Moviecut—Day of the Outlaw

Day of the Outlaw

Watched this Andre De Toth western last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Robert Ryan did a nice job and I liked Burl Ives as the heavy. Lots of interesting tension for what seemed to be a pretty low-budget feature. The combination of this tension and some melodramatic elements made the film very entertaining(and kind oddly of funny at times). It does seem to have a more noirish, fatalistic feeling to it than most westerns-which was great. Too bad it's not on vhs or anything(all De Toth's films should be!!), but I'm sure TCM will air it again.

André De Toth's odd western stars Robert Ryan as an angry gunslinger feuding with a local farmer and coveting the farmer's sexy wife. Before Ryan can have it out with the farmer, a band of outlaws hit town and a tense psychodrama ensues. While the acting is uniformly excellent, this film is so devoid of any style it's hard to imagine what De Toth was after. Ryan and Burl Ives (as the lead bad guy) are excellent and the snowy imagery (it's set in the mountains of Wyoming) is different, but the plot is anemic. With zero close-ups of any of the actors, it's tough to get too deeply invested in what happens to any of these characters. Tina Louise and David Nelson are in it too. The rousing music is by Alexander Courage.

"Day of the Outlaw" is a mean, tough and very tense western. It has a strong cast and beautiful exterior photography. What goes on in "Day of the Outlaw" is not for the faint of heart. This is a serious movie. I don't think there was any humor in it. "Day of the Outlaw" is a good western and I plan on watching it again soon.

Andre de Toth directs faultlessly here bringing a big surprise to anyone who thought that 1950's westerns were watered down versions of reality. This is possibly the most uncompromising and bleak vision of the old west that I can remember seeing for a film from the 1950's. Brilliantly photographed against a backdrop of snow, hills and forests, with wonderfully composed shots of both actors and scenery, this is a minor masterpiece. Terrific choice of actors headed by tough guy Robert Ryan, folk singer Burl Ives and the beautiful Tina Louise with great supporting actors, Dabs Greer, Elisha Cook Jr, Jack Lambert etc. Great story, unfolding slowly and with completely unexpected events occurring throughout. Just when you think something is going to explode, de Toth holds it all back,racking up the tension to the bitter end. The best western I've watched in years. If only they made pictures like this still.

Outlaws make a stopover at a tiny frontier town, holding the residents hostage. The most notable feature of this western is its frigid, snow-covered setting, effectively conveyed by the stark cinematography. The plot concerning conflicts between ranchers and cowboys and the invasion of the outlaws is not terribly compelling but De Toth keeps it interesting enough. Ryan plays a disgruntled cowboy and, as always, he's worth watching. Louise, who played Ryan's Daughter-in-Law the previous year in her film debut in "God's Little Acre," here plays his love interest! Ives is fine as the leader of the outlaws. The score is nice.

This is an uncommon, stark western starring the versatile Robert Ryan in tough guy mode, as a ruthless cattleman at odds with homesteaders in a tiny, bleak western town. As he is about to settle a feud with a local farmer, Burl Ives and his band of sadistic thugs ride into town and hold the citizens hostage. As Ives tries to keep his men from raping the women, Ryan must find a way to save the town, and redeem himself in the process. Beautiful outdoor photography and solid acting combine with an unusual story line to make this a very interesting, tense flick. The movie eschews the usual western cliches in favor of maintaining a somber, moral tone. Ives excels as an internally conflicted villain. And Ryan, as always, is the man.

This is an excellent western by Andre de Toth. It is mainly remembered for its final thirty minutes,an extraordinary ride in the snow ,where the director makes the best of black and white pictures while he's filming all the tired horses ...Hell freezes over. But the first hour is absorbing as well with its depiction of an one-horse town lost in the snow,a dead end where one never really knows which ones are prisoners and which ones are guards .The "ball ",during which the four women are really having a bad time (particularly Tina Louise)is one of the most violent scenes ever filmed in a western .And all they are doing is dancing.It has to be seen to be believed! Robert Ryan is ,as always,excellent ,as a tired blasé man who just wants to live in peace.

From veteran director Andre De Toth comes an underrated and mighty fine winter western. It is a little too short perhaps and there are parts that could have been better paced, but these are minor problems really because Day of the Outlaw is actually very good. For one thing, it is strikingly photographed in stark black and white, and the snowy landscapes are nothing less than magnificent. The score is also a really nice touch, dramatic, beautiful and dramatic, and Day of the Outlaw is also well scripted, nuanced and powerful yet with an essence of bitterness. And in terms of effective scenes the climatic gunfight in the snow is quite remarkable to say the least. The story is evocative and engrossing, the direction is excellent and the acting is adept with Robert Ryan rugged and heroic, Burl Ives brilliant as ever and Tina Louise both alluring and appealing. Overall, underrated with a lot to recommend it. 8/10 Bethany Cox