''The Redhead from Wyoming'' is a 1953 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by

Lee Sholem Lee Tabor Sholem (May 25, 1913 in Paris, Illinois, – August 19, 2000 in Los Angeles, California) was an American television and film director. Nicknamed ""Roll 'Em" Sholem", he is identified more than anyone else in the industry with speed a ...

. It stars

Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was a native Irish and naturalized American actress and singer, who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for pl ...

as a saloon proprietress who becomes embroiled in a

range war A range war or range conflict is a type of usually violent conflict, most commonly in the 19th and early 20th centuries in the American West. The subject of these conflicts was control of " open range", or range land freely used for cattle grazing ...

and

Alex Nicol Alexander Livingston Nicol Jr. (January 20, 1916 – July 29, 2001) was an American actor and film director. Nicol appeared in many Westerns including '' The Man from Laramie'' (1955). He appeared in more than forty feature films as well as dir ...

as the sheriff who tries to prevent it. The supporting cast includes William Bishop as a politician who provokes the war and

Alexander Scourby Alexander Scourby (; November 13, 1913 – February 22, 1985) was an American film, television, and voice actor known for his deep and resonant voice and Mid-Atlantic accent. He is best known for his film role as the ruthless mob boss Mike ...

as a prominent cattle rancher.

Plot

The film begins with scenes of life in

Wyoming Territory The Territory of Wyoming was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 25, 1868, until July 10, 1890, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Wyoming. Cheyenne was the territorial capital. The bou ...

, where new settlers join the cattle business by finding stray, unbranded cattle, called "

maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bure ...

s", on public land. The narrator explains that established ranchers use the "Maverick Act" against the settlers, while "sharp-witted men" take advantage of the resulting conflict. After this introduction, Jim Averell (

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

) is shown exhorting settlers to elect him governor to defend them against cattle barons such as Reece Duncan ( Scourby). When Averell's speech is over, the famous stage performer Kate Maxwell ( O'Hara) arrives with a group of showgirls. Averell has arranged for Kate to operate both a cattle-buying business and a saloon. Duncan warns Kate that he will kill anyone caught stealing cattle on his land, and Sheriff Stan Blaine (

Nicol Nicol is a given name and a surname. Darren Everett criss Blaine glee dalton academy warblers school room dancing hollywood 430.Madeline drive pasdea.91105 anercan red criss red crross reod criss.626 05841 darren criss warblers jacket nicol raitan ...

) warns her of an impending war over the cattle business. The tension between Duncan and the settlers rises as the settlers search for mavericks on Duncan's land and outlaws hired by Averell steal Duncan's cattle. Averell designed the "K-M" brand for Kate's cattle business in such a way that her branding iron completely covers Duncan's "bar double check" brand when applied directly over it. When Averell explains this trick to Kate, he makes it clear to her that she will be hanged as a rustler if she informs the authorities, and Duncan refuses her offer to support him against Averell. Meanwhile, unknown gunfighters assemble in the nearby hills, and one of them shoots a settler. After Duncan attempts to stop a cattle roundup organized by Averell and the settlers, one of his men is killed, with Kate's branding iron left near the body. To further increase the tension, Averell offers Duncan his support against the settlers immediately after inciting their anger against Duncan. Averell's plan is to ignite a cattle war and promote his own political career by providing leadership once the war has begun. However, Blaine discovers Averell's plan. After Blaine and Kate have explained it to their men, they stage a fake war, and Blaine forces Averell to signal his men. When the outlaws ride into town, they begin a gunfight against both Duncan's men and the settlers. After Averell shoots Blaine, Kate catches him stealing money from the saloon, and when he tries to shoot her, she and Blaine kill him. After the fight, Blaine prepares to leave town, but Kate persuades him to stay with her. The film ends as they ride away to inspect some farmland for a new home.

Cast

as Kate Maxwell, a stage performer with a checkered history in Texas *

as Sheriff Stan Blaine, a drifter whose family was killed in a Texas cattle war when he was a boy * William Bishop as Jim Averell, a scheming politician who once betrayed Kate in Texas * Robert Strauss as "Knuckles" Hogan, Kate's bodyguard *

as Reece Duncan, an established cattle rancher *

Gregg Palmer Palmer Edwin Lee (January 25, 1927 – October 31, 2015), known by his stage name Gregg Palmer, was an American film and television actor. Born in San Francisco, California, Palmer served in the United States Army Air Corps as a cryptographer i ...

as Hal Jessup (as Palmer Lee), a young settler * Jack Kelly as Sandy * Jeanne Cooper as Myra, a showgirl, Hal's sweetheart *

Dennis Weaver William Dennis Weaver (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, best known for his work in television and films from the early 1950s until just before his death in 2006. Weave ...

as Matt Jessup, a settler * Stacy Harris as Chet Jones

Production

The film was called ''Cattle Kate'' based on an original story by Polly Bishop. (In December 1949 Hal Wallis announced he wanted to make a biopic of

Ellen Watson Ellen Liddy Watson (July 2, 1860Van Pelt, p. 157. – July 20, 1889) was a pioneer of Wyoming who became known as Cattle Kate, an outlaw of the Old West, although the characterization is a dubious one, as subsequent research has tended to se ...

called ''Cattle Kate'' starring

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...

but this appears to have become '' The Furies''.) Maureen O'Hara signed in April 1952.

Hugh O'Brien Hugh O'Brien (July 13, 1827 – August 1, 1895) was the 31st mayor of Boston, from 1884 to 1888. O'Brien is notable as Boston's first Irish and Catholic mayor, having emigrated from Ireland to America in the early 1830s. O'Brien was the editor ...

was to play the lead but he went into ''The Great Companions'' instead. Alex Nicol was cast in the male lead. Filming started 10 May 1952. Maureen O'Hara narrowly escaped injury when a gun exploded in the hands of an extra. The title was changed to ''Redhead from Wyoming'' in June 1952. Star Maureen O'Hara was under contract to

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

at the time.METRO BARS LANZA FROM RADIO SHOWS: Studio Advises N. B. C. Tenor May Not Do Program Because of Contract Difficulties, by THOMAS M. PRYOR, Special to ''The New York Times''. 22 Aug 1952: 12.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Redhed From Wyoming, The 1953 films Films set in Wyoming 1953 Western (genre) films Films directed by Lee Sholem American Western (genre) films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films