The Man from Laramie (1955)

I came across this recently on TCM and watched it, soon realizing that I had seen it before previously. It definitely sustained a repeat viewing. For some reason, only with the second viewing did I realize what a superb movie this is, ranking right up there with "My Darling Clementine," "Red River," "The Shootist," and others. Anthony Mann of course had a great reputation as a director of Westerns and this is Exhibit A. Part of it is the superb screenplay, a richly textured, multi-levelled story involving family tension, jealousy, revenge, and rivalry. And of course the casting; anything with Jimmy Stewart, Donald Crisp, and Arthur Kennedy can't be bad. Then there is the superb cinematography of the Western expanses, among the best in any western I've seen. Altogether a richly gripping, expansive story.

Jimmy Stewart re-teams with director Anthony Mann for this interesting western as he plays Will Lockhart, who is driving supplies to his employer Barbara Waggoman(played by Cathy O'Donnell) who is waylaid by ruthless and vicious Dave Waggoman(played by Alex Nicol) son of local cattle baron Alec Waggoman(played by Donald Crisp) who is apologetic to Will, and offers to reimburse him the full value of his loss. He accepts, but retains a grudge against Dave, and continues to work for Barbara, as he also pursues the person who is selling guns to the local Apaches. Arthur Kennedy costars as Alec's right hand man, who ends up helping Will.OK western is well acted and exciting, though the story has certain weaknesses in logic and motivation that weaken it. Still, worthwhile viewing despite these problems.

This final Mann-Stewart western seemed to be a kind of pastiche of elements from their previous ones - including (just off the top of my head) the grizzled old sidekick (Wallace Ford instead of Walter Brennan or Millard Mitchell), the violent psycho (Alex Nicol instead of Dan Duryea), Stewart being physically abused, and Arthur Kennedy co-starring again (Bend Of the River).On the other hand, it's very different. Mann-Stewart westerns usually don't include the "rich landowner" type of storyline, and usually don't take place in town (or, not for long). The "big ranch" western and the "town" western are hardly ever as interesting to me as the ones that take you on an adventure across open country. Maybe because the former type tend to be dramas, rather than action-adventures.I think this is the only Mann-Stewart western where you'll see characters drinking their coffee out of china cups and saucers (or was I imagining that?). And, though there's the usual shocking violence, it somehow seems tacked on for effect, rather than organic.The cast and direction are really great - I guess I'm not as crazy about the situations or the setting.

The Man from Laramie (1955)You have a right to expect a movie starring James Stewart, directed by Anthony Mann, and photographed by Charles Lang to be spectacular. And it is. This is one of the first full wide screen Technicolor movies, and it's one drawback might be that it is trying to apply a new format to an old and slightly tired genre. The fact it rises above its familiarity is to Stewart's credit and Mann's. Lang (who photographed an extraordinary number of great black and white films) trades stately perfect color and design for pure drama and intensity, which are very different things, but it gives a full backdrop to the high drama here.This is a beautiful movie, for sure, in its restrained way. (The fact that it's restrained when the whole world is gaping for surging new big color movies is a small miracle in itself.) Mann did a number of westerns, for which he's most known, and a few other genre pics, but first made his name as a film minor film noir director. He seems to carry over enough of the edginess and cruelty of those noirs to make his Westerns exciting rather than epic, which is a good thing. He and Stewart worked together on five westerns, and they have taken on a life of their own, and a feeling of their own that's impressive once you click into it. One of the best noir elements to the story (which was not written by Mann) is the feeling of the lone man against the world, a great theme.The key woman lead is a cliché, the widow hanging on against the odds in town. In this case she is a charming but slightly miscast Cathy O'Donnell, a favorite of mine who takes demur and innocent to the heights. You see from the outset that this widow and Stewart's good, hard working character are destined for some kind of meeting of destinies. And there are inevitable clichés, too, that you might get used to--the stoic Indians, the older woman as tough as nails (and a gem of a role), a patriarch with a thoughtful wise look that shows counteracting wisdom, and fistfights in the dust. It's all great stuff, in the Western mold. (One fight is right in the middle of a mooing herd of cattle, and it's pretty fun.) You do wonder sometime at the possibility of a super nice guy sticking it out against all these obstacles, and I mean obstacles. The domineering (and sometimes evil) family led by Donald Crisp, with the always impressive Arthur Kennedy as the chief hand, seems like more than a man could handle. But the conflict is real, and the movie makes it pertinent beyond being "just" a western. And beautifully done. Even if you don't like westerns, this will grab you anyway.