L'ovest selvaggio

I am in my mid 70s. I grew up on westerns shown on TV though I first think of TV series such as Cheyenne and Have Gun Will Travel. If you want to see a pretty typical movie western from that era, A Day Of Fury would do the job. It might have been a bit more of a morality tale than the average, but the acting was just so-so. I had a tough time thinking that Dale Robertson was the bad guy. It took constant mental reminders. This may have been the only villain he ever played on TV or in the movies. It's the only time I've ever seen him in that capacity.

Anyhow, I gave the movie a 6-star rating. I guess that's kind of the going rate.

My problem with "A Day of Fury" was that as a child I watched Dale Robertson in "Wells Fargo" and I can't recall many films in which he hasn't played a honest hero. So I didn't find him convincing as the bad guy, especially with his expressionless acting, and was waiting for him to redeem himself. Randolph Scott (occasionally) and Glenn Ford were better at playing against type.

Talking of which, John Dehner (so often the villain or rascal) did this very successfully as the Parson.

I never did grasp what was Jagade's motivation for his behaviour, and perhaps the motives of Miss Timmons (the school-teacher) could have been made a little clearer.

Two of television's best known cowboy heroes, Dale Robertson from Tales Of Wells Fargo and the Range Rider Jock Mahoney star in this unusual western about a town full of hypocrites. Imagine High Noon had we probed a bit deeper into the town of Hadleyville and its citizens who would not back up Gary Cooper and you have A Day Of Fury.

Notorious gunslinger Robertson arrives in the town and the townspeople are righteously aroused. They want Marshal Mahoney to just run this guy out of town. But Mahoney's life was once saved by him and with no wants or warrants out on him, Robertson is a free man until he actually commits a crime.

Which works out fine as Robertson bit by bit turns things around completely and it's the marshal these fine citizens turn on. You have to see how he does it, more I will not say. There's also the complicating factor that Mahoney's fiancé Mara Corday has history with Robertson.

A trio of standout supporting performances come from Jan Merlin as a local tough, John Dehner as the town minister, and most of all Dee Carroll as the spinster school teacher who is a repressed and tragic figure.

Mahoney and Robertson have some good chemistry in their scenes. A nice mixture of antagonism and respect goes into their dialog.

A Day Of Fury is a real sleeper of a western. Caught it by accident almost, glad I did.

This is not a big budget western. You have to remember that when considering its worth. It's a classic "B" western. I'm not sure why this western would rate low in any old western lovers opinion. I know that this is not a typical role for Dale Robertson. He is playing against type. He is almost always the good guy. His Jagade character starts out fine enough, maybe even heroic in saving the life of the town sheriff. I would point out how well Robertson handles his role as the bad guy, because you are pretty much despising him before the midway point of the movie. Jagade is egotistical, selfish, and all around despicable in just about every way possible. There are not many redeeming qualities to him. He even uses his act of heroism to try to control the marshall through guilt. The marshal is played by one of Hollywood's best western stunt men, Jock Mahoney. His character is loyal to a fault and even though it seems he is bending to Jagade's every whim, Mahoney's turn as the town marshal will surprise you. Mahoney is not the best actor, but watch his character closely, because he is not what he seems to be. This western is not too bad. Let Dale Robertson have his fun playing against type. He plays Jagade to the hilt as a completely despicable bad guy. Even Robertson's disgusting mannerisms he displays as the gunfighter will start getting on your nerves. To me, he's great in this one, and Jock Mahoney's role as the reserved town marshal was one of his better roles in a western. Mara Corday is as beautiful as ever playing the reformed dance hall girl. Remember folks it is a "B" western. Enjoy it! I certainly did. Every time I see it, I enjoy it a little bit more. Robertson is a "B" western favorite of mine, and it's great to see this perennial, good guy actor chew up the scenery as the arrogant Jagade. They say that Mahoney was such a good stunt man, that if he refused to do a stunt, other stunt men refused to do it also, deeming it too dangerous. You might think he seems a little wooden in his role as the marshal, but I think he totally captures the quiet, but dangerous lawman. Plenty worth watching. For me, numerous times.

I know this much about Director Harmon Jones: I really liked his debut comic opus, entitled AS YOUNG AS YOU FEEL (US 1951) but have seen nothing else from him.

Turning to A DAY OF FURY, I liked it too, albeit less than the aforementioned debut, which was not a Western. A DAY is a curious movie, a real Western oddity: With the intriguing name of Jagade (any Indian extraction?), Dale Robertson is the male lead but not the good fellow in the story. That role goes to the comparatively silent, seemingly meek, Allan Burnett (played by Jock Mahoney) who happens to be the town marshall to boot.

Beautiful Mara Corday portrays Sharman Fulton, a woman of pleasure intent on putting an end to that life... except Jagade and she have common baggage and he wants her back servicing the public and returning the town to the old ways instead of seeking the ever encroaching mordernity dealing the coup de grâce to the Old West.

I wonder if the current US incumbent ever had the time and lacked the boredom to watch and learn from this flick, because Jagade is just as intent on returning the town to the hillbillies as the incumbent to make America great again. Jagade, too, lusts after power and money (especially at cards) above all other considerations.

Of couse, back in 1956 Edmiston and Brodey could not have written their screenplay with the 2025 incumbent in mind, but there are almost prophetic connecting points.

To add to the disconcerting nature of a town whose values and loyalties are coming under threat, the inexplicable role of town schoolmarm Dee Carroll as Miss Timmons, whose loyalties keep shifting.

Succint, effective cinematography and editing by Ellis Carter and Sherman Todd.

Definitely worth watching 7/10.