Winchester '73

Winchester '73 (1950)

Runtime: 92 minutes

Directed by: Anthony Mann

Starring: Jimmy Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, Millard Mitchell

From: Universal

Thank Heavens that TCM has barely changed since the world has gone to pot in the past 6 weeks or so; I hardly watch television as it is but when I do, it's been impossible to avoid what has now been constant reminders of what's going on... I am tired of hearing about it online as it is, so TV hasn't been a relief aside from Turner Classic Movies. That was where I saw this classic Western on Saturday afternoon. It was more of a psychological bent and packed a lot of action into its hour and a half.

Jimmy Stewart is Lin; he is after an SOB named Dutch. In Dodge City he wins the eponymous gun, legendary in the Wild West days due to its effectiveness and quality. Dutch then steals the gun and Lin gets quite angry. Yes, “aww, shucks!” Jimmy Stewart is actually a badass here who is full of rage and the desire for revenge. The rifle then passes through various hands as Lin is trying to track down Dutch. That Winchester is like a harbinger of doom, bringing upon a maelstrom of death and destruction upon whomever possesses it. This includes a Native American played by... ROCK HUDSON?! Yes, that is typical Hollywood back then, along with how the Native American tribe was treated in the movie.

As this was directed by Anthony Mann, of course it looked great and there was lovely black and white cinematography throughout. It was shot at nice locations in Arizona, the exciting finale in a great setting for a shootout. Old Jimmy wasn't entirely full of anger... he has nice relationships with both his partner Millard Mitchell and love interest Shelley Winters. Perhaps there is too much in the movie but it is never dull and at least Stephen McNally gets time to shine as the dastardly Dutch. At the end you get the full story on why Lin is so obsessed with tracking down his quarry, and it's strong motivation. It's not a surprise to me that this was the first of several collaborations between Stewart and Mann, and for me was a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon.