Day of the Outlaw (1959)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

André De Toth

Writers:

Lee E. Wells (novel)
Philip Yordan (screenplay)

Release Date:

July 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Cowboys and ranchers have to put their differences aside when a gang of outlaws, led by army captain Jack Bruhn...

Plot Keywords:

Outlaw | Winter | Based On Novel

Cast

Robert Ryan	...	Blaise Starrett
Burl Ives	...	Jack Bruhn
Tina Louise	...	Helen Crane
Alan Marshal	...	Hal Crane
Venetia Stevenson	...	Ernine, Vic's Daughter
David Nelson	...	Gene, Bruhn's Gang
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Dan, Starret's Foreman
Jack Lambert	...	Tex (Bruhn's gang)
Frank DeKova	...	Denver, Bruhn's Gang (as Frank deKova)
Lance Fuller	...	Pace, Bruhn's Gang
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Larry Teter (town barber) (as Elisha Cook)
Dabbs Greer	...	Doc Langer, Veterinarian
Betsy Jones-Moreland	...	Mrs. Preston (as Betsey Jones-Moreland)
Helen Westcott	...	Vivian
Donald Elson	...	Vic, General Store Owner

Also Known As:

Tag der Gesetzlosen (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Ase ja laki (Finland) [fi]
Ashimi mera ximeronei (Greece) [el]
Chevauchée des bannis, La (France) [fr]
Día del proscrito, El (Spain) [es]
Lovløses dag, De (Denmark) [da]
Notte senza legge, La (Italy) [it]

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Sound)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:(Banned) | UK:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #19266)

Company:

Security Pictures

Quotes:

Blaise Starrett: I'm through being reasonable. I told Crane what would happen if he strung that wire.
Dan, Starret's Foreman: Blaise, we've pulled over some hard hills together, and I've rode behind you all the way. But a wire fence is a poor excuse to make a widow out of Crane's wife. What have you been thinking about all winter - Crane's barb wire fence, or Crane's pretty wife, Helen?

Robert Ryan Rides Again

This is an uncommon, stark western starring the versatile Robert Ryan in tough guy mode, as a ruthless cattleman at odds with homesteaders in a tiny, bleak western town. As he is about to settle a feud with a local farmer, Burl Ives and his band of sadistic thugs ride into town and hold the citizens hostage. As Ives tries to keep his men from raping the women, Ryan must find a way to save the town, and redeem himself in the process.

Beautiful outdoor photography and solid acting combine with an unusual story line to make this a very interesting, tense flick. The movie eschews the usual western cliches in favor of maintaining a somber, moral tone. Ives excels as an internally conflicted villain. And Ryan, as always, is the man.