Directed by Anthony Mann
Cowboy Lin McAdam wins a prized Winchester rifle in a contest, only to have it stolen by a rival. Unbeknownst to McAdam (James Stewart), the rival is actually his long lost brother who had murdered their father, thus setting off an epic, Cain-and-Abel struggle between good and evil. As the gun changes hands several times, the cowboy doggedly, one might say obsessively to the point of neurosis, pursues the killer and the coveted rifle. Written by classic Western novelist and screenwriter Borden Chase, Winchester ’73 helped kick off a tidal wave of complex, adult Westerns in the 1950s that eschewed the genre’s previously black and white morality. Meanwhile, Anthony Mann’s incredibly economic and dark direction and William Daniel’s breathtakingly beautiful cinematography give Winchester ’73 a sweeping scope that have earned the film a reputation as a true masterpiece.
With this film, Stewart became Universal’s most popular Western star, changing his previous image as a city slicker and light comedian to that of a hardboiled, but also morally ambiguous Westerner who can stand up to Dan Duryea’s nearly psychotic gang leader. Ironically, Stewart almost didn’t take the role, because the producers could not match his $250,000 fee, until MCA agent Lew Wasserman brokered a percentage deal, the first of its kind in the sound film era, which earned the actor more than $600,000. Percentage deals would soon become an industry norm, upending the relationship between studios, agents and talent and contributing to the demise of long-term contracts and the studio system.
The film revitalized Stewart’s career after a number of post war flops and a growing reputation as an acting lightweight. It was Stewart who suggested Mann to direct after Fritz Lang pulled out of the project. The pair would go on to produce several more masterpieces together, including Bend of the River (1957), The Naked Spur (1953), and The Man From Laramie (1955). Also, look for Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis in tiny roles, before both became stars at Universal.
—Jan-Christopher Horak
Universal-International Pictures. Producer: Aaron Rosenberg. Screenwriter: Robert L. Richards, Borden Chase. Cinematographer: William Daniels. Editor: Edward Curtiss. Cast: James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, Rock Hudson.
35mm, b/w, 92 min.
Watch the trailer below.
