Yellow Sky (1948)

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Lamar Trotti (screenplay)
W.R. Burnett (story)

Release Date:

December 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Western

Tagline:

It was a moment for being a woman for only a woman's weapon could keep her alive... now!

Plot:

Pistol-packing tomboy, and grandfather come to discover band of bank robbing bandits taking refuge in the neighboring ghost town.

Plot Keywords:

Ghost Town | Prospector | Bank Robber | Deep Focus | Thirst

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	James 'Stretch' Dawson
Anne Baxter	...	Constance Mae 'Mike'
Richard Widmark	...	Dude
Robert Arthur	...	Bull Run
John Russell	...	Lengthy
Harry Morgan	...	Half Pint (as Henry Morgan)
James Barton	...	Grandpa
Charles Kemper	...	Walrus
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Wellman Jr.	...	Boy in Hayloft (scenes deleted)
Robert Adler	...	Jed (uncredited)
Ray Beltram	...	Indian (uncredited)
Harry Carter	...	Cavalry Lieutenant (uncredited)
William Gould	...	Banker (uncredited)
Eula Guy	...	Woman Bank Customer (uncredited)
Paul Hurst	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Victor Kilian	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Norman Leavitt	...	Bank teller (uncredited)
José Sáenz	...	Indian (uncredited)
Jay Silverheels	...	Indian (uncredited)
Norm Taylor	...	Indian (uncredited)
Hank Worden	...	Rancher, Bank Customer (uncredited)
Chief Yowlachie	...	Colorado (uncredited)

Directed by
William A. Wellman

Writing credits
Lamar Trotti		(screenplay)
W.R. Burnett		(story)

Produced by
Lamar Trotti	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Joseph MacDonald		(as Joe MacDonald)

Film Editing by
Harmon Jones

Art Direction by
Albert Hogsett
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Ernest Lansing
Thomas Little

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
Bernard Freericks	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Martha Crawford	....	stunt double: Anne Baxter (uncredited)
Jock Mahoney	....	stunt double: Gregory Peck (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director (as Charles LeMaire)
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (as Edward Powell)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1949) (France) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1948) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• atlas Film (1966) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Comet Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• U.S. Department of Interior  acknowledgment: assistance of the National Park Service

Runtime:

98 min | 95 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #13224) | West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Gregory Peck initially felt he was miscast as the bank robber.

Movie Connections:

Version of "BBC Play of the Month: The Tempest (#3.8)" (1968)

A rare gem of a western that never really got its due appreciation.

This western has adventure, romance, passion, and a very heartwarming ending. The stars, Gregory Peck and Anne Baxter, have great chemistry and their acting is just wonderful. Anne Baxter is feisty and really shines in this movie. Although the movie is over half a century old, it is nonetheless very entertaining and delivers on all fronts.