Reprisal!

Last updated

Reprisal!
Reprisal! (1956 film).jpg
Directed by George Sherman
Written by Arthur Gordon (novel)
David P. Harmon
Raphael Hayes
David Dortort
Produced by Helen Ainsworth
Lewis J. Rachmil
Guy Madison
Starring Guy Madison
Felicia Farr
Kathryn Grant
Cinematography Henry Freulich
Edited by Jerome Thoms
Music by Mischa Bakaleinikoff
Production
company
Romson Productions
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • November 1956 (1956-11)
Running time
74 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Reprisal! is a 1956 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Guy Madison, Felicia Farr and Kathryn Grant. [1] The film's sets were designed by the art director Walter Holscher.

Contents

Plot

A man named Frank Madden (Guy Madison) buys a ranch near a small town. Greedy neighboring ranchers, the Shipley's, had been grazing their cattle on the ranch while it was setting empty. Madden hires Native Americans to help him on the ranch. The townspeople resent him for this. The Shipley's also resent him because they can no longer graze their cattle on his land.

The old Native American, Matara, shows up on Madden's ranch; it becomes apparent that he is actually Madden's grandfather, as Madden is half Native American and has chosen to forsake that heritage to pass as white. He tells Matara to leave but, Matara convinces him to pretend he is his Native American houseman.

Shortly before Madden bought the ranch, the three Shipley brothers had killed the wife of a Native American man named Takola (Philip Breedlove) near a dead tree on the ranch. Takola, who had disappeared after his wife's murder, returns to the hanging tree and sees Madden and, mistaking Madden for one of the Shipley's, takes a shot at him. Madden is not hit and after a minor scuffle Takola tells him about what happened at the tree. Madden tells Takola that as far as he is concerned he never saw Takola there, the shot at him never happened and Takola should never return there.

Romantic feelings begin to blossom between Madden and Catherine Cantrell (Felicia Farr), daughter of the local land agent through whom Madden bought the ranch. Meanwhile, although the Shipley's supposedly hate Native Americans, one of the Shipley brothers cheats on his wife with a young Native American woman named Taini (Kathryn Grant). Taini is one of the Native Americans whom Madden has befriended. This makes the Shipley brother jealous because he thinks that Taini is also having an affair with Madden, although this is not the case.

One Shipley brother sees Madden in the saloon and tries to pick a fight. Madden punches him and walks out into the street. Shipley follows him out of the saloon and calls him out. Madden refuses to turn around, thus daring Shipley to shoot him in the back. Shipley does not dare do this with the whole town watching and Madden walks away.

Takola catches the same Shipley brother, who threatened Madden in town, returning to the ranch one night and shoots him in the back. When Madden comes into town to buy supplies the next day the other Shipley brothers, having just brought their brother's body into town, accuse him of the murder because of the incident in the saloon. They try to shoot him down in the street, but the Sheriff stops them and arrests Madden. The Shipley's go to the saloon and, after several drinks, lead a mob to the jail to lynch Madden. The mob overpowers the Sheriff and begins to lead Madden to the nearest tree with Catherine and the Sheriff begging them to wait for a trial.

Before the mob goes much further, Taini steps in front of them and tells them that Madden could not possibly have shot anyone because he was with her the whole night. This is a lie, but the mob believes it and releases Madden. Catherine also believes it and leaves Madden standing in the street. Madden follows Catherine home and tries to convince her that Taini was lying, but she refuses to believe him because of Taini's bad reputation. As Madden walks down the street to get his belongings from the jail, his grandfather Matara arrives in a wagon. As Taini walks up to them, the grandfather shows Madden a pistol that he was going to use to defend Madden after he heard that he was in jail. The Shipley brothers open up on Madden, the grandfather and Tiani. Tiani is hit in the arm, the grandfather is shot in the chest and Madden picks up the pistol and shoots both Shipley's.

Matara dies in Madden's arms. Madden then announces to the whole town that it was his real Grandfather and that Madden's Native American name is Neola. Madden decides to sell the ranch and move on. The Sheriff arrives as he is about to leave and tells him that Taini revealed that she had learned that Takola had shot the Shipley brother and that she also revealed his location to the Sheriff, who had then arrested him. He also says that he will see that Takola gets a fair trial. He goes on to say that he hopes Madden comes back some day because most of the townspeople feel that they had wronged Madden. As Madden turns to ride away Catherine, dressed in traveling clothes, arrives on a horse and after a brief conversation the two ride off together. ````

Cast

Related Research Articles

<i>The Ox-Bow Incident</i> 1943 film

The Ox-Bow Incident is a 1943 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman, starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews and Mary Beth Hughes, with Anthony Quinn, William Eythe, Harry Morgan and Jane Darwell. Two cowboys arrive in a Western town, when news arrives that a local rancher has been murdered and his cattle stolen. The townspeople, joined by the two cowboys and cowboys from other ranches, form a posse to catch the perpetrators. They find three men in possession of the cattle, and are determined to see justice done on the spot.

Tom Ketchum American outlaw

Thomas Edward Ketchum was an American cowboy who later became an outlaw. He was executed in 1901 for attempted train robbery. The execution by hanging was botched; he was decapitated because the executioner used a rope that was too long.

<i>3:10 to Yuma</i> (1957 film) 1957 film by Delmer Daves

3:10 to Yuma is a 1957 American Western film directed by Delmer Daves, starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin. Based on a 1953 short story by Elmore Leonard, it is about a drought-impoverished rancher who takes on the risky job of escorting a notorious outlaw to justice. In 2012, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Harvey Logan American outlaw and gunman

Harvey Alexander Logan, also known as Kid Curry, was an American outlaw and gunman who rode with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's infamous Wild Bunch gang during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite being less well-known than his fellow gang members, he has since been referred to as "the wildest of the Wild Bunch", having reputedly killed at least nine law enforcement officers in five shootings and another two men in other instances. He was involved in numerous shootouts with police and civilians and participated in several bank and train robberies with various gangs during his outlaw days.

<i>The King and Four Queens</i> 1956 film by Raoul Walsh

The King and Four Queens is a 1956 DeLuxe Color American Western adventure comedy/mystery film starring Clark Gable and Eleanor Parker and filmed in CinemaScope. Directed by Raoul Walsh, the film is based on a story written by Margaret Fitts, who also wrote the screenplay along with Richard Alan Simmons. This film was the first project from Clark Gable's own production company, GABCO. His partners in the project were movie star Jane Russell and her husband, Bob Waterfield, owners of Russ-Field Productions, and the film is often listed as a Russ-Field-GABCO production.

<i>Johnny Reno</i> 1966 film by R. G. Springsteen

Johnny Reno is a 1966 American Western film made by A.C. Lyles Productions and released by Paramount Pictures. It starred Dana Andrews and Jane Russell. It was directed by R. G. Springsteen, produced by A.C. Lyles, with a screenplay by Andrew Craddock, Steve Fisher and A.C. Lyles.

<i>The Violent Men</i> 1955 film by Rudolph Maté

The Violent Men is a 1955 American Western film directed by Rudolph Maté and starring Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Dianne Foster, Brian Keith, and May Wynn. Based on the 1955 novel Smoky Valley by Donald Hamilton, its storyline involves a ranch owner who comes into conflict with the land grabbing tactics of the big local family but whose own tense marriage threatens their stranglehold over the region.

<i>The Last Wagon</i> (1956 film) 1956 film by Delmer Daves

The Last Wagon is a 1956 American CinemaScope Western film starring Richard Widmark. It was co-written and directed by Delmer Daves and tells a story set during the American Indian Wars: the survivors of an Indian massacre must rely on a man wanted for several murders to lead them out of danger.

<i>The Fallen Man</i> 1996 novel by Tony Hillerman

The Fallen Man is the twelfth crime fiction novel in the Joe Leaphorn / Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series by Tony Hillerman, first published in 1996.

<i>Jubal</i> (film) 1956 film by Delmer Daves

Jubal is a 1956 American Western film directed by Delmer Daves and starring Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Rod Steiger, Valerie French, and Felicia Farr. Shot in CinemaScope, it was one of the few adult westerns in the 1950s and is described as Othello on the Range. The supporting cast features Noah Beery Jr., Charles Bronson and Jack Elam.

N. K. Boswell

Nathaniel Kimball "N.K." Boswell (1836–1921) was an American frontiersman, rancher, cowboy and lawman of the Old West, best known for building the N.K. Boswell Ranch, considered a historical location of Wyoming today. He also helped to settle Laramie, Wyoming.

<i>Five Thousand Dollars on One Ace</i> 1965 film

Five Thousand Dollars on One Ace is a 1964 Spanish Spaghetti Western film directed by Alfonso Balcázar, scored by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino and Don Powell, and starring Robert Woods, Fernando Sancho and Helmut Schmid.

<i>Born to the Saddle</i> 1953 film by William Beaudine

Born to the Saddle is a 1953 American Western film directed by William Beaudine.

<i>Law and Order</i> (1953 film) 1953 film by Nathan Juran

Law and Order is a 1953 American Western film directed by Nathan Juran and starring Ronald Reagan, Dorothy Malone and Preston Foster.

Cochise County in the Old West Aspect of Arizona history

Cochise County in southeastern Arizona was the scene of a number of violent conflicts in the 19th-century and early 20th-century American Old West, including between white settlers and Apache Indians, between opposing political and economic factions, and between outlaw gangs and local law enforcement. Cochise County was carved off in 1881 from the easternmost portion of Pima County during a formative period in the American Southwest. The era was characterized by rapidly growing boomtowns, the emergence of large-scale farming and ranching interests, lucrative mining operations, and the development of new technologies in railroading and telecommunications. Complicating the situation was staunch resistance to white settlement from local Native American groups, most notably during the Apache Wars, as well as Cochise County's location on the border with Mexico, which not only threatened international conflict but also presented opportunities for criminal smugglers and cattle rustlers.

Big Fight at the Jenkins Saloon

The Big Fight at the Jenkins Saloon, also known as the Tascosa Gunfight or simply the Big Fight, was an incident that took place in the Old West town of Tascosa, Texas, on March 21, 1886, between members of two Texas Panhandle ranch factions: the LS Ranch's Home Rangers and a group of small ranchers and cattle rustlers known as "The System".

<i>Rustlers</i> (1949 film) 1949 film

Rustlers is a 1949 American Western directed by Lesley Selander. The film is a Tim Holt B Western about a group of Arizona ranchers intent on stopping a gang of cattle rustlers.

Trail Guide is a 1952 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and starring Tim Holt. It lost $20,000.

<i>The Surrounded</i> Book by DArcy McNickle

The Surrounded, D’Arcy McNickle's first book, was first published in 1936 by Harcourt, Brace and Company then republished in 1964 and again in 1978 by the University of New Mexico Press. McNickle was a Cree Métis author enrolled as Salish-Kootenai on the Flathead Indian Reservation.

<i>Bullets for Bandits</i> 1942 film by Wallace W. Fox

Bullets for Bandits is a 1942 American Western film directed by Wallace W. Fox, starring Wild Bill Elliott, Tex Ritter, and Frank Mitchell.

References

  1. Hampes p.176

Bibliography