Der Henker wartet schon

Seeing this today -- an inexpensive 1958 undistinguished Western with talent in the declining years of their careers -- is a curious experience. The studios ground out hundreds of these in the 1940s and 1950s until inundated by the flood of TV westerns that were even cheaper. Towards the end of their life trajectory there was some attempt to distinguish them from TV fare by calling them "adult Westerns," meaning that the plot was more than twenty-one years old.

But it's instructive to watch something like this from a distance of almost half a century. A few points leap out at the viewer unbidden. One, for instance, is that this particular piece owes an awful lot to "High Noon," a highly successful inexpensively made Western with an aging star, released eight years earlier. The marshall begins his career with the support of the entire town, loses it, and winds up standing alone, even against the wishes of his family. The ticking off of Gary Cooper's sources of support -- relentlessly, inexorably, one by one -- in "High Noon" was sometimes a bit hard to swallow, but the arguments against supporting Marshall Kane (there's a "Marshall Kane" in this one too, the writers not having stretched too much) at least involved sometimes rather complex motives. They wanted Cooper out of town for various reasons, but all of them more or less plausible. Here, a couple of drinks from the defense counsel and all the aldermen and town councilmen ("the town's most respected citizens") are against hanging the kid. Nobody seems to think very hard. Oh -- and the defense counsel is a sight to behold, personally insulting MacMurray and having a fist fight with him, wearing a perpetual sneer, and using oily and insinuating locutions. (No penalties for overacting.)

The second things that leaps out at the viewer is the script. We've grown so accustomed to hearing period speech in recent Westerns that it comes as a shock to find not even a perfunctory nod to periodicity in this movie. Every character speaks as if it were 1958 instead of 1888. And as if they were all middle-class screenwriters living in Hollywood. The grammar is eighth-grade perfect and there is not a regionalism in sight. You get the impression that if someone had said anything like, "I don't know nuthin' about that -- I laid down the snaffles under the ramada by the remuda," everyone around him would be frozen into tonic immobility.

The acting is, for the most part, okay. MacMurray is a competent professional, Robert Vaughan does an excellent psychopath while breaking into tears during the trail in order to gain the jury's sympathy. Emil Meyers is always good, although his part here is too small. His widow is overplayed by the actress. And, as I say, the defense counsel belongs in a Cecil B. DeMille movie.

I'm glad I watched it. It's a genuine period piece. They no longer turn out Westerns like this. They turn out cheaply made slasher flicks in their stead. I think I prefer Westerns like this.

I agree with the previous comment that the dialogue was too contemporary. My late father, Daniel B. Ullman, was the screenwriter and I recognize his personal style very clearly when MacMurray says to Ruth Granger, "Don't talk like an idiot." Much too modern a turn-of-phrase and exactly what my dad would say to any of us during a heated argument! It's nice for me, personally, to hear such lines. They keep Dad alive for me. He wrote nine of "The Fugitive" TV series and borrowed heavily from our family life for names and places. In this picture, MacMurray's character is Ben Cutler. That was my maternal grandfather's name. Other movies of Dad's included "Badlands of Montana", whose main character is Steve Brewster. My brother's name is Steve. In "Kansas-Pacific," there is a Mr. Bruce featured.

The parallels to "High Noon" are quite flattering. I confess I didn't pick up on that.

I agree that the characters and sentiments are broadly drawn, but that is a comforting respite from much of today's fare. Give me stories about people over machines anytime.

So nice to know that folks are still watching Dad's movies 25yrs after his passing.

This film starts out with a typical bank robbery which has been cleverly planned until a bank employee shoots at one of the robbers and the city Marshall is killed by a young guy named Eddie, (The Kid). Ben Cutler, ( Fred MacMurray) shoots some of the robbers and half of the money is returned. Ben Cutler claims that the Kid killed the city Marshall and he intends to bring him up on trial and a death sentence. The results of the trial change the direction of the film and it takes on in another direction which makes this a very interesting film. Fred MacMurray was able to show his great acting ability as a Western Marshall and he gave an outstanding performance.

Most of us remember Fred MacMurray from the sitcom "My Three Sons." However, Macmurray gave some great performances in some great movies,"Double Indemnity," "Pushover" and this terrific little sleeper. MacMurray plays Ben Cutler, first a reluctant posse member, then a reluctant Marshall, finally the unflinching witness against and executioner of his daughter's childhood sweetheart. What is brilliant about this movie is the gradually changing loyalties of his loved ones and townspeople. First they are out for the blood of the kid (Robert Vaughn's brilliant as a dangerous, manipulative coward). Then, as Vaughn wins greater and greater sympathy, MacMurray is treated as the heavy. As Cutler, MacMurray finds real courage, standing virtually alone by the film's climax. This is a powerful movie and a real treat. See it.

Stylish, well paced , solid , meticulous and agreeable look with crossfire and intense drama Western . This finely acted movie is gripping every step of the way . This is the story of the sheriff who'd worn it -till he'd faced one gun too many...the young Eddie . Novice sheriff he had to learn to wear it- or watch to die and the boy who lived only to wear one of his own ! Marshal Ben Cutler (Fred MacMurray) finds unexpectedly opposition from the townspeople when he captures killer Eddie Campbell (Robert Vaughn) . After claiming his daughter's childhood-sweetheart killed the marshal, one man finds himself in conflict with his daughter (Joan Blackman), his fiancée (Maggie Hayes) and many of the townsfolk . Sheriff Cutler is going to have trouble when Campbell is sentenced to hang .

Good adult Western with exciting battle of wits between an obstinate marshal and an astute young killer who begins to psych out the sheriff's daughter and townsfolk . This acceptable , meaty Western contains interesting plot , gun-blazing shootouts , a love story , and results to be quite entertaining . This passable Nathan Juran Western balances action , suspense and drama . Decent western is plenty of suspense as the dreaded hanging hour approaches and the protagonist realizes he must stand alone but his fellow town people for help , nobody is willing to help him . The highlights of the film are the court house scenes and the climatic final showdowns . The traditional story and exciting screenplay were well written by Daniel B. Ullman and Maurice Zimm based on a short story by John Reese . Nice acting by Fred MacMurray as beginner but old marshal standing against impossible odds . Top-notch Robert Vaughan as the charismatic gunslinger who gains townsfolk sympathy . Fine support cast such as Joan Blackman , Denver Pyle , Phil Chambers , Bing Russell , Emilie Meyer , and James Drury of The men of Shiloh , among others . Adequate cinematography in Technicolor superbly caught by cameramen by Henry Freulich and Henry Jaffa ; however , a perfect remastering being necessary . Atmospheric and lively musical score , the theme song for 3.10 To Yuma (1957) directed by Delmer Daves is played frequently here especially in scenes involving Vaughan and Blackman .

The motion picture was realized by a magnificent duo, the producer Charles H Schneer and the director Nathan Juran who sometimes used pseudonym "Nathan Hertz" ; both of whom collaborated in several films . Before entering the film industry as an art director in 1937 Nathan Juran won an Academy Award for art direction on How Green Was My Valley (1941). World War II interrupted his film career, and he spent his war years with the OSS. Returning to Hollywood, he turned to directing films in the 1950s. He handled mostly low-budget westerns and sci-fi opuses, his most famous being The attack of the 50 foot woman (1958) . He was also responsible for the superb fantasy adventure The 7th voyage of Sinbad (1958). Juran directed some Westerns starred by Audie Murphy such as ¨Drums Across the River¨, ¨Tumbleweed¨ , ¨Gunsmoke¨ and ¨Law and Order¨ with Ronald Reagan . In the early 1960s, he journeyed to Europe, where he spent several years piloting adventure epics and spaghetti westerns such as ¨Land raiders¨. Juran made sensational Sci-fi and fantastic movies , such us : ¨First men oh the moon¨, ¨The 7th voyage of Simbad¨ , ¨20 million miles to earth¨, ¨Jack the Giant Killer¨ and several others