Broken Lance (1954)

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Richard Murphy (screenplay)
Philip Yordan (story)

Release Date:

25 September 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

Fury of the West's Most Lawless Feud!

Plot:

Cattle baron Matt Devereaux raids a copper smelter that is polluting his water, then divides his property among his sons...

Plot Keywords:

Flashback | Racial Slur | Half Brother | Courtroom | Family Relationships

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Matt Devereaux
Robert Wagner	...	Joe Devereaux
Jean Peters	...	Barbara
Richard Widmark	...	Ben Devereaux
Katy Jurado	...	Señora Devereaux
Hugh O'Brian	...	Mike Devereaux
Eduard Franz	...	Two Moons
Earl Holliman	...	Denny Devereaux
E.G. Marshall	...	Horace - The Governor
Carl Benton Reid	...	Clem Lawton
Philip Ober	...	Van Cleve
Robert Burton	...	Mac Andrews

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Germany:16 | Finland:K-16 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #16964, General Audience) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Had a premier at Graumans Chinese Theater in Hollywood. A huge sign was erected which extended over the forecourt proclaiming "CINEMASCOPE - TRACY-WIDMARK - BROKEN LANCE" in huge letters.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Matt is seen riding toward his sons off the side of the hill, he is sitting astride his horse, and his right hand is held up holding the reins, but when his son Ben takes him off his horse, he is already dead.

Quotes:

Van Cleve: I now ask you, sir, do you remember the names Charlie Monger, Red Dog Johnson or Carlos Rameriez?
Matt Devereaux: No.
Van Cleve: The incident may be too trivial to recall. But isn't it true that you summarily hanged three of these men on the afternoon of June 4th?
Matt Devereaux: They were stealing my cattle!
Van Cleve: I thought you didn't remember them.
Matt Devereaux: I didn't ask their names!
Van Cleve: You just hanged 'em?
Matt Devereaux: By the neck until they were dead. They were thieves!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Memories of 'Giant' (1998) (V)

Broken House

Saw Broken Lance last nite on Encore Western. It's my second viewing. I really enjoyed Spencer Tracy and Kathy Jurado. Tracy is worth the price of admission and Jurado's sad eyes never fail to draw me in. To those who say it's a play on Joseph & his Brothers, I'm sorry I don't agree. Beyond the superficial similarities, Jacob's sons wouldn't have dreamed of disobeying him, let alone harming him the way the Deveraux boys (Widmark, Holliman, O'Brian) do.

The film has what I believe to be the best film courtroom sequences ever, i.e. the cross-examination of Matt Deveraux.

Definitely worth seeing.