He rides to Prescott, Arizona to start a new life again. was (1948) which he co-wrote. The attempts at 3-D effects are pretty laughable in their earnestness, and for an action movie, an awful lot of the actual action occurs just off-screen -- saving money on stuntmen and stagecoaches, I suppose, but diluting the feel of the down-and-dirty Western this clearly wants to be taken for. According to De Toth, Scotts double, who was riding next to Borgnine, missed his mark. Gene Nelson and excellent location shooting on the streets of Los Angeles; He decides to settle in Prescott . The scene now shifts to the Mississippi after the war, where Travis has become a card player on a riverboat. In the show, however, the approach has been changed. for depicting the Native Americans with more depth than contemporary This was odd in a way as he only had one eye and could not appreciate 3D at all. I mean, if Randolph Scott used one, well Actually John Wayne had one too, Betsy, in Big Jake. George Macready, who belongs in things like "Gilda" rather than oaters like this, kept getting shoved into Randolph Scott Westerns (four of them). He was a man whose shoes shined. And it's easy to see why it was used so often in inexpensive Westerns like this. Moments after Josie departs, Kurth and another Mourret henchman, Bull Slager, break into Jeff's room, demanding to know the location of the gold. Sold by: The location shooting was done at Movie Flats off Route 395 near Lone Pine, California, and, along with a lot of faces in this film, will be familiar to experienced moviegoers. Outside of this minor distraction, the story is a good one concerning the aftermath of Quantrill's Raiders involving one of his spies, Jeff Travis (Randy Scott), who is determined to run away from his past and begin a new life. Released July 30th, 1953, 'The Stranger Wore a Gun' stars Randolph Scott, Claire Trevor, Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine The PG movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 23 min, and received a user score of. The 28-year-old performer cut a . Neither of them knew much about stories. I'll watch anything Randolph Scott did in the Fifties and Sixties, but this one was an absolute chore. 5 star's seller. They were mixed: some, like Riding Shotgun (1954), were superb, whereas others, like The Stranger Wore a Gun, were average. James Millican is Quantrill in this one, a bloodthirsty crook who disgusts Randy, obliging him to abandon the guerrillas and he enlists in the official Confederate army instead (maybe a reference to Cole Younger). Richard Armitage (The Hobbit series) stars in the lead role, alongside Hannah John-Kamen of Ant-Man and the Wasp. Not terribly original. When Jeff learns Quantrill intends to keep the spoils instead of using them for the Southern cause, he flees, enlisting in the Confederate Army, where he serves out the remaining war years. Starring Dick Powell, Lizabeth Scott and Jeff then has to inform Mouret about the shipment, and then his thugs - Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine - intercept the shipment, but Jeff changes sides when one of the jehu's (stagecoach driver) gets killed. But it is far from his best effort. View cart for details. Manchester City Centre, Ancoats, St Peters Square and Whalley Range feature in some of the important scenes in the show. The locale also works into the story so deep that a number of things in the book had to be changed. as a cameraman for cinematographer Istvan Eiben. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Jeff Arnold 2023 All rights reserved Designed by. I saw this movie in a naval base movie theatre, in, I think, 1956. TV Shows. The other 3-D film he directed was "House of Wax.". Some weeks later, Jeff arrives in Prescott, Arizona as a gang of thieves, headed by sophisticate Jules Mourret, makes an unsuccessful attempt to hold up a Conroy Stage Line coach, run by Jason Conroy and his daughter Shelby. Raymond Burr, this story of a bored insurance salesman who embarks on an from 1910 to 1913. That's Anna Magnani territory. Randolph Scott, Claire Trevor, Joan Weldon, George Macready, Alfonso Bedoya, Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Roscoe Ates, Herbert Rawlinson, Richard Alexander, Jack Mower, Clem Bevans, Mike Lally, Forbes Murray, Sam Harris, Harold Miller, Harry 'Snub' Pollard, Pierre Watkin, Guy Wilkerson, Edward Earle, James Millican, Terry Frost, Al Haskell, Jack Tornek, Tom Smith, Robert Robinson, Francis McDonald, Franklyn Farnum, Cosmo Sardo, Reed Howes, Frank Hagney, Frank O'Connor, Bob Burns, Edith Evanson, Paul Maxey, Blackie Whiteford, Harry Seymour, Rayford Barnes, Joseph Vitale, Artie Ortego, Rudy Germane, Al Hill, Kansas Moehring, Frank J. Scannell, Bob Woodward, George Bruggeman, Victor Adamson, Mary Newton, Phil Tully - 1080p Yes | Goofs But it is far from his best effort. The whole place looks as if nature had put it there to be used as a spectacularly realistic phony movie set. Quantrill and his men were little more than terrorists, and it takes a while for this reality to dawn on Travis. They were both gentlemen, nice people." Also Known As Randolph Crane Birth Place Orange County, Virginia, USA Born January 23, 1898 Died March 02, 1987 Cause of Death Natural Causes Biography Read More Ruggedly handsome star who entered film as a bit player in 1929 as a result of a chance meeting with Howard Hughes. And Claire Trevor, so wonderful in "Dead End" and "Key Largo," is wasted here and one's heart goes out to the Oscar-winning actress for having to do such pot-boiling dreck as this a scant five years after winning that Oscar. One of the last jobs Travis took part in resulted in innocent victims being slaughtered. Jeff agrees, assuming the identity of Mark Stone, an insurance detective requested by the Conroys, and informs them he will masquerade as a stage guard to protect the gold. pre-owned With Andre de Toth directing, it really should have been something. Jeff makes it out with only minor burns on his hands. Purchase The Stranger Wore a Gun on digital and stream instantly or download offline. Apart from Manchester, The Stranger also features the backdrops of neighbouring cities like Bolton, Stockport and Eccles. Entertaining. This means that the characters are closer to each other than they appear, which is why the setting of the show becomes even more important. In a way, the film The Stranger Wore a Gun is Borgnine's big-screen debut, and (although he pretended otherwise in order to win the role) was also the first time he ever rode a non-carousel horse! At least they didnt ride those fake horses in the studio. Following a fracas on a riverboat, he ends up in Prescott, Arizona, just as the capital of the territory is being moved to Phoenix because of the lack of law and order in the town. What is the French language plot outline for The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953)? After obtaining his law film as he could not experience the stereoscopic process, having lost an eye | This is the first time in my life that I was on a damned horse., Years later, Joan Weldon met Claire Trevor at a party. After the stage driver Jim is gunned down in a stage robbery, Jeff turns honest again and vows to avenge Jim. When Weldon reminded her that they had done a film together, The Stranger Wore a Gun, Trevor said, Remember you? 1 Hour 22 Minutes. Jeff goes to Degas' hideout, where he finds Mourret's man, but intending to set a trap for Degas, tells him about the $100,000 transport and offers to kill Mourret for a third of the gold. I mean, come on, he's has to tangle with both Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin. Bull tries to sneak his gun out but Josie yells and throws a lamp setting the saloon on fire. Jeff Travis, a spy for Quantrill's Raiders, leaves when he he realizes Quantrill's true nature. When Travis arrives in Prescott, power lines are visible in the background. the stranger wore a gun location . There's also a love triangle, involving Scott, Claire Trevor, and Joan Weldon. According to information in the file on the film in the MPAA/PCA Collection at the AMPAS Library, the script was originally rejected because of its "shocking violence(and) acts of vicious brutality and gruesomeness." The change in structure not only makes the story more compact but also limits the impact of it by a stretch. He immigrated to the US in 1942 and directed his first film there in 1944. Synopsis: Having been a spy for Quantrill's raiders during the Civil War, Jeff Travis thinking himself a wanted man, flees to Prescott Arizona where he runs into Jules Mourret who knows of his past. Later, everything imaginable is thrown at the camera, a chair, a jug, the kitchen sink. Originally photographed in 3-D, but often only exhibited in flat prints after its initial first and second run engagements. No wonder directors are often so worried about how their test audience will respond to their film. For In any case she saves him when Yankees recognize him as the spy of Lawrence. Your email address will not be published. It stars Randolph Scott, Claire Trevor, Joan Weldon, George Macready, Alfonso Bedoya, Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine and Pierre Watkin. Horrendous dialogue, terrible editing (the big gunfight in the mountains is unintelligible until the principals gather to rehash what just happened), and some really bad acting (not so much from Scott, Borgnine, or Marvin, but pretty much everybody else. Manchester has served as a primary filming spot for a number of TV shows in the UK. of which was the World War II action film Play Dirty (1968), Sold by: After the smoke clears, Scott and Macready remain, and they shoot it out in a top-notch action sequence in a flaming saloon. After the war, he narrowly escapes a gang looking for Quantrill's war criminals by jumping off a river boat, thanks to Josie's warning. Scott's character is a former spy for a outlaw group of confederate guerillas. Randolph Scott was always well worth watching, well when his acting style matured, especially his work with one of his most prolific directors Budd Boetticher (i.e. He fled to England before World War II where he worked with Alexander Korda. His biggest commercial hit came with House of Wax (1953), the movie It was directed by Andr de Toth, too. director of photography (as Lester H. White) sculptor rebuilding his wax figure collection (destroyed by fire) by making statues out of Having been a spy for Quantrill's raiders during the Civil War, Jeff Travis thinking himself a wanted man, flees to Prescott Arizona where he runs into Jules. Randolph Scott had been a "Semi-hero" of mine in the late thirties and the forties. This is not always death to a film but in this case it seems that no one really knew the point of telling the story. In reality the stranger with gun savvy is working with a strong willed loyalist(George Macready) to the Confederation trying to discover where scads of gold is being hid. Its in nice color and acceptably photographed by Lester White, who did quite a lot of second-feature movies and TV Westerns (especially Rin Tin Tin and The Roy Rogers Show) over the years but nothing really special. There are quite a few surprises in this film. Jeff Travis: A man's only as good as his cards. GREATER THAN EVER IN 3-D! During the sack of Lawrence we understand that we are watching a 3D movie as a torch is thrown at the camera and then guns are fired directly at us. But The Stranger Wore a Gun is not one of them. Randolph Scott plays a man who worked, briefly, for Quantrell and his evil raiders during the Civil War. For more information on Quantrill's Raiders, see the entry for the 1940 Republic film Dark Command in AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40. Shelby: Joan Weldon. Technicolor/3-Dimension production, music is by Mischa Bakaleinikoff and cinematography by Lester White. "Once you learn to toss your conscience out the window, nothing matters. In this movie, he was so old, and so slow drawing his gun, that they had to speed up the film to make it look like he was drawing his gun fast. When one of Mourret's men kills the driver of the wagon, Travis schemes a plan to get rid of the gang. Watchlist. These include Lee Marvin, already teamed with Ernest Borgnine, with whom he soon made such an ugly pair of heavies in 'Bad Day at Black Rock' (the two of them vying with Alfonso Bedoya to see who can show the most teeth while grimacing). 1953. Trevor didnt recognize Weldon. Alfonso Bedoya is a joy to watch, as always, not because of his acting, which is abominable, but because it's so much fun trying to figure out what it is he's doing with his mouth to make him sound that way. Borgnine and Lee Marvin are both fun to watch, in these early career roles. Jeff then informs Mourret that the next stage gold shipment is to be $100,000 and says the Conroys have assigned him to drive. Ones that were watchable at least for namely Scott but not must sees. He did that in A Lawless Street, too, thus disproving the Jeff Arnold Derringer Hypothesis (JADH) that derringers were exclusively reserved for crooked gamblers, ladies and city slickers. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Veteran scenarist Kenneth Gamet of several Randolph Scott westerns, including "Coroner Creek" and "Ten Wanted Men," based his screenplay on the story "Yankee Gold" written by "High Noon" author John W. Cunningham. Soundtracks, Although the film was another 3-D film by director Andre De Toth, he only had one eye and would never be able to see the result of the process. Claire Trevor is getting older, will Mr. Scott still choose her; or, will the sweet young thing give him a spin? Director Andr De Toth Writers Kenneth Gamet (screenplay) John W. Cunningham (based upon"Yankee Gold" by) Stars Randolph Scott Claire Trevor Joan Weldon See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist small town and matching wits with one of its citizens (Robert Ryan). Having been shot in 3-D, expect a lot of guns to be pointed at you and sometimes shot, fire coming at the camera, and even rock formations in Lone Pine to appear to have shelves. the best of all three-dimensional films to be released during that period. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. In any case, this film has its own tale to tell, and the performances of Scott, Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine are solid. Randolph Scott Collection: The Stranger Wore a Gun / Western Union / 7th Cavalry ( The Stranger Wore a Gun / Western Union / 7th Cavalry ) Product details MPAA rating : Unrated (Not Rated) Package Dimensions : 7.64 x 5.43 x 1.73 inches; 7.05 Ounces Director : Andr De Toth, Fritz Lang, Joseph H. Lewis degree from the University of Budapest, he began acting, writing and working Scott was a straight-forward actor and here he is asked to deal with complications that are beyond his range. The premise sounded interesting as was seeing how early 3D would fare. Macready was a great villain but not a western villain. During the American Civil War, the Quantrill's raiders use the spy Jeff Travis (Randolph Scott) to plunder the city of Lawrence, in Kansas, and Travis leaves Quantrill when he sees the massacre of the town. But he had a tremendous inferiority complex about his acting ability, and that made him stiffhe was Randy Scott. I have a feeling that a lot of The Stranger Wore a Gun was left on the cutting room floor and if someone's ever interested in a director's cut it might explain some of the holes in this story. Verified purchase: Claire Trevor.. About filming in Manchester, Coben said: We filmed all across Manchester for the most part, as well as places around the city like Bolton. Travis leaves Quantrill and heads west to Arizona, where he takes a job spying for a stage company trying to protect their gold shipments. They've been making movies up there for years. Randolph Scott heads out to Arizona and takes up with George Macready. (uncredited) Cinematography by Lester White . Gamet was one of the preferred screenwriters of Randolph Scott but with the exception of the excellent Coroners Creek (where he adapted a superb Luke Short story) his scripts werent very good in my opinion, and it was quite often the writing that let Scotts oaters down. Mourret is unsuccessful trying to steal the money and gold transported by the company but is frequently lured by Jason Conroy (Pierre Watkin); he intends to use Travis to get inside information about the transportation of gold. To view this content, please use one of the following compatible browsers: A gold robber tries to reform in the middle of a big heist. An ok western with a pretty good cast that's a little wasted (not in a Cheech N Chong way). Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Stranger Wore a Gun DVD at the best online prices at eBay! This is why I have chosen Manchester for a location, where the book might be set in New Jersey, he said. Bull keeps trying to shoot Jeff but Josie pulls his gun hand down allowing Jeff to shoot him and Josie escapes. Ninety percent of a good film is due to casting. Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. To muddy the water a damsel in distress appears, pretty Shelby Conroy (Joan Weldon), who seems shy and innocent. The crew was also spotted filming at the Peel Memorial outside Bury Parish Church on The Rock. early artistic bent, having his first exhibit of paintings and sculpture at Was it supposed to be entertaining? After tying up Jeff, Kurth departs to get Mourret, and Jeff convinces Slager he will split the gold with him. Jeff Travis (Randolph Scott), a spy for Quantrill's Raiders, leaves when he realizes Quantrill's true nature and enlists in the confederate army.