actors make factually correct references to the local villages and towns. And although most of these people only viewed the movie once (during its initial run in 1961) they remember the plot and the excitement of hearing the names of their villages uttered by stars on the big screen. And while Aguascalientes cannot claim to be a cult destination a la "Giant" (Rock Hudson again), they remain proud of their footnote in film history.

I personally recall the loud arguments my father (living in the USA at the time) would have with his cousin Salvador, who swore that Rock Hudson had been seen in town with the local (and few) homosexuals. In 1961, my father believed that it was impossible for Rock to be anything but the All-American (straight) male image he projected on the screen. My dad laughs about it now.