WINCHESTER '73 (1950) B/W 92m dir: Anthony Mann

w/James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, Millard Mitchell, Charles Drake, John McIntyre, Will Geer, Jay C. Flippen, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis

Better-than-average western drama about a man who trails a killer and a gun through a series of adventures until an old score is settled.

From The Movie Guide: "The first collaboration between director Mann and actor Stewart, a team that would create a series of superior westerns that added a new, psychological dimension to the genre. ...

"WINCHESTER '73 was the first of the so-called 'psychological' westerns that became the benchmark of the genre in the 1950s. Mann and Stewart present a basically decent hero driven to the brink of madness by dark forces from his past. Played out against breathtaking landscapes that reflect the emotional turmoil of the main characters, Mann's film gives us one of Stewart's greatest performances, his manic intensity evoking both terror and pathos. The supporting cast is fine, with both Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson appearing in small roles.

"WINCHESTER '73 was once a project for Fritz Lang, who worked on the script with Silvia Richards in 1948. Lang eventually walked away from the film, and Mann took over at Stewart's suggestion. Beginning a collaboration that would last through two more westerns (BEND OF THE RIVER, 1952, and THE FAR COUNTRY, 1955), Mann rewrote the script with Borden Chase. WINCHESTER '73 was a great success at the box office and reestablished Stewart (who was suffering a decline in popularity) as one of Hollywood's top actors. In addition to providing both star and director with a career boost, the film launched a whole new series of adult westerns directed by such notables as Mann, Budd Boetticher, Don Siegel, Sam Fuller, and Nicholas Ray."