The Man from Laramie
Directed by Anthony Mann
1955/USA
Columbia Pictures Corporation/William Goetz Productions
First viewing
#295 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
[box] Will Lockhart: You’re just a hard, scheming old woman, aren’t you?
Kate Canady: Ugly, too.[/box]
This is a Technicolor Cinemascope Western set in the wide open spaces of New Mexico. Its “noir” elements come from the revenge obsession of its protagonist and a psychopathic bad guy.
Will Lockhart (James Stewart) rides into town with a mule train bearing supplies from Laramie. His secret mission is to avenge the death of his brother, a cavalryman who was killed in a massacre by Apaches armed with repeating rifles. Will suspects that the rifles were supplied by white men.
On his way out of town, Will decides to load up his empty wagons with salt from a lagoon. He is soon set on by Dave Waggoman (Alex Nichol) of the Barb Ranch, who believes he owns everything within a 300 mile radius. Dave takes sadistic glee in hog-tieing Will, burning his wagons and shooting his mules. He is only restrained by the arrival of ranch foreman Vic Hansbro (Arthur Kennedy). Dave is the son of patriarch Alec Waggoman (Donald Crisp) and Vic has been raised as his brother and charged with responsibility of keeping crazy Dave under control.
Each attack on Will makes him more determined to stay in town. The rest of the film follows Will’s revenge quest, his numerous reverses, and the Cain and Abel struggle between Dave and Vic. With Cathy O’Donnell as Vic’s fiancée, Aline MacMahon as a neighboring rancher, and Jack Elam as the town drunk.
There were several moments during this movie when I had to scratch my head as things just did not compute. It seemed like portions were cut out and there was no exposition to prepare for some of the plot developments. This also featured more gratuitous and graphic violence than the modern-day noirs I have been viewing. There was nothing wrong with any of the performances or the directing but it wasn’t a comfortable experience for me. The music is very nice except for the truly lame theme song.
Clip – attack on the mule train
