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poster of Winchester '73
Rating: 7.3/10 by 343 users

Winchester '73 (1950)

Lin McAdam rides into town on the trail of Dutch Henry Brown, only to find himself in a shooting competition against him. McAdam wins the prize, a one-in-a-thousand Winchester rifle, but Dutch steals it and leaves town. McAdam follows, intent on settling his old quarrel, while the rifle keeps changing hands and touching a number of lives.

Directing:
  • Anthony Mann
  • Jesse Hibbs
  • Connie Clark
Writing:
  • Stuart N. Lake
  • Borden Chase
  • Robert L. Richards
Stars:
Release Date: Wed, Jul 12, 1950

Rating: 7.3/10 by 343 users

Alternative Title:
Уинчестър '73 - BG
I karabina fanstasma - GR
A 73-as winchester - HU
Montana Winchester - US

Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 32 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $2,250,000

Plot Keyword: showdown, robbery, horseback riding, hostility, assault, search, rifle, stealing, contest, poker game, fourth of july, winchester rifle, prize, u.s. cavalry
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Shelley Winters
Lola Manners
Dan Duryea
Waco Johnnie Dean
Stephen McNally
Dutch Henry Brown
Charles Drake
Steve Miller
Will Geer
Wyatt Earp
Jay C. Flippen
Sergeant Wilkes
Rock Hudson
Young Bull
Abner Biberman
Latigo Means
Victor Adamson
Townsman (uncredited)
Robert Anderson
Basset (uncredited)
Mel Archer
Bartender (uncredited)
Ray Bennett
Charles Bender (uncredited)
Chet Brandenburg
Townsman (uncredited)
Buck Bucko
Townsman (uncredited)
Roy Bucko
Townsman (uncredited)
Frank Chase
Cavalryman (uncredited)
Edmund Cobb
Target Watcher (uncredited)
Frank Conlan
Contest Clerk in Saloon (uncredited)
Tex Cooper
Shooting Contestant (uncredited)
Victor Cox
Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Curtis
Townsman (uncredited)
Steve Darrell
Bat Masterson (uncredited)
John Doucette
Roan Daley (uncredited)
Bonnie Kay Eddy
Bonnie Jameson (uncredited)
Bill Gillis
Townsman (uncredited)
Chick Hannan
Spectator (uncredited)
Al Haskell
Contest Spectator (uncredited)
Jimmy Hawkins
Boy at Store Window (uncredited)
Timmy Hawkins
Boy at Rifle Shoot (uncredited)
Carol Henry
Dudeen (uncredited)
Gary Jackson
Gary Jameson (uncredited)
Jack Kenny
Townsman (uncredited)
Norman Kent
Buffalo Hunter (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw
Stationmaster (uncredited)
Ted Mapes
Bartender (uncredited)
Gregg Martell
Mossman - Cavalryman (uncredited)
Bill McKenzie
Boy at Rifle Shoot (uncredited)
Jennings Miles
Stagecoach Driver (uncredited)
Frank Mills
Townsman (uncredited)
Kansas Moehring
Contest Spectator (uncredited)
Lew Morphy
Contest Shooter (uncredited)
Virginia Mullen
Mrs. Jameson (uncredited)
Norman Ollestad
Stable Boy (uncredited)
Larry Olsen
Boy at Rifle Shoot (uncredited)
Bud Osborne
Man (uncredited)
Jack Perry
Townsman (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson
Long Tom (uncredited)
Tom Smith
Townsman (uncredited)
Charles Soldani
Town Indian (uncredited)
Forrest Taylor
Target Clerk (voice) (uncredited)
Tony Taylor
Boy (uncredited)
Ray Teal
Marshall Noonan (uncredited)
John War Eagle
Indian Interpreter (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson
Virgil Earp (uncredited)
Henry Wills
Contest Spectator (uncredited)
Duke York
Man (uncredited)
Chief Yowlachie
Indian at Rifle Shoot (uncredited)

John Chard

Some things a man has to do, so he does 'em. This is a story of the Winchester Rifle Model 1873 "The Gun That Won The West" - To cowman, outlaw, peace officer or soldier, the Winchester 73 was a treasured possession. An Indian would sell his soul to own one... Winchester '73 is the first collaboration between director Anthony Mann and actor James Stewart, a duo that would go on to create a run of superior Westerns that added a new psychological depth to the genre. The story sees Stewart as Lin McAdam, who is pursuing the man who killed his father. Riding into Dodge City with his trusty friend, Johnny Williams (Millard Mitchell), Lin runs into Dutch Henry Brown (Stephen McNally), the man he wants. But with Wyatt Earp (Will Geer) having taken all the guns from those entering the town, both men are unable to have the shoot-out that they are ready for. The men instead square up in a competition to win a Winchester 73 rifle, a competition that Lin eventually wins. But before he can leave town with the magnificent prize, Dutch ambushes him, steals the rifle and skips town fast. As Lin sets off in hate filled pursuit of both man and rifle, the rifle will changed hands a number of times, with each time adding another dimension as the day of reckoning for all approaches. Very much a benchmark for what became known as the so-called "psychological Western", Winchester '73 is basically a story of a decent man driven to borderline insanity by an event in his past. Though shot in black and white (the only one of the duos Westerns that was) the landscapes are still breath taking feasts for the eyes. The tone is set with the opening scene as Lin and Johnny on horseback, and in silhouette, amble over a hillside as they make their way to Dodge City. It's just the starting point that would see Mann use his vistas as a way of running concurrent with his characters emotional states. Stewart gives one of his finest and most intense performances as McAdam, proving once and for all that he was one of America's finest and most versatile actors. The support cast isn't too bad either. Shelley Winters is excellent as the sole female in amongst the machismo, while Mitchell, McNally, Geer and the always great Dan Duryea add further class to proceedings. There's even bit parts for Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson in here, though the latter playing an Indian brave is a stretch too far. Originally the film was a project for Fritz Lang, who even had the script ready to run. But Lang walked away from it, something that proved to be a blessing for Western fans. For as great as a director that Lang was, with Mann directing (and with a new script from Borden Chase & Robert Richards in hands) it set the wheels in motion to alter the course of the genre. Not only with the further efforts that Mann & Stewart produced, but also in who they influenced. The likes of Budd Boetticher, Nicholas Ray and Sam Fuller were all taking notes, and gleefully for the Western purists, they followed suit and carried the psychological torch still further. A big hit at the box office back on release, Winchester '73 is a magnificent film that still packs a punch in the modern age. 9/10

Wuchak

_**Dynamic James Stewart Western with a noir tinge**_ The prize rifle of a drifter (James Stewart) is stolen by his nemesis (Stephen McNally), apprehended by a gun-trader (John McIntire), involved in a cavalry vs. Indian clash, winds up in the hands of a man who struggles with cowardice (Charles Drake) before being swiped by a charismatic outlaw (Dan Duryea). Meanwhile Lin McAdam (Stewart) pursues it with his faithful pardner (Millard Mitchell). While "Winchester ‘73" (1950) was shot in flat B&W, it’s a compelling action-packed Western with noir touches highlighted by the notable cast, which also includes Will Geer and Shelly Winters (when she was young, fit and voluptuous, not to mention spunky). Also look for Rock Hudson as the lead brave Young Bull and Tony Curtis as a besieged cavalry trooper. The movie throws in Dodge City, Kansas, and a surprisingly congenial, almost bumbling (and too-old) Wyatt Earp (Geer) even though it’s clear that the film was shot in southern Arizona. For instance, the saguaro cactus is native to the Sonoran Desert and not within 800 miles of Dodge City. But Tascosa, Texas, works okay within the framework of the Southwest, I guess. Basically, you have to ignore some misleading geography and a dubious Wyatt Earp to enjoy the picture. The film runs 1 hour, 32 minutes, and was shot mainly in southern Arizona with studio stuff done at Universal Studios, California, with some exterior shots of Zion National Park, Utah. GRADE: B


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