Winchester '73
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Movie Reviews of Winchester '73
Movie Review: Winchester '73
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent movie!!! One of Jimmy Stewart's best efforts. Stands the test of time very well. DVD is sharp and clear.Movie Review: james stewart what can i say.
Summary: 5 Stars
starting with winchester )73 and the far country an night passage these are what westurns are all about.Movie Review: ON TARGET
Summary: 4 Stars
In the 50s, James Stewart made five fine westerns with director Anthony Mann. The others in this series were: "Bend of the River," "The Man from Laramie," "The Naked Spur," and "The Far Country." Not quite in the same league as the best of Budd Boetticher's much lower-budgeted Randolph Scott classics, but Mann's films are now considered western classics that helped revive the popularity of westerns as a film genre. But these Stewart starring cowboy tales are even more famous in Hollywood for changing the way it does business. Stewart gambled on hardly any money up front in exchange for a share of the studio's take. He got rich from this shrewd business move. He trusted his instincts to pick a great script and work with a director who understood story and knew how to deliver a final product that people would eagerly pay to see.
Set in 1876, Lin McAdam (Stewart), on his way to compete in a sharp-shooting contest on the 4th of July with his prized repeating rifle, a Winchester model 1973, gets his gun stolen and tracks it down. The story is simple but the plot is complex with lots of action, twists and surprises. Stewart is terrific as a single-minded determined man committed to risk all to get his beloved gun.
This very American movie resonates on many levels, but none more so that in Stewart's uncanny skill in conveying the ineffable core of what it means to believe in freedom and justice and the right of a man to own a gun. And why it matters.
Stewart was in the best sense of the word an all-American on screen and off. Well-liked in Hollywood, her served in WW II and was widely known for treating all the people on movie sets as equals. And friendly to fans as well. He was humble, self-effacing and somehow authentic. So like the men he often played on screen.
I got to know Stewart briefly and looked forward to spending my lunch hour on the set with him when he was on break from shooting "Fools Parade." Stewart was an avid wildlife photographer. I had some recent experiences shooting (with a camera) animals in Africa and he was about to go on a safari with his wife and daughters. He talked about his new Nikon camera and wanted to not be hampered with a lot of equipment. We talked about lenses and the real dangers of being in the wild. He had strong feeling about protecting wild animals before it became the politically correct thing to do. He said he would never go on a hunting safari, only a photo one. I got the impression he was a gun owner, strong second amendment supporter but would only shoot humans in self-defense or to protect his country. I liked him a lot in the brief time we spent together and wished I had asked him more about the movies he made. Watching him act, I don't think I ever saw anyone who did it with such effortless grace. He intuitively understood the character he was playing and you could actually see the subtle changes in his face and body language and hear the new tone of his voice when the director shouted "action" and then witness it evaporate when the director said "cut." It was as if Stewart was possessed, but in a very good way. If you get a chance to see "Winchester '73," you'll see great American who loves his gun as much as his life. And you will understand what's at stake in this organic relationship that shaped a nation and still does.
Movie Review: "That's where you're wrong. I don't like it. Some things a man has to do, so he does 'em."
Summary: 4 Stars
Between 1950 and 1955 James Stewart and director Anthony Mann made 5 Westerns together. Each of them are excellent and deserving of multiple viewings.
This first pairing finds Lin McAdam (Stewart) and his partner High-Spade Frankie Wilson (played by one of my absolute favorite underrated actors: Millard Mitchell) on the trail of Dutch Henry Brown a two-bit, low life, four flushing scumbag that really [...] off Stewart but we don't know why. They catch up with him in the opening scene in Dodge City but since there's no guns allowed in the city limits and Sheriff Wyatt Earp is watching them both like a hawk they can't kill each other. Instead they compete in a shooting contest. Grand prize: a high-coveted "one-in-a-thousand" Winchester Model 1873 rifle. Stewart wins the gun, but Brown and his men jump him, steal the rifle and skedaddle it out of town with Lin and Wilson on their trail.
From here on the story splits into two: one the story of the rifle and it's quickly changing owners and the other of Lin and Wilson tracking down Brown and why exactly does Lin hate him so much that he would dedicate his life to killing Brown.
Like I said earlier this is an excellent film and I'm sure a real surprise for audiences back in 1950 who had never seen a rough and haunted Stewart. Most people probably didn't even think he was capable of it! I'm a big fan of Anthony Mann and he does a great job here, I especially like the look of this movie: it's rougher and grittier than the normal Western of the day. Another big plus for this film is the strong supporting cast. In every scene you see a familiar face: Shelley Winters, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, John McIntire, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, James Millican, Jay C. Flippen, Charles Drake (he was really good), John Alexander (Teddy from ARSENIC AND OLD LACE!!!), Abner Biberman, and Steve Brodie! Now that's a supporting cast!
If you're a fan of Stewart's or Westerns or just good movies then you can't go wrong with this one. Oh yea, if that's not enough for you there's also an audio commentary by Stewart himself!
Movie Review: Stewart Makes A Good Cowboy
Summary: 4 Stars
James Stewart's performance in Winchester 73 should dispell any myth that he could not convincingly portray a tough, edgy character. His portrayal of a determined cowboy in Winchester 73 showed that his acting skills were wide in range. The plot involves a "repeating rifle" that marked the demise of the single shot Springfield rifle. The rifle acts as the catalyst for the film as it is coveted by many men intent on owning it. As it passes from man to man themes such as jealousy, revenge, love, cowardice, and greed paint the film. The film boasts a quality cast with Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, and Will Geer in supporting roles. The film also features two actors in small parts who would later become Hollywood stars: Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis. I don't consider this film a 5 star western classic like many of the reviewers because in my opinion it does not reach the heights of a Shane or The Wild Bunch. The one unlikely scene is the shooting contest. At one point actor Will Geer is tossing coins and buttons in the air. The contestants Stewart and McNally are hitting them every time. All this while a woman is clearly sitting calmly in the direction of their rifle shots! The DVD is definitely one to own, because it offers a wonderful commentary by the great James Stewart.