''Sierra Baron'' 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 ...

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 ...

color film directed by James B. Clark and starring Brian Keith, Rick Jason and Rita Gam, from the novel by Thomas W. Blackburn.

Plot

In 1848, a rancher, Miguel Delmonte tries to protect his ''Princessa'' Spanish land grant, from American landgrabbers after his father is killed. Real estate agent Rufus Bynum, hires a Texas gunfighter Jack McCracken to kill the man. The gunfighter ends up falling in love with the rancher's sister Felicia.

Cast

Brian Keith Robert Alba Keith (November 14, 1921 – June 24, 1997), known professionally as Brian Keith, was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his six-decade career gained recognition for his work in films such as the Disney family ...

as Jack McCracken *

Rick Jason Rick Jason (born Richard Jacobson; May 21, 1923 – October 16, 2000) was an American actor. He is most remembered for starring in the ABC television drama '' Combat!'' (1962–1967). Early life and education Jason was born Richard Jacobson in ...

as Miguel Delmonte *

Rita Gam Rita Gam (born Rita Eleanore MacKay, April 2, 1927 – March 22, 2016) was an American film and television actress and documentary filmmaker. She won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. Background Gam was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the da ...

as Felicia Delmonte *

Mala Powers Mary Ellen "Mala" Powers (December 20, 1931 – June 11, 2007) was an American actress. Early life Powers was born in San Francisco. Her father was a United Press Associations executive, while her mother was a minister. In 1940, her family mov ...

as Sue Russell *

Lewis Allan Abel Meeropol (February 10, 1903 – October 29, 1986)Baker, Nancy Kovaleff, "Abel Meeropol (a.k.a. Lewis Allan): Political Commentator and Social Conscience," '' American Music'' 20/1 (2002), pp. 25–79, ; see especially note 3. was an Ameri ...

as Hank Moe * Pedro Galván as Judson Jeffers *

Fernando Wagner Fernando Wagner (November 7, 1905 in Göttingen, German Empire, Germany – October 20, 1973 in Cuernavaca, Mexico) was a German-born Mexican actor and film director. He had prominent roles in ''La perla (film), La Perla'' and ''The Wild Bunch' ...

as Grandall * Steve Brodie as Rufus Bynum * Carlos Múzquiz as Andrews *

Lee Morgan Edward Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 – February 19, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. One of the key hard bop musicians of the 1960s and a cornerstone of the Blue Note Records, Blue Note label, Morgan came to prominence in his la ...

as Frank Goheen *

Enrique Lucero Enrique Lucero (October 9, 1920 – May 9, 1989) was a Mexican actor who appeared in over 120 film roles. He was nominated for the Ariel Award for Best Actor for his role in the film '' Canoa: A Shameful Memory'' (1976). Biography Lucero was ...

as Anselmo *

Alberto Mariscal Alberto Mariscal (March 10, 1926 – April 24, 2010) was an American-born Mexican actor and film director.Agrasánchez p.159 Partial filmography * ''Su última aventura'' (1946) - Reportero (uncredited) * ''Barrio de pasiones'' (1948) * '' Cor ...

as Lopez * Lynne Ehrlich as Vicky Russell * Michael Schmidt as Ralph *

Tommy Riste Tommy may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tommy (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army * Tommy Giacomelli (born 1974), Brazilian for ...

as Ralph's Father

Production

The novel was published in 1955. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called it a "grade A novel". In May 1956 the novel was optioned by the sons of

Spyros Skouras Spyros Panagiotis Skouras (; ; March 28, 1893 – August 16, 1971) was a Greek-American motion picture pioneer and film executive who was the president of 20th Century-Fox from 1942 to 1962. He resigned June 27, 1962, but was chairman of the comp ...

, Plato and Spyros Jnr, who had formed a production company, Artys Co, with their cousin Charles Spyros Jnr, son of Charles Skouras. André de Toth and John Hawkins wrote a script with De Toth intending to direct; the Skouras brothers wanted

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 12th-greatest male ...

and

Jack Palance Walter Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk, , ''Volodymyr Ivanovych Palahniuk''; February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American screen and stage actor, known to film audiences for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominat ...

to star. Eventually rights shifted to Regal Films Inc and the film was made as part of Regal's ten films in three months. De Toth did not direct. The film was shot back to back with '' Villa!!'' in Mexico, in and around

Estudios Churubusco Estudios Churubusco is one of the oldest and largest movie studios in Mexico. It is located in the Churubusco neighborhood of Mexico City. History It was inaugurated in 1945 after a 1943 agreement between RKO and Emilio Azcárraga Vidaurreta ( ...

in Mexico City.

References

External links

*
''Sierra Baron''
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

* * 1958 films 1958 Western (genre) films Films based on American novels Films based on Western (genre) novels 20th Century Fox films CinemaScope films American Western (genre) films Films directed by James B. Clark Films shot in Mexico Films scored by Paul Sawtell Films scored by Bert Shefter 1950s English-language films 1950s American films English-language Western (genre) films {{1950s-US-Western-film-stub