Roughshod (1949 film)

Last updated

Roughshod
Roughshod film poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Mark Robson
Written byStory:
Peter Viertel
Screenplay:
Hugo Butler, Daniel Mainwaring
Produced by Richard H. Berger
Starring Gloria Grahame
Robert Sterling
John Ireland
Claude Jarman Jr.
Cinematography Joseph Biroc
Edited by Marston Fay
Music by Roy Webb
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Release date
  • June 16, 1949 (1949-06-16)(U.S.)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Roughshod is a 1949 black-and-white Western film starring Gloria Grahame and Robert Sterling and directed by Mark Robson. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Plot

Three escaped convicts in prison garb, led by cold-blooded killer Lednov, ambush and murder three cowboys, taking their clothes and firearms. They burn their prison garb in the smoldering camp fire, and the trio quickly rides on seeking revenge against a rancher named Clay Phillips, who once dogged Lednov all the way to Mexico and wounded him before turning him over to American authorities for a previous crime. Phillips is warned by friend Jed Graham to get out of Aspen.

Early thirtyish Clay and young teenage brother Steve, are headed toward Sonora with a small herd of horses - which is all they've got. They come across four stranded "women of the night," saloon girls that the townsfolks had sent packing. Led by take-charge Mary, the four women are stuck on the Sonora trail with a broken wagon wheel.

A lovestruck local cowboy turns up to take Marcia back and marry her, over his parents' objections. Elaine, who is sick and evidently pregnant, flees when she hears Clay is leading the group to the nearest ranch to leave the girls in its owners' care. Steve corrals her and they continue on. To heartbreak, recrimination, and tentative reconciliation, it turns out Elaine is the Wyatts' runaway daughter. Her father yields to his wife's compassion, but orders the other women to leave. Mary upbraids Clay for his narrow-mindedness, acknowledging that he can't think past his idealized future, of a Simon-pure dream wife in a spotted gingham dress.

Clay reluctantly accepts the pair again as passengers, and softens somewhat towards Mary as he accedes to her teaching his illiterate brother how to read along the way. Following an old alternate trail to avoid the outlaws, they run into an indignant Irish miner, who claims they're after his claim. Upon seeing his cache of gold, Helen decides he's a better prospect than what lies ahead in Sonora.

Another amorous entanglement between Clay and Mary breaks down again in argument over his inability to look beyond her past. Her pride injured again, she flees recklessly in his wagon. With the men in pursuit it jolts loose from its team and plummets down a riverbank. Clay reflexively charges into the water to retrieve Mary. Some of her finery begins to float downstream, leading to yelping at the loss. Once more Clay's caring impulses suffer a jarring reversal. His resolve to put her on the next stage redoubles.

While they wrangle Lednov spies Mary's frillery, which leads him onto the group's trail. En route the outlaws come upon the miner's camp that night. Lednov shoots and kills the Irishman. He then turns on Helen, clearly intent on having his way with her. Recoiling from his stare, the chilling prospect of the desires of all three men are captured in her eyes. She is never seen again.

The next morning Clay flags down a passing coach. He hides his protectiveness and intentions, behind a brusque goodbye to Mary. That afternoon the brothers reach their ranch, no more than a patch of grass and a makeshift horse corral. Knowing what lies ahead, Clay instigates a confrontation with Steve in hopes to spare Steve a likely death in the ensuing gunfight to follow. But before Steve leaves, he sees the gang approaching and stays to fight it out with his brother. Clay manages to kill the two wingmen, but Steve is shot and wounded by Lednov. Clay then circles round and shoots down Lednov.

Clay rushes Steve to the nearest doctor, who patches up the young man. Mary is there, alongside the doc, holding a lamp. Clay and Mary soon embrace, and after an empassioned kiss, Clay wonders aloud if he might find some gingham in town for Mary's new dress.

Cast

Reception

The film recorded a loss of $550,000. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Crossfire</i> (film) 1947 noir drama film directed by Edward Dmytryk

Crossfire is a 1947 American film noir drama film starring Robert Young, Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan which deals with the theme of anti-Semitism, as did that year's Academy Award for Best Picture winner, Gentleman's Agreement. The film was directed by Edward Dmytryk and the screenplay was written by John Paxton, based on the 1945 novel The Brick Foxhole by screenwriter and director Richard Brooks. The film's supporting cast features Gloria Grahame and Sam Levene. The picture received five Oscar nominations, including Ryan for Best Supporting Actor and Gloria Grahame for Best Supporting Actress. It was the first B movie to receive a best picture nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunfight at the O.K. Corral</span> 1881 shootout in Tombstone, Arizona, United States

The gunfight at the O.K. Corral was a thirty-second shootout between lawmen led by Virgil Earp and members of a loosely organized group of outlaws called the Cowboys that occurred at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881, in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, United States. It is generally regarded as the most famous shootout in the history of the American Old West.

<i>My Darling Clementine</i> 1946 American Western film

My Darling Clementine is a 1946 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp during the period leading up to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The ensemble cast also features Victor Mature, Linda Darnell, Walter Brennan, Tim Holt, Cathy Downs and Ward Bond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wyatt Earp</span> American gambler, miner, and frontier marshal (1848–1929)

Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp was involved in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which lawmen killed three outlaw Cochise County Cowboys. While Wyatt is often depicted as the key figure in the shootout, his brother Virgil was both Deputy U.S. Marshal and Tombstone City Marshal that day and had considerably more experience in law enforcement as a sheriff, constable, and marshal than did Wyatt. Virgil made the decision to enforce a city ordinance prohibiting carrying weapons in town and to disarm the Cowboys. Wyatt was only a temporary assistant marshal to his brother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgil Earp</span> American Old West figure (1843–1905)

Virgil Walter Earp was both deputy U.S. Marshal and Tombstone, Arizona City Marshal when he led his younger brothers Wyatt and Morgan, and Doc Holliday, in a confrontation with outlaw Cowboys at the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881. They killed brothers Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton. All three Earp brothers had been the target of repeated death threats made by the Cowboys who were upset by the Earps' interference in their illegal activities. All four lawmen were charged with murder by Ike Clanton, who had run from the gunfight. During a month-long preliminary hearing, Judge Wells Spicer exonerated the men, concluding they had been performing their duty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloria Grahame</span> American actress (1923–1981)

Gloria Grahame Hallward was an American actress. She began her acting career in theatre, and in 1944 made her first film for MGM.

<i>Gunfight at the O.K. Corral</i> (film) 1957 film by John Sturges

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a 1957 American Western film starring Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday, and loosely based on the actual event in 1881. The film was directed by John Sturges from a screenplay written by novelist Leon Uris. It was a remake of the 1939 film Frontier Marshall starring Randolph Scott, which was until 1957 the definitive film of the gunfight story.

<i>The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp</i> TV western (1955-1961)

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp is the first Western television series written for adults. It premiered four days before Gunsmoke on September 6, 1955. Two weeks later came the Clint Walker western Cheyenne. The series is loosely based on the life of frontier marshal Wyatt Earp. The half-hour, black-and-white program aired for six seasons on ABC from 1955 to 1961, with Hugh O'Brian in the title role.

Naked Alibi is a 1954 American film noir crime film directed by Jerry Hopper and starring Sterling Hayden, Gloria Grahame and Gene Barry. It was released on October 1, 1954 by Universal-International. Portions of the film were shot in Tijuana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newman Haynes Clanton</span> American outlaw (c. 1816–1881)

Newman Haynes Clanton, also known as "Old Man" Clanton, was a cattle rancher and father of four sons, one of whom was killed during the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Two of his sons were involved in multiple conflicts in Cochise County, Arizona Territory including stagecoach robbery and cattle rustling. His son Ike Clanton was identified by one witness as a participant in the murder of Morgan Earp. Billy Clanton and Ike were both present at the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in which Billy was killed. "Old Man" Clanton was reportedly involved with stealing cattle from Mexican ranchers and re-selling them in the United States. Records indicate he participated in the Skeleton Canyon Massacre of Mexican smugglers. In retaliation, Mexican Rurales are reported to have ambushed and killed him and a crew of Cowboys in the Guadalupe Canyon Massacre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Hoxie</span> American actor

John Hartford Hoxie was an American rodeo performer and motion-picture actor whose career was most prominent in the silent film era of the 1910s through the 1930s. Hoxie is best recalled for his roles in Westerns and rarely strayed from the genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margot Grahame</span> British actress

Margot Grahame was an English actress most noted for starring in The Informer (1935) and The Three Musketeers (1935). She started acting in 1930 and made her last screen appearance in 1958.

<i>A Womans Secret</i> 1949 film by Nicholas Ray

A Woman's Secret is a 1949 film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Maureen O'Hara, Gloria Grahame and Melvyn Douglas. The film was based on the novel Mortgage on Life by Vicki Baum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Donnell</span> American actress

Jean Marie "Jeff" Donnell was an American film and television actress.

<i>Life Begins</i> (1932 film) 1932 film

Life Begins is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film starring Loretta Young, Eric Linden, Aline MacMahon, and Glenda Farrell. The film was adapted from the 1932 play of the same name by Mary M. Axelson. It was released by Warner Bros. on September 10, 1932. The film was praised for its honest portrayal of a maternity ward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank McLaury</span> American gunman (1849–1881)

Frank McLaury born Robert Findley McLaury was an American outlaw. He and his brother Tom owned a ranch outside Tombstone, Arizona, Arizona Territory during the 1880s, and had ongoing conflicts with lawmen Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp. The McLaury brothers repeatedly threatened the Earps because they interfered with the Cowboys' illegal activities. On October 26, 1881, Tom, Frank, and Billy Clanton were killed in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom McLaury</span> American outlaw (1853–1881)

Tom McLaury was an American outlaw. He and his brother Frank owned a ranch outside Tombstone, Arizona, Arizona Territory during the 1880s. He was a member of a group of outlaws Cowboys and cattle rustlers that had ongoing conflicts with lawmen Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp. The McLaury brothers repeatedly threatened the Earps because they interfered with the Cowboys' illegal activities. On October 26, 1881, Tom and Frank were both killed in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. The Tombstone shootout was his only gunfight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Clanton</span> Outlaw of the old American West

William Harrison Clanton was an outlaw Cowboy in Cochise County, Arizona Territory. He, along with his father Newman Clanton and brother Ike Clanton, worked a ranch near the boomtown of Tombstone, Arizona Territory and stole livestock from Mexico and later U.S. ranchers.

<i>Reunion</i> (1936 film) 1936 film

Reunion is a 1936 film produced by 20th Century Fox and directed by Norman Taurog.

<i>Grand Slam</i> (1933 film) 1933 film

Grand Slam is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by William Dieterle and Alfred E. Green and starring Paul Lukas, Loretta Young and Frank McHugh. The film was released by Warner Bros. on March 18, 1933.

References

  1. Lentz, Robert J. (2014). Gloria Grahame, Bad Girl of Film Noir: The Complete Career. McFarland. p. 69. ISBN   9780786487226 . Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  2. Magers, Boyd; Fitzgerald, Michael G. (2004). Westerns Women: Interviews with 50 Leading Ladies of Movie and Television Westerns from the 1930s to the 1960s. McFarland. p. 76. ISBN   9780786420285.
  3. Davis, Blair (2017). Movie Comics: Page to Screen/Screen to Page. Rutgers University Press. ISBN   9780813572277 . Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  4. Richard B. Jewell, Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures, Uni of California, 2016