6.2
Former buffalo hunter and entrepreneur Wyatt Earp arrives in the lawless cattle town of Wichita Kansas. His skill as a gun-fighter makes him a perfect candidate for Marshal, but he refuses the job until he feels morally obligated to bring law and order to this wild town.
Joel McCrea
Wyatt Earp
Vera Miles
Laurie McCoy
Lloyd Bridges
Gyp Clements
Wallace Ford
Arthur Whiteside
Edgar Buchanan
Doc Black
Peter Graves
Morgan Earp
Keith Larsen
Bat Masterson
Carl Benton Reid
Mayor Andrew Hope
John Smith
Jim Earp
Walter Coy
Sam McCoy
Robert J. Wilke
Ben Thompson
Jack Elam
Al
Mae Clarke
Mrs. McCoy
Walter Sande
Clint Wallace
Robert Anderson
Bank Robber (uncredited)
Gertrude Astor
Saloon Madam (uncredited)
Rayford Barnes
Hal Clements (uncredited)
John Bose
Townsman (uncredited)
Rudy Bowman
Townsman (uncredited)
Chet Brandenburg
Townsman (uncredited)
Joe Brooks
Townsman (uncredited)
Bill Clark
Cowpuncher (uncredited)
Bill Coontz
Cowpuncher (uncredited)
Ben Corbett
Barfly (uncredited)
Jean Dean
Townswoman (uncredited)
George DeNormand
Proprietor (uncredited)
Tex Driscoll
Townsman (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum
Townsman (uncredited)
Leonard P. Geer
Cowpuncher (uncredited)
Signe Hack
Townswoman (uncredited)
Frank Hagney
Barfly / Lookout (uncredited)
Mary Alan Hokanson
Mrs. Jackson (Michael's Mother) (uncredited)
George Huggins
Townsman (uncredited)
Dick Johnstone
Barfly (uncredited)
I. Stanford Jolley
John Stanton (uncredited)
Chester Jones
William (uncredited)
Ray Jones
Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Kenny
Townsman (uncredited)
Rory Mallinson
Robber #3 (uncredited)
Kathy Marlowe
Saloon Girl (uncredited)
Kermit Maynard
Townsman (uncredited)
Jody McCrea
Gunman (uncredited)
Russell Meeker
Townsman (uncredited)
Charles Morton
Bartender (uncredited)
Anna Navarro
Girl (uncredited)
William Newell
Bartender (uncredited)
Jimmy Noel
Barfly (uncredited)
Sam Peckinpah
Bank Teller (uncredited)
Ford Raymond
Townsman (uncredited)
Bob Reeves
Townsman (uncredited)
Alex Sharp
Cowpuncher (uncredited)
George Sherwood
Marshal Billy Smith (uncredited)
Robert Swan
Robber #2 (uncredited)
Adele Taylor
Saloon Girl (uncredited)
Dorothy Tennant
Mrs. Stanton (uncredited)
Coleen Vico
Saloon Girl (uncredited)
Gene Wesson
1st Robber (uncredited)
Chalky Williams
Townsman (uncredited)
Henry Wills
Cowpuncher (uncredited)
Al Wyatt Sr.
Cowpuncher (uncredited)
Director
Jacques Tourneur
Lyricist
Ned Washington
Screenplay, Story
Daniel B. Ullman
January 2, 2016
8
The Kansas Law Dog!
Wichita is directed by Jacques Tourneur and written by Daniel B. Ullman. It stars Joel McCrea, Vera Miles, Wallace Ford, Edgar Buchannan, Lloyd Bridges and Keith Larsen. It's filmed in Cinemascope/Technicolor with cinematography by Harold Lipstein and music by Hans J. Salter.
Wichita is an origin story, that of one Wyatt Earp (McCrea), the story is set before he gets to Dodge City, where apparently some famous gunfight occurred. From a narrative stand point it's a town tamer story, Earp arrives in a newly thriving Wichita, at this point he's a hunter of buffalo only. But as the cowboys converge on the town, and things turn very dark, Earp - a bastion of good and just righteousness - finds it impossible to continue in turning down the town superior's offers of becoming the town Marshal.
It's one of those Western movies that made Western movie fans become Western movie fans. A film you would have watched as a youngster and just bought totally into the good guy against the baddies central core. Of course as youngsters we wouldn't have cared a jot about thematics such as capitalism ruling over common sense, or metaphysical leanings ticking away, all while a genius director is composing shots and frames of great distinction. Hell! Even the intelligence and maturity in the writing would have escaped us, the dark passages merely incidents of no great concern...
Wichita is damn fine film making. OK! It isn't wall to wall action. Sure there is a good round of knuckles, a bit of trench warfare and the standard shoot-outs, but these are just conduits to smart and compelling human drama, richly performed by McCrea (brilliantly cast) and company. Tourneur, Ullman and Lipstein make sure there is no waste on the page or via location framing, the costuming authentic and pleasing, and of course the story itself, the set up of the iconic man himself, is as compelling as it is splendidly entertaining.
It be a traditional Western for the traditional Western fan. Nice! 8/10
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00