Month: December 2022

“The Naked Spur” (1953) starring James Stewart, Janet Leigh, Robert Ryan, & Ralph Meeker

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Packed with Technicolor Thrills! -A tagline for the movie

A former rancher/Civil War vet, Howard Kemp (James Stewart), has been searching for a murderer, Ben Vandergroat (Robert Ryan), for a long time. Circumstances compel Kemp to take on 2 partners- an old prospector, Jesse Tate (Millard Mitchell), and a dishonorably discharged Union soldier, Roy Anderson (Ralph Meeker). When they learn that Ben has a $5,000 bounty on his head, greed starts to get the better of Jesse and Roy. Howie and Ben have a (troubled) history, and Ben takes every chance he can to sow doubt btwn the other 2 men. To add to the drama, there is a beautiful/young woman riding w/ Ben- Lina Patch (Janet Leigh in one of her early leading lady roles).

You can take any of the great dramas- it doesn’t matter if it’s Shakespeare or if it’s any of the Greek plays- you can always lay them in the Western and somehow, they come alive. There is this kind of passion and drama. You can have patricide, any kind of -cide- but if you’re in a Western, you can get away w/ it… b/c it’s where… all action took place. -Anthony Mann, director

The Naked Spur (directed by Anthony Mann- who started in B-movies of the noir genre) is the MOST successful Western movie of 1953. It’s a “psychological Western” filmed on location (mainly in the Colorado Rockies) and doesn’t shy away from (gritty) violence. There are several scenes of exciting action, plenty of character development, and terrific dialogue. This is the 1st screenplay by Sam Rolfe and Harold Jack Bloom, who shared an Oscar nom; they went on to have long/successful careers as writers/producers. Mann and Stewart would collaborate on a total of 11 films, incl. 5 Westerns!

Ben [to Howie]: Choosin’ a way to die? What’s the difference? Choosin’ a way to live – that’s the hard part.

As the bitter/troubled Howie, Stewart (44 y.o.) reveals darkness, intensity, and vulnerability; the actor was working to let go of his bumbling/youthful/Everyman image (after returning from WWII). A strong protagonist needs a strong antagonist; Ryan (43 y.o.) wears his black hat (villain role) perfectly. As Ben, Ryan (unshaven/floppy-haired) effortlessly switches btwn grinning nonchalance and deep-thinking (in what is considered one of his best roles). Meeker (a leading man on Broadway) looks at ease as the volatile/sleazy womanizer; the Method-trained actor (32 y.o.) sports a bushy blonde mustache. Paul Newman was Meeker’s understudy in a Broadway play. Leigh (at just 25 y.o.) does a fine job alongside her (older/more experienced) co-stars; she gets a few moments to shine (rare for women in Westerns). Even if this is NOT your fave genre, you may enjoy it a LOT! You can rent the movie on Amazon Prime.

[1] Spectacular location photography in the Rocky Mountains lends a ring of authenticity to the story.

[2] …Ryan’s charming, snake-like villain who dominates this rugged western despite strong performances from the entire cast. He obviously relishes his role and is a joy to watch.

[3] …an outstanding western and has lost none of its glow over the years and like all classic westerns- it just gets better and better with the passing of time.

[4] …Mann directs very assuredly, James Stewart is wonderfully ferocious and Robert Ryan is very charismatic in a more convoluted role. The film looks great, with wonderful sets, scenery, costumes and photography. The music adds to the mood of each scene without feeling too intrusive. The dialogue is excellent and the story- even with the well-worn themes and such- is very compelling.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“The Bedford Incident” (1965) starring Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, James MacArthur, & Martin Balsam

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The cold war just got hotter. -A tagline for the movie

Capt. Finlander: It’s been my experience with the press that they ignore truth for sensationalism.

Capt. Eric Finlander (Richard Widmark) plays a hardened cold-warrior on the American Naval destroyer USS Bedford. Ben Munceford (Sidney Poitier) is a famous photojournalist given permission to interview the captain during a routine patrol. Lt. Cmdr. Chester Potter (Martin Balsam) comes with Munceford; he is the new doctor assigned to the ship. As they are adjusting to the ship, the Bedford discovers a Soviet sub nearby. Capt. Finlander begins a relentless pursuit, pushing his crew… perhaps to the breaking point!

Ben Munceford: I’ve heard a lot about you, Commodore, but I never expected I’d meet you.

Commodore Schrepke: Is that so?

Ben Munceford: Not aboard an American destroyer.

Commodore Schrepke: [Is] that so surprising in these times?

Ben Munceford: I guess not, if one can make the switch mentally. But I, uh… I still connect you with… Hitler’s navy.

Commodore Schrepke: Your pardon: Admiral Dönitz’s navy, sir.

This movie unites (real-life pals) Widmark and Poitier; they also worked on No Way Out (1950) and The Long Ships (1964). Poitier had been making films for 15 yrs at this time, BUT this was the 1st film in which his race was neither mentioned nor relevant. The role of the medical officer was written for Poitier, BUT he asked to play the journo instead. The former U-Boat commander onboard, Commodore Wolfgang Shrepke (Eric Portman- a Brit known for playing Germans), is a NATO advisor. The eager/cute Ensign Ralston (James MacArthur) MAY be familiar to some viewers; he played the older bro (Fritz) in the 1960 Disney classic- The Swiss Family Robinson. Look out for a 20-ish Donald Sutherland; he’s one of the nerdy scientists in the ship’s lab in an early scene.

Commodore Schrepke: That permission specifically said “if the sub is still in territorial waters,” is that not so?

Capt. Finlander: A matter of interpretation, Commodore.

Commodore Schrepke: But the Russian is in international waters. The ocean is free, my captain.

Capt. Finlander: Yeah, so it is.

Commodore Schrepke: So you have lost your opportunity. It was magnificent –

Capt. Finlander: Look, if I catch a man robbing my house and he makes a break for the street, do I let him go just because he made it to the sidewalk?

The director (James B. Harris) and screenwriter (James Poe) were able to visit a Navy destroyer in Norfolk, VA for pre-production research in late 1963. When Munceford and Lt. Cmdr. Potter are flying out to the destroyer, they are aboard an H-19 helicopter, which was called the Whirlwind by the British. Interior scenes were filmed aboard a British Type 15 frigate (the H.M.S. Troubridge); much British military equipment can seen around the ship. The cameras Munceford uses are the Nikon Model F and Pentax; the tape recorder he uses is a 1964 Philips EL3300 (the world’s 1st commercial compact cassette recorder).

I’m a long-time fan of Poitier and saw several of his more famous films growing up; he was a hero to MANY people (of all backgrounds) for his acting and activism. In the pandemic, I’ve been focusing on the noir genre; Widmark got his start there, though he later made many Westerns. I plan to watch and review more of this movies in the near future. I’m also a fan of the submarine drama Crimson Tide (1995) starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. There are a LOT of sub-related movies out there; I recently listened to reviews of a few on the podcast Submersion.