Firecreek (1968)

A peace-loving, part-time Sheriff in the small town of Firecreek must take a stand when a gang of vicious outlaws takes over his town.

Director:

Vincent McEveety

Writer:

Calvin Clements Sr. (as Calvin Clements)

Stars:

James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Stewart	...	Johnny Cobb
Henry Fonda	...	Bob Larkin
Inger Stevens	...	'Evelyn' / Evelyn Pittman
Gary Lockwood	...	Earl
Dean Jagger	...	Whittier
Ed Begley	...	Preacher Broyles
Jay C. Flippen	...	Mr. Pittman
Jack Elam	...	Norman
James Best	...	Drew
BarBara Luna	...	Meli (as Barbara Luna)
Jacqueline Scott	...	Henrietta Cobb
Brooke Bundy	...	Leah
Robert Porter	...	Arthur (as J. Robert Porter)
Morgan Woodward	...	Willard
John Qualen	...	Hall

Storyline

Farmer and family man Johnny Cobb moonlights as a two dollar a month Sheriff with a homemade badge in the quiet little town of Firecreek. When a gang of freebooters passes through, their leader Larkin, who is suffering from a minor wound, agrees to spend the night. The gang members prove to be vicious, sadistic sociopaths who take advantage of the frightened townspeople, humiliating them for their own perverse amusement. Although Larkin disapproves of their behavior, his leadership role is tenuous, and he is reluctant to test it by exercising control over his men. The mild-mannered Cobb faces a series of challenges from the gang's antisocial behavior. Things come to a head when Meli, an Indian woman with a mixed race child, incurs an attempted sexual attack by one of gang. Arthur, a simpleton stable boy, comes to her aid and accidentally kills the attacker. Cobb locks up Arthur to keep him safe, but when the Sheriff leaves town to visit his wife, who is struggling in labor, there is ...

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Plot Keywords:

place name in title | psychological western | sheriff | sociopath | psychopath | 

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Taglines:

Two legendary stars headed for a showdown.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

A section of the showdown between Stewart and Fonda including the dialogue: "....dollars a week and the home made badge"; "you got no business laying your life on the line"; and "I'll ride out." These lines are used by Tir Na Nog in their song "Cinema" from their 1973 LP "Strong In The Sun."

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Goofs

When leaving the church service that was held in the general store, as Johnny Cobb bids farewell to the preacher, the boom mike is visible in the store's door window.

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Quotes

Drew: Talk about the tail end of nowhere!

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Connections

Edited into La Classe américaine (1993)

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Soundtracks

Rock of Ages
(uncredited)
Music by Thomas Hastings and lyrics by Augustus Montague Toplady

User Reviews

Worth watching

Must take issue with a previous reviewer who characterized Fonda's performance as all bad, all the time. In fact, while Fonda's men are evil incarnate, Fonda's character is more nuanced and complex, and he is as much a victim of his choices and the men he chooses to "lead" as the townspeople they terrorize. In fact, if the movie has a dominant theme, it would be about how people become trapped by their own fears and doubts, and can only break out of their personal prisons by finding the courage to face their fears and overcome them. The movie is dark, and borrows elements from many earlier westerns; especially High Noon. It is not relentlessly negative however, and ends on a positive and life affirming note. While the pace is slow and the plot is derivative, the performances, particularly Stewart's and Fonda's, are superb and make the movie worth watching. The supporting case is a who's who of wonderful character actors and actresses.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 January 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Firecreek

Filming Locations:

Laramie Street, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros./Seven Arts

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1