Saddle the Wind

Saddle the Wind
Theatrical Film Poster
Directed by Robert Parrish
Written by Rod Serling
Starring Robert Taylor
John Cassavetes
Julie London
Donald Crisp
Music by Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography George J. Folsey
Edited by John McSweeney, Jr.
Production
company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • March 5, 1958 (1958-03-05) (United States)
  • March 20, 1958 (1958-03-20) (New York City)
Running time
 84 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $1,479,000[1]
Box office $1,075,000[1]

Saddle the Wind is a 1958 Western film directed by Robert Parrish, written by Rod Serling and produced by Armand Deutsch. It was filmed in Metrocolor and CinemaScope.

Plot

Retired gunslinger and former Confederate soldier Steve Sinclair (Robert Taylor) is living as a rancher in a small western community. He collaborates with the main landowner Dennis Deneen (Donald Crisp), from whom he rents the ranch, to preserve communal stability.

His quiet life is disrupted by the appearance of his emotionally unstable younger brother Tony (John Cassavetes) and Tony's beautiful girlfriend Joan (Julie London). Tony has also brought back with him a new beautiful handmade six gun with a filed down trigger. He goes out into the yard to show off his quick draw skills with his other prize possession. The scene ends with Tony finally shooting an image of himself in a pool of water.

An old rival of Steve's, gunman Larry Venables (Charles McGraw), also arrives on the scene looking for Steve. Gun crazy Tony challenges Venables to draw on him. When a reluctant but belligerent Venables gets distracted Tony kills him. His success goes to his head and he gets drunk, ignoring Joan. Steve is mad about the shooting and tells his younger brother that Venable was one of the faster gunfighters he ever knew, and that he got lucky.

A new problem arises with the arrival of Clay Ellison (Royal Dano), a farmer who plans to fence off a strip of land he inherited from his deceased father. The land is currently grazed by cattle and is part of the open range. Ellison has plans to grow wheat on the land and plans to put up barbed wire to keep the cattle off the property. Tony attempts to drive off Ellison, but Steve intervenes.

Ellison appeals to Deneen, who agrees to defend Ellison's legal rights to the land. However Tony murders Ellison when he attempts to buy provisions in town. Deneen breaks his ties with the Sinclairs. Steve intends to leave the ranch, but Tony tries to take over. Steve drives him off, but Tony confronts Deneen and attempts to kill him. Both are wounded in the gunfight. Deneen's men agree to let Steve find Tony if he puts on his guns which he has not worn in years. Tony has fled into the hills. When Steve finds him, Tony shoots himself echoing the earlier scene of shooting himself in the pool of water. Steve tells the wounded Deneen his brother is dead. Deneen persuades him to stay on at the ranch.

Cast

Reception

According to MGM records the film made $1,005,000 in the US and Canada and $1,075,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $308,000.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study .


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