The Naked Spur (1953)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Sam Rolfe (written by) and
Harold Jack Bloom (written by)

Release Date:

3 August 1953 (Sweden)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

Packed with Technicolor Thrills!

Plot:

A bounty hunter trying to bring a murderer to justice is forced to accept the help of two less-than-trustworthy strangers.

Plot Keywords:

Bounty Hunter | Kansas | Prospector | Greed | Escape Attempt

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

James Stewart	...	Howard Kemp
Janet Leigh	...	Lina Patch
Robert Ryan	...	Ben Vandergroat
Ralph Meeker	...	Roy Anderson
Millard Mitchell	...	Jesse Tate

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | UK:A (original rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Canada:G (video rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:G | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #16067)

Filming Locations:

Durango, Colorado, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

In Germany all films get dubbed, and at that time even the titles were translated. Thus it happened that in the German dubbed version James Stewart's name is spelled wrong in the front credits, with a d in the end.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the opening sequence when Jesse Tate turns to face Howard Kemp, in one shot (from behind him) his hands are low (behind him). In the next shot from behind Kemp, Jesse's hands are raised.

Quotes:

Roy Anderson: [Observing how hard it will be to get Vandergroat off the mountain] Looks like you got a real interestin' problem in logistics.

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995) (TV)

One of Stewart's best performances

The Naked Spur is a startling film, an adult western that pushes Jimmy Stewart's anti-hero to the brink of his own humanity. A morality play in some respects, the film sometimes feels like what "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" would be if the gold was a living, scheming, malevolent human being - Robert Ryan fulfills this role and drives the film with his devilish prodding of the "partners."

The film cranks up the desperation of its characters. They're all losers of some kind - Meeker's discharged soldier, the old prospector who's never struck gold, and most pitifully, Jimmy Stewart's emasculated Howie, who lost everything by trusting in love. Stewart constantly attempts to shed his decency and humanity, but in the end he can't - nor will Janet Leigh let him. At the film's shocking climax, it is she who pulls him back, just as he drags the body from the raging torrent. Stunning.