Saddle the Wind is a 1958 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 directed by

Robert Parrish Robert Reese Parrish (January 4, 1916December 4, 1995) was an American film director, editor and former child actor. He won an Academy Award for Best Film Editing for his work on ''Body and Soul (1947 film), Body and Soul'' (1947). Life and car ...

, written by

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his Anthology series, anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone (1 ...

, produced by Armand Deutsch, and starring Robert Taylor,

Julie London Julie London (born Julie Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch song, torch singer noted for her contralto voice, London recorded over thirty album ...

and

John Cassavetes John Nicholas Cassavetes (December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American filmmaker and actor. He began as an actor in film and television before helping to pioneer modern American independent cinema as a writer and director, often self- ...

. The picture was filmed in

Metrocolor Metrocolor is the trade name used by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) for films processed at their laboratory. Virtually all of these films were shot on Kodak's Eastmancolor film. Although MGM used Kodak film products, MGM did not use all of Kodak's pro ...

and

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

. The title song was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans,and sung by Julie London.

Plot

Retired gunslinger and former

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

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 Donald William Crisp (27 July 188225 May 1974) was an English people, English film actor as well as an early producer, director and screenwriter. His career lasted from the early silent film era into the 1960s. He won an Academy Award for Best S ...

), 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 (

) and Tony's beautiful girlfriend Joan (

). 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 Charles McGraw (born Charles Crisp Butters; May 10, 1914 – July 29, 1980) was an American stage, film and television actor whose career spanned more than three decades. Early life McGraw was born to Beatrice (née Crisp) and Francis P. B ...

), 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 Royal Edward Dano Sr. (November 16, 1922 – May 15, 1994) was an American actor. In a career spanning 46 years, he was perhaps best known for playing cowboys, villains, and Abraham Lincoln. Dano also provided the voice of the Audio-Animatronic ...

), 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

* Robert Taylor as Steve Sinclair *

as Tony Sinclair *

as Joan Blake *

as Clay Ellison *

as Larry Venables *

as Dennis Deneen *

Richard Erdman John Richard Erdman (June 1, 1925 – March 16, 2019) was an American character actor and occasional film and television director. He appeared in more than 160 films and television productions between 1944 and 2017, mostly in supporting roles ...

as Dallas Hanson * Douglas Spencer as Hemp Scribner *

Ray Teal Ray Elgin Teal (January 12, 1902The book ''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory'' gives Teal's birth date as January 12, 1908. – April 2, 1976) was an American actor. His most famous role was as Sheriff Roy Coffee on the televis ...

as Brick Larson *

Irene Tedrow Irene Tedrow (August 3, 1907 – March 10, 1995) was an American character actress in stage, film, television and radio. Among her notable roles are as Janet Archer in the radio series '' Meet Corliss Archer'', Mrs. Lucy Elkins on the TV sitcom ...

as Mrs. Mary Ellison (uncredited)

Production

The film was shot on location in the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

Release

The film opened in 36 cities in the Far-West-

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

exchange area on March 5, 1958.

Box office

According to MGM records, the film made $1,005,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $1,075,000 in other markets, resulting in a loss of $308,000.

References

External links

* * * {{Robert Parrish 1958 films 1958 Western (genre) films American Western (genre) films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films directed by Robert Parrish Films with screenplays by Rod Serling 1950s English-language films 1950s American films English-language Western (genre) films