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Information

Year
1950
Runtime
92 min.
Director
Anthony Mann
Genre
Western
Rating *
7.7
Votes *
11,793
Checks
3,275
Favs
203
Dislikes
12
Favs/checks
6.2% (1:16)
Favs/dislikes
17:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. johnnyg's avatar

    johnnyg

    Jimmy Stewart wipes the floor with the rest of the cast in a decent B western. 11 years 6 months ago
  2. masoko's avatar

    masoko

    Dan Duryea as Waco Johnny Dean stole the show 11 years 6 months ago
  3. Siskoid's avatar

    Siskoid

    Proposing to tell the story of a gun, Winchester'73 plays Dead Man's Gun with the title rifle, showing it pass from hand to hand without losing sight of the characters that once held it. Anthony Mann's first collaboration with Jimmy Stewart, it uses its conceit to give you a whirlwind tour of the Western. You get a bit of everything: Bounty hunters, the showgirl with a heart of gold, gamblers, "Indians", the Cavalry, people talking about the Civil War, a bank robbery, saloon brawls, outlaws, the Earps, a shooting contest, and lots of gunfire. I think the only thing missing was a train. That's fine, save some stuff for Winchester'74. All kidding aside, Jimmy Stewart is great, and he's not alone (which is good because as we follow the rifle, we lose sight of him, but never for too long). Good turns by Shelley Winters, creepy Dan Duryea, hustler Millard Mitchell, grizzled Jay C. Flippen, fresh-faced Tony Curtis, and others. I do condemn the casting of Rock Hudson as the Natives' chief, however. I mean, c'mon. (Not that any Hollywood Western passes the litmus test on this point, but it feels kind of worse when the actor attains stardom later and you can recognize them.) In a way, doing ALL of Westerndom in one go might have pushed Mann to take Stewart very different places in later movies, as neither The Naked Spur nor The Far Country - to name the ones I've seen - are typical Westerns. 3 years 8 months ago
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In 7 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #50 in IMDb's Western Top 50
    IMDb's Western Top 50's icon

    IMDb's Western Top 50

    50
  2. This movie ranks #98 in BFI's 100 Westerns
    BFI's 100 Westerns's icon

    BFI's 100 Westerns

    98
  3. This movie ranks #228 in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
    1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die's icon

    1001 Movies You Must See…

    228
  4. This movie ranks #422 in David Thomson's Have You Seen?
    David Thomson's Have You Seen?'s icon

    David Thomson's Have You…

    422
  5. This movie ranks #461 in Emma Beare's 501 Must-See Movies
    Emma Beare's 501 Must-See Movies's icon

    Emma Beare's 501 Must-Se…

    461
  6. This movie ranks #686 in Library of Congress's National Film Registry
    Library of Congress's National Film Registry's icon

    Library of Congress's Na…

    686
  7. This movie ranks #853 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films: 1001-2500
    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films: 1001-2500's icon

    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…

    853
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