Le salaire de la haine

The actor who all of us known from "My Three Sons" also did a few Westerns in his career and this one, Face of a Fugitive, is one of those. Others include Good Day for a Hanging and At Gunpoint. Out of the ones I've seen him in, this is my second-favorite. I like this movie a lot for many reasons. There is a good gunfight at the end, which is worlds better than some of the other ones we see in old 50s movies. The cast is well talented and the plot was very believable. Starring along with Fred MacMurray is Lin McCarthy and Dorothy Green. And there is also the famous James Coburn and an actor who I'm sure none of you have ever heard about, but he played the main villain of the show: the rancher named Reed Williams. Played by a fine actor named Alan Baxter, who, in my opinion, should have gotten a better career fame than what he did. You can see Alan Baxter in a lot of Westerns. He was also in Chisum as the governor, a few "Gunsmoke" episodes, and several other movies. Overall, Face of a Fugitive is a good movie and definitely worth checking out. And if you liked Fred MacMurray's performance in this, then you will definitely like Good Day for a Hanging.

While fans of "My Three Sons" and the Flubber films might not believe it, Fred MacMurray was the star of a wide variety of films up until the 1960s--romances, comedies, Film Noir and even Westerns. So I assume that an awful lot of people would be surprised to see a tough-as-nails version of Fred in FACE OF A FUGITIVE.

The film begins with Fred being under arrest for bank robbery. However, he is in the process of escaping when his brother intervenes and shoots the deputy. Both the deputy and brother are killed in the process and Fred is assumed to be the guilty party--which he is not. So now he's not just on the run for robbery but murder.

When he arrives in a far off town, no one there knows his identity. However, they have heard about the murder and are on the lookout for Fred. But, at least for a couple days, they don't have wanted posters, so they have no idea what he looks like. Unfortunately for Fred, he can't leave town because deputies have the roads out of town covered--in case this killer tries coming in or out of the city. So, he's stuck, at least for now, and begins to make friends in the town--particularly with a pretty lady as well as the sheriff.

Overall, it is an exceptional western--even with "Steve Douglas" in the lead. I particularly like how it ended--it was exciting yet a bit vague--which I enjoyed. Good acting and a good script--this one is a keeper.

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 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

I enjoyed this film for the fact that Fred MacMurray was the star and also because James Coburn played a minor role. The latter was noticeable even though he had only a few lines to speak. It was interesting to see him at the beginning of his career flash that big toothy grin of his. Fred was a bit staid for his role as a bank robber and with his honest looks not quite believable as the criminal type. He didn't seem to fool any of the supporting cast either. Perhaps that's why he changed direction in his career somewhat after this film. Still for a low budget western it's worth watching.