The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Lamar Trotti (writer)
Walter Van Tilburg Clark (novel)

Release Date:

21 May 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Plot:

Two drifters are passing through a Western town, when news comes in that a local farmer has been murdered and his cattle stolen...

Plot Keywords:

Letter | Cult Western | Mexican | Film Noir | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins

Cast

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
Ted North	...	Joyce
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
C.E. Anderson	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Stanley Andrews	...	Bartlett (uncredited)
Hank Bell	...	Red (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Green (uncredited)
Paul E. Burns	...	Winder (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	Jimmy Cairnes (uncredited)
Tex Cooper	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Forrest Dillon	...	Mark (uncredited)
Dan Dix	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Larry Dods	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Tex Driscoll	...	Posse nember (uncredited)
Francis Ford	...	Halva Harvey (uncredited)
Margaret Hamilton	...	Mrs. Larch (uncredited)
Rondo Hatton	...	Gabe Hart (uncredited)
Don House	...	Posse member (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Moore (uncredited)
Tom London	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Frank McGrath	...	Posse member (uncredited)
George Meeker	...	Mr. Swanson (uncredited)
Frank Orth	...	Larry Kinkaid (uncredited)
George Plues	...	Alec Small (uncredited)
Ed Richard	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Dick Rich	...	Deputy Butch Mapes (uncredited)
Walt Robbins	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Almira Sessions	...	Miss Swanson (uncredited)
Clint Sharp	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Ben Watson	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Leigh Whipper	...	Sparks (uncredited)

Directed by
William A. Wellman

Writing credits
Lamar Trotti		(writer)
Walter Van Tilburg Clark		(novel)

Produced by
Lamar Trotti	....	producer

Original Music by
Cyril J. Mockridge

Cinematography by
Arthur C. Miller		(director of photography) (as Arthur Miller)

Film Editing by
Allen McNeil

Art Direction by
James Basevi
Richard Day

Set Decoration by
Frank E. Hughes
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Earl Luick

Makeup Department
Guy Pearce	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ad Schaumer	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Video (video)
• Key Video (video)
• Neue Filmform Heiner Braun (1964) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Strange Incident (UK)

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG (video rating) | West Germany:12 | UK:A (original rating) | South Korea:12 (2003) (DVD rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #8590) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2006) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Director William A. Wellman loved the novel "The Ox-Bow Incident" and had long wanted to make it into a film, but the rights-holders insisted that he cast Mae West in any adaptation, which Wellman thought was ridiculous. Finally, Wellman bought the rights himself, and proceeded to make the film "his" way.

Goofs:

Continuity: Gil Carter (Fonda) pulls his gun out twice when the mob first arrives at the Ox-Bow.

Quotes:

hick1: Down in Texas, where I come from, we just go out and get a man and string him up.
hick2: That's right!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Beyond the 'Open Range' (2004) (V)

Posse mentality

"The Ox-Bow Incident" is a film that parallels the times we are living in many ways. Darryl Zanuck probably didn't even think much of this project that has proved to be a film admired by a lot of people that find in it, something that resonates with them.

William Wellman, the director, made an excellent film out of the adaptation by Lamar Trotti, of the Walter van Tilburg Clark's novel. The film, only 75 minutes long, packs a lot in a short period, something that other films, twice as long, fail to deliver. Arthur C. Miller's cinematography is an asset for the picture.

This film brought to mind another Henry Fonda film: "12 Angry Men", in which a more or less posse is trying to decide the fate of a young man accused of committing a heinous crime. In this film, we get a similar idea, in that the mob group that is formed will end up bringing the wrong kind of justice to the three unfortunate men that are deemed guilty and will be lynched; for all practical purposes these men would be proved innocent in a real court of justice.

Henry Fonda does an excellent job as Gil Carter. The biggest surprise though is the then unknown Dana Andrews, one of the men that is made to pay for a crime he didn't commit. Also, this is an early film in which Anthony Quinn appeared as one of the doomed men. The director got marvelous acting in general from the supporting cast, notably, Frank Conroy, William Eythe, Jane Darwell and Mary Beth Hughes.

This is a classic film to be treasured.