Ride Lonesome (1959)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Budd Boetticher

Writer:

Burt Kennedy (written by)

Release Date:

15 February 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

A wanted murderer, Billy John, is captured by Ben Brigade, a bounty hunter, who intends to take him to Santa Cruz to be hanged...

Plot Keywords:

Outlaw | Bounty Hunter | Revenge | Psychological Western | Captive

Cast

Randolph Scott	...	Ben Brigade
Karen Steele	...	Mrs. Carrie Lane
Pernell Roberts	...	Sam Boone
James Best	...	Billy John
Lee Van Cleef	...	Frank
James Coburn	...	Whit
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bennie E. Dobbins	...	Outlaw (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	...	Outlaw (uncredited)
Dyke Johnson	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	...	Outlaw (uncredited)
Boyd Stockman	...	Indian chief (uncredited)

Directed by
Budd Boetticher

Writing credits
Burt Kennedy		(written by)

Produced by
Budd Boetticher	....	producer
Harry Joe Brown	....	executive producer
Randolph Scott	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Heinz Roemheld

Cinematography by
Charles Lawton Jr.		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jerome Thoms

Art Direction by
Robert Peterson

Set Decoration by
Frank Tuttle		(as Frank A. Tuttle)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jerrold Bernstein	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John P. Livadary	....	recording supervisor (as John Livadary)
Harry D. Mills	....	sound (as Harry Mills)

Stunts
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Boyd Stockman	....	stunts (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Henri Jaffa	....	color consultant

Music Department
Heinz Roemheld	....	conductor

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
• Ranown Pictures Corp. (as A Ranown Production)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Comet Video (????) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Pathé  Eastman Color by

Runtime:

73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (as Eastman Color)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:U | West Germany:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #19172)

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Feature film debut of 'James Coburn'.

Quotes:

Billy John: Brigade, whatever they're payin' you, its not enough. Not nearly enough.
Ben Brigade: I'd hunt you free.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Budd Boetticher: An American Original (2005) (V)

One of the best westerns of the late 50s

Tight, efficient western story (not a "saga") about a man who uses a prisoner to get his brother into the open for revenge. In the meantime he strings along a beautiful stranded woman and 2 outlaws who hope to kill Scott and turn his prisoner in for a pardon for themselves. The climax before the evil-looking "hanging tree" is very impressive, although the film could have built Van Cleef into a stronger villain (perhaps the realism of a villain who isn't all that bad was part of the plan). Excellent synergy of all the vital elements by the director in this, one of the best of the famed (and hard to find) Ranown films.