Le salaire de la haine

This is another example of a fine 50's B western -- one which in many respects outranks a number of it's "big brother" cousins.

The action begins with Larson (McMurray) escaping from a deputy transporting him to prison for a bank robbery. Larson's kid brother shows up unannounced in the midst of the action and gets fatally wounded in an exchange of gunfire with the deputy as they are escaping. They manage to stow away on a train, where we find out some of the history of these men and their motivations. Along the way the brother dies and Larson takes the alias of Kincaid while plotting how to evade the law, which is now seeking him for murder (of the deputy, which his brother shot). Kincaid ends up in a small town and in short order gets involved in various ways with the locals while needing to escape the roadblocks before the wanted poster with his picture arrives!

On the surface, this is pretty standard fare for a western. It stands apart from the typical film of its genre, however, because of the thoughtful way the characters in the story are handled. One gets a sense of realism, not so much from the clothing or set designs, etc., but from the way the characters in the story respond to circumstances and each other. The people in this story are real, genuine, believable people -- unlike the stereotypical "invincible, tough as nails" western heroes that dominated the genre in this period, or the mysterious, aloof personas found in the spaghetti westerns that followed. For example, there is a barroom fight in the film with the clichéd "one man vs. the group of bad guys". However, instead of the whole group mobbing the protagonist and beating him to a pulp, they allow the fight to be one-on-one between the two who are truly in conflict, preserving their own dignity and that of the ones actually fighting. That is not to say that they have no involvement or investment, but what part they do play is sensible and believable.

It is this interaction and sincere character development along with an engaging plot which makes this a movie that is not only a decent way to pass time, but a true pleasure to watch. Oh, and it has a fun early part by James Coburn and a thrilling climax, too. And if you watch this and enjoy it, I would also highly recommend another similarly forgotten B-western of this era: "Gun the Man Down" with James Arness. I give both this and the aforementioned title a solid 7.5. Easily recommended.

Fred MacMurray really stands out in this largely unknown western. MacMurray's character is on the run, but gets tangled up in the deadly affairs of a small town. The love story, which could have been nothing more than a routine plot device, actually works on a very fundamental level. MacMurray is top notch as the film's anti-hero. The rest of the cast is not as good, particularly a wooden Lin McCarthy as the embattled sheriff. Director Paul Wendkos delivers a crisply directed film. A lot of little things which could have been done routinely or sloppily are filmed with gusto and precision. The end-of-the-movie shootout is particularly energetic. Face of a Fugitive is not a great western, but it's very entertaining and should be seen by genre fans.

Fred McMurray plays Jim Larson ,who when we see him first ,is on his way to prison handcuffed to a US Marshall -his crime being robbery.He escapes with unwanted and unnecessary aid from his brother and the lawman is killed .His brother is mortally wounded in the affray . Larson assumes the name of Ray Kincaid and travels to a nearby town where he poses as a mining engineer and seeks to escape only to be turned back as the town Sheriff (Lin McCarthy), is awaiting a poster of the man wanted for the death of the Marshall -Larson himself.Larson becomes involved in a dispute between the local Mr Big ,powerful rancher Williams (Alan Baxter)and the sheriff over land rights .Williams is determined to ride roughshod over the law and has might ,if not right on his side -several thuggish henchmen ,including the menacing Purdy (James Coburn ,in his second role in movies and stealing the scenes he is in with a performance of understated menace)

He also falls in love with the sheriff's sister (Dorothy Green)and the movie moves towards a climactic shootout .

This is a movie of rare economy and visual inventiveness.The credits open on a poster of Larsons' face and as they unfold bars appear across that face ,creating an image of incarceration.This is repeated in many scenes -bars in the shape of bedsteads ,fences and barred foregrounds etc .The focus is on redemption and the above average script is lean and powerful/The direction by Paul Wendkos is crisp and the acting throughout is admirable.Docked a point for an open -and in my view ,unsatisfactory ending

Jim Larson (soon to be Ray Kincaid) is a thief, during his train transfer to prison his younger brother enacts an escape plan. The US Marshall who was holding him is killed in the commotion, while Jim's brother is fatally wounded. Making his way into a nearby town, Larson acquires a gun and a horse but is unable to leave the town as the sheriff has quarantined it till a delivery of wanted posters arrive, these of course will show the face of the wanted man, that man is of course Jim Larson. Whilst marking his time, Larson gets embroiled in a war between the sheriff and a tough rancher, Reed Williams, finding himself strangely on the good side of the law.

Fred MacMurray is not a name that instantly springs to mind when the talk turns to the Western genre, which is surprising, because although he hardly dominates in the genre pieces he did, he was more than capable of carrying a role in a few of the Westerns he starred in. Such is the case here as Jim Larson, thankfully putting a bit of gritty honesty into the picture and steering it safely to its intriguing conclusion. Face of a Fugitive is a very accomplished piece, not a film to linger long in the memory, but it's thematic redemptive heart is most assuredly of major interest, with the finale excellently fulfilling the shoot out fan's needs. James Coburn turns up in one of his first major roles and hints at what was to come later in his career, and a thumbs up for Alan Baxter who revels in bad guy duties as Reed Williams.

Tight and hugely enjoyable, Face of a Fugitive is one to catch if you are a Western genre fan. 6.5/10

I must admit, I have never before liked any movie that starred Fred McMurrey. This is a first.

The action moves slowly here, as much of the tension has to do with how the characters think and interact. However, that's exactly what makes it special. Even the female lead has important lines, which is exceedingly rare in this genre. McMurray's character is one you would expect Gary Cooper to have played, and he pulls it off surprisingly well.

While not a classic, this is an extremely well-made Western, and I highly recommend it.