IMDb > The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
The Ox-Bow Incident
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The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) More at IMDbPro »


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Overview

User Rating:
8.2/10   8,204 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 11% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Contact:
View company contact information for The Ox-Bow Incident on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
21 May 1943 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
LYNCH LAW RULES THE MOB! (original print ad - all caps)
Plot:
Two drifters are passing through a Western town, when news comes in that a local farmer has been murdered and his cattle stolen... more | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Old Ass Movies: Go West With ‘The Ox-Bow Incident’
 (From FilmSchoolRejects. 28 June 2009, 9:45 AM, PDT)

Pre-Code Wellman and Godard's Code Unknown
 (From IFC. 31 March 2009, 7:17 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Classically brilliant more (84 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Henry Fonda ... Gil Carter

Dana Andrews ... Donald Martin
Mary Beth Hughes ... Rose Mapen / Rose Swanson

Anthony Quinn ... Juan Martínez / Francisco Morez
William Eythe ... Gerald Tetley
Harry Morgan ... Art Croft (as Henry Morgan)
Jane Darwell ... Jenny Grier
Matt Briggs ... Judge Daniel Tyler
Harry Davenport ... Arthur Davies
Frank Conroy ... Maj. Tetley
Marc Lawrence ... Jeff Farnley
Paul Hurst ... Monty Smith
Victor Kilian ... Darby
Chris-Pin Martin ... Poncho
Willard Robertson ... Sheriff
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Strange Incident (UK)
more
Runtime:
75 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2006) | South Korea:12 (2003) (DVD rating) | West Germany:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #8590) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The Hays Office--the industry's censors--initially was reluctant to approve the script because of its suggestion that the sheriff condoned the lynchings. The treatment of the lynchings and the characterization of those participating were discussed by the PCA and the studio at great length, and in a June 9, 1942 letter, PCA director Joseph Breen advised studio public relations head Jason S. Joy that the script would be approved if: "Major Tetley's" suicide is retained, "thus constituting a punishment for the ring-leader of the lynching party;" there is an indication that the whole gang will be arrested; the character of "Gil" is rewritten to make him less callous and more active in trying to stop the lynchings; and "Davies'" denunciation of the killings is retained. more
Goofs:
Continuity: During opening sequences when Fonda is at the bar, the whiskey he is drinking changes from clear to dark. more
Quotes:
Gerald Tetley: I saw your face. It was the face of a depraved, murderous beast. Only two things ever meant anything to you: power and cruelty. You can't feel pity. You can't even feel guilt. You knew they were innocent, but you were crazy to see them hanged. And to make me watch it... more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Fonda on Fonda (1992) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Great Camp Meeting in the Promised Land more

FAQ

What happened to the members of the lynch mob?
How closely does the movie follow the book?
Is this movie based on a novel?
more
22 out of 32 people found the following comment useful.
Classically brilliant, 12 August 2004
Author: MrBipp from Philly

This small, quiet western is big and loud when it comes to message. Beyond being a great film, written and directed brilliantly, with performances to match, it's a cautionary tale of the dangers of "group-think". Which we've all witnessed and been the victims of today in what happened with this misinformation amassed by the FBI and CIA in the War On Terror. A particularly brilliant scene is when henry Fonda reads a letter written by one of the men wrongly hanged at Ox Bow. The director obscures most of his face as he reads the letter so that the words of the soon-to-be dead man resound. The father/son relationship of two of the killers is so poignant. For an old-time western, this film is very today, very modern. The book which inspired the film is just as good. And the film is true to that book.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
How many fans think this Western is an example of Film Noir? ossurworld
How did Larry Kinkaid survive shot to the head? bkutach
The Significance of the Picture in the Bar Patrick_Hepburn
The Letter (spoilers) skindili
This is kind of the western version of 12 angry men filmgutten_432
Two important characters somewhat overlooked mlraymond
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