Winchester '73 (1950)

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Robert L. Richards (screenplay) &
Borden Chase (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

12 July 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

In a marksmanship contest, Lin McAdam wins a prized Winchester rifle, which is immediately stolen by the runner-up...

Plot Keywords:

Rifle | Prize | Shooting | Contest | Brother

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

James Stewart	...	Lin McAdam
Shelley Winters	...	Lola Manners
Dan Duryea	...	Waco Johnnie Dean
Stephen McNally	...	Dutch Henry Brown
Millard Mitchell	...	High Spade Frankie Wilson
Charles Drake	...	Steve Miller
John McIntire	...	Joe Lamont
Will Geer	...	Wyatt Earp
Jay C. Flippen	...	Sgt. Wilkes
Rock Hudson	...	Young Bull
John Alexander	...	Jack Riker
Steve Brodie	...	Wesley
James Millican	...	Wheeler
Abner Biberman	...	Latigo Means
Tony Curtis	...	Doan (as Anthony Curtis)

Also Known As:

Montana Winchester (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Norway:16 | West Germany:12 (nf) | Australia:G | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #14546) | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Mescal, Arizona, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

The filmmakers did not have the budget to pay James Stewart his requested fee of $200,000, so he suggested they take the then-unusual step of paying him a cut of the profits instead. This deal, the first of its kind since the advent of talkies, would soon become the norm and change the studio-agent-actor relationship, leading to the demise of the long-term contract and the studio system. Stewart is believed to have made around $600,000 from this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the end of the movie, when Lin McAdam rides towards Dutch's cover, we see Lin's shadow projected to his right side and in the next shot to his left side.

Quotes:

High-Spade Frankie Wilson: We've hit a lot of towns, Lin. What makes you think he'll be here?
Lin McAdam: He'll be here.
High-Spade Frankie Wilson: We've been wrong before.
Lin McAdam: He'll be here.
High-Spade Frankie Wilson: On account of that?
[High-Spade indicates the Winchester '73 rifle that is the top prize at Dodge City's Fourth of July shooting competition]
Lin McAdam: If he isn't here already, that gun'll bring him.

Movie Connections:

Featured in MacArthur (1977)

One Of The Better Westerns Of That Era

I was very impressed with this film. I would have to rate it as one of the better classic-era westerns. I say that for the whole thing: the acting, mature dialog, no- nonsense story and excellent cinematography.

Director Anthony Mann, who did several well-photographed film noirs around this same era, also made some westerns such as this one. It has that same film-noir look. Mann and Jimmy Stewart collaborated on several westerns during this period. . If you like this movie, I recommend the Mann-Stewart film "Bend Of The River."

In a nutshell, the story is about a man, "Lin McAdam," (Stewart) who owns this prestigious Winchester 73 rifle, a weapon he won fair-and-square in a contest. It is then stolen and passed on from villain to villain. All of those villains are interesting characters.

Aiding Stewart act out this interesting tale are Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, Millard Mitchell, Charles Drake, Will Greer and J. C. Flippen. All of them are fun to watch. It was a bit of a stretch, however, to see Rock Hudson playing an Indian ("Young Bull"), but you can't have everything.