The Hanged Man (1974)

Miraculously still alive after his hanging, gunfighter James Devlin defends a young widow's farm from a vicious land grabber.

Director:

Michael Caffey

Writers:

Andrew J. Fenady (creator), Ken Trevey

Stars:

Steve Forrest, Dean Jagger, Will Geer

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Forrest	...	James Devlin
Dean Jagger	...	Josiah Lowe
Will Geer	...	Nameless
Sharon Acker	...	Carrie Gault
Brendon Boone	...	Billy Irons
Rafael Campos	...	Father Alvaro
BarBara Luna	...	Soledad Villegas (as Barbara Luna)
Cameron Mitchell	...	Lew Halleck
Ray Teal	...	Judge Homer Bayne
Bobby Eilbacher	...	Benjamin Gault
William Bryant	...	Dr. Lawrence Nye (as Bill Bryant)
Steven Marlo	...	Joe 'Patch' Janney
John Mitchum	...	Eubie Turpin
Michael Masters	...	Deputy Sheriff
Bill Catching	...	Executioner

Storyline

A gunfighter who survives his own hanging helps a young widow who is trying to keep a ruthless land baron from taking her ranch.

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Plot Keywords:

widow | gunfighter | hanging | tarot card | bible | 

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Taglines:

They left him for dead ... but they were wrong ... dead wrong !

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final appearance of Ray Teal.

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Quotes

[although he was declared dead after his execution, Devlin miraculously revives]
Judge Homer Bayne: Joe, this man is legally dead!
Josiah Lowe: Legally dead? That doesn't mean you're safe.
Dr. Lawrence Nye: You got enemies. Bound to be some who want to test your mortality in Tres Cruces or anywhere else you go.
Josiah Lowe: As your friend, I think we should go ahead and bury James Devlin.
Father Alvaro: We'll spirit you away...
Dr. Lawrence Nye: ...another name, another place...
Father Alvaro: ...and you will be reborn!
James Devlin: No.

User Reviews

TV Western with Steve Forrest and Sharon Acker

Released to TV in 1974 and directed by Michael Caffey, "The Hanged Man" is a Western starring Steve Forrest as a condemned man who miraculously survives a hanging and decides to help a widow (Sharon Acker) prevent a ruthless land baron (Cameron Mitchell) from chasing her off her remote desert ranch. Will Geer is on hand as an old-timer on the ranch while BarBara Luna plays the condemned man's babe. Brendon Boone appears as the lead henchman while Rafael Campos plays a priest.

"The Hanged Man" was a pilot for a series that never materialized. Producers would make these pilots long enough to be released as a self-contained movie to recoup their losses in the event it wasn't picked up and this was the case with "The Hanged Man." Despite being a TV movie, it has a generally realistic vibe. The premise is interesting, the cast is fine and the movie's short-and-sweet. But it lacks the pizazz to cull it from its TV Western mediocrity. There's a reason it wasn't picked up for a series. Still, it's worth checking out if you favor the actors and late 60s/early 70's Westerns.

Speaking of the actors, the movie features two alumni from the late 60's Star Trek TV series: BarBara Luna appeared in the acclaimed 2nd Season episode "Mirror, Mirror" while Sharon Acker appeared in the 3rd Season Golden Turkey "The Mark of Gideon." BarBara later appeared on two 2nd Season episodes of Buck Rogers and the 25th Century as Hawk's (totally hot) babe.

The film runs 73 minutes and was shot in Old Tucson & Mescal, Arizona, and Red Rock Canyon State Park, Cantil, California.

GRADE: C+

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 March 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

El ahorcado

Filming Locations:

Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Andrew J. Fenady Productions, Bing Crosby Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min 90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Glen Glenn Sound)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1