Tom Horn (1980)

An ex-army scout is hired by ranchers to kill cattle rustlers but he gets into trouble with the corrupt local officials when he kills a boy.

Director:

William Wiard

Writers:

Thomas McGuane (screenplay), Bud Shrake (screenplay)

Stars:

Steve McQueen, Linda Evans, Richard Farnsworth

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve McQueen	...	Tom Horn
Linda Evans	...	Glendolene Kimmel
Richard Farnsworth	...	John C. Coble
Billy Green Bush	...	U.S. Marshal Joe Belle
Slim Pickens	...	Sheriff Sam Creedmore
Peter Canon	...	Assistant Prosecutor
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Stablehand (as Elisha Cook)
Roy Jenson	...	Lee Mendenhour
James Kline	...	Arlo Chance
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Walter Stoll
Harry Northup	...	Thomas Burke
Steve Oliver	...	'Gentleman' Jim Corbett
Bill Thurman	...	Ora Haley
Bert Williams	...	Judge
Bobby Bass	...	Corbett's Bodyguard

Storyline

A renowned former army scout is hired by ranchers to hunt down rustlers but finds himself on trial for the murder of a boy when he carries out his job too well. Tom Horn finds that the simple skills he knows are of no help in dealing with the ambitions of ranchers and corrupt officials as progress marches over him and the old west.

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Plot Keywords:

army scout | apache | arizona territory | arizona | army | 

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Taglines:

See him before he sees you

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Post-production was fraught - the producers attempting both a linear version of the film and then another telling the story in flashback, before settling on the former approach. The film was still being reedited ahead of its March 1980 release date, but to no avail - it received poor reviews and was another box office failure.

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Goofs

In the opening sequence, the wording says, "In 1901 he drifted into Wyoming 'Territory'". Wyoming had been a state since 1890.

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Quotes

Glendolene Kimmel: Someday, you're going to have to pay for your way of life, Tom. You're a bad man and I know it. And if I let you talk me out of it, I'll be lost forever. So my adventures in this life won't mean anything because you will have seduced my soul...and drawn me into your world. Goodbye, Tom.

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Alternate Versions

UK cinema and video versions were cut by 39 secs by the BBFC to remove a horse-fall and to edit a scene of a man's head being blasted during a gunfight. The 2006 DVD release restores some cuts and is only missing 6 secs of the horse-fall.

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Connections

Referenced in Vintage Video: When Time Ran Out... (1980) (2020)

User Reviews

Someday, you're going to have to pay for your way of life, Tom.

Tom Horn is directed by William Wiard and adapted to screenplay by Thomas McGuane and Bud Schrake from Horn's own autobiography. It stars Steve McQueen, Linda Evans, Richard Farnsworth, Billy Green Bush and Slim Pickens. Music is by Ernest Gold and cinematography by John A. Alonzo.

Plot finds McQueen as legendary army tracker - turned hired gun - Tom Horn, who is hired by Wyoming ranchers to see off cattle rustlers, only to see them turn against him when his methods threaten their reputation.

As a big fan of both Westerns as a genre and McQueen (in the process of getting the cancer that would kill him) the actor, it's tricky trying to review Tom Horn (and his final film "The Hunter") without the heart ruling the head. Fact is, is that Tom Horn is not the glorious hard hitting Tom Horn picture that the character demands. It looks fabulous, is very melancholic, and McQueen is genuinely affecting in his performance, but the production problems (various attached directors, rewrites etc) are evident and give us a film of what might have been.

Nonetheless, this is no stinker, in fact, it's a very reflective piece dealing with a man out of his time - and he knows it. The narrative is strong on the end of the so called Wild West, a changing of the times, where law and order is about to finally become the dominant force. Horn was the man who helped bring in the mighty Geronimo, which gives the makers a chance to not only nod towards respect for the great Apache chief as a plot device, but to also let Horn, in McQueen's hands, show us a resignation of time being up for his kind.

One dodgy "special effect" aside, when the violence is required for the story it is an adrenaline jolt, this is because the tone of the piece is ultimately sombre. The hazy romantic thread between Horn and Glendolene Kimmel (Evans is fine in a thankless role) is suffering from flashback overkill, but the tender feel to it sits comfortably within the pic's earnest intention. The political aspects strike the required chord for narrative worth, and the key aspect of Horn's ultimate fate being based on fact or otherwise? is deftly handled.

Poor editing and a number of "time filling shots" grate a little, and if not prepared for a sombre pic then this will disappoint. Yet there's a lot of beauty here and if you be a fan of McQueen or not, his turn is brave, committed and very engaging. 7/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 March 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

I, Tom Horn

Filming Locations:

Sonoita, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Artists, Solar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1