Directed by:
Jack ArnoldScreenplay:
Gene L. CoonCinematography:
Arthur E. ArlingCast:
Jeff Chandler, Orson Welles, Colleen Miller, Ben Alexander, Barbara Lawrence, John Larch, James Gleason, Royal Dano, Paul Fix, William Schallert, Harry Harvey (more)Plots(1)
The cow town of Spurline is effectively ruled by Virgil Renchler (Orson Welles), owner of the Golden Empire ranch. One night, some of Renchler's hands beat a young laborer, Juan Martín, to death. The newly elected sheriff of Spurline, Ben Sadler (Jeff Chandler), decides to investigate the matter. During his investigation, he must contend with Renchler's henchmen and the fierce opposition of the townspeople, who fear Spurline would be ruined without the Golden Empire's business. The part of Virgil Renchler was originally going to be played by Robert Middleton but the William Morris Agency suggested Orson Welles, who badly needed the money to pay back taxes. During the course of making the film, Welles rewrote sections of the script. He also formed a relationship with Albert Zugsmith who produced Welles' next movie as director, Touch of Evil (1958). Director Jack Arnold says he had one incident with Orson Welles on Welles' first day of shooting but after that he was "wonderful" to work with and full of good ideas. (101 Films)
(more)Cast
Jeff Chandler
USA
Best movies:
The Jayhawkers (1959)
Man in the Shadow (1957)
Taza, Son of Cochise (1954)
Orson Welles
USA
Best movies:
Shogun (1980) (series) - narrator
Waterloo (1970)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Colleen Miller
USA
Best movies:
Man in the Shadow (1957)
Ben Alexander
USA
Best movies:
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Shall We Dance? (1937)
Man in the Shadow (1957)
Barbara Lawrence
USA
Best movies:
Joe Dakota (1957)
Man in the Shadow (1957)
A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
John Larch
USA
Best movies:
Dirty Harry (1971)
War and Remembrance (1988) (series)
Hell to Eternity (1960)
James Gleason
USA
Best movies:
The Keys of the Kingdom (1944)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
Royal Dano
USA
Best movies:
The Right Stuff (1983)
Moby Dick (1956)
How the West Was Won (1976) (series)
Paul Fix
USA
Best movies:
After the Thin Man (1936)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Scarface (1932)
William Schallert
USA
Best movies:
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
Harry Harvey
USA
Best movies:
Fury (1936)
Ace in the Hole (1951)
Strike Up the Band (1940)
Leo Gordon
USA
Best movies:
Maverick (1994)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
The Dictator's Guns (1965)
Mort Mills
USA
Best movies:
Psycho (1960)
The Name of the Game (1968) (series)
Touch of Evil (1958)
Fred Graham
USA
Best movies:
Rear Window (1954)
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
Vertigo (1958)
Charles Horvath
USA
Best movies:
The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952)
A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
Spartacus (1960)
Trevor Bardette
USA
Best movies:
Gone with the Wind (1939)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Gun Crazy (1950)
Martin Garralaga
Spain
Best movies:
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Casablanca (1942)
Juarez (1939)
Mario Siletti
Italy
Best movies:
East of Eden (1955)
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956)
The Honeymoon Machine (1961)
Forrest Lewis
USA
Best movies:
All That Heaven Allows (1955)
Skin Game (1971)
The Sheepman (1958)
Bruno Barnabe
UK
Best movies:
Jesus of Nazareth (1977) (TV movie)
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977)
Man in the Shadow (1957)