Showdown at Boot Hill
Showdown at Boot Hill is a 1958 American Western film directed by Gene Fowler Jr., written by Louis Vittes, and starring Charles Bronson, Robert Hutton, John Carradine, Carole Mathews, Fintan Meyler and Paul Maxey. The film was released on May 1, 1958, by 20th Century Fox.[1][2][3][4]
| Showdown at Boot Hill | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Gene Fowler Jr. |
| Produced by | Harold E. Knox |
| Written by | Louis Vittes |
| Starring | Charles Bronson Robert Hutton John Carradine Carole Mathews Fintan Meyler Paul Maxey |
| Music by | Albert Harris |
| Cinematography | John M. Nickolaus Jr. |
| Edited by | Frank Sullivan |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 71 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
It was the first film Gene Fowler Jr. made for Regal Films.[5]
Plot
An unusual western plot that is character driven and reaches beyond right/wrong morality, requiring its male and female leads to develop and act on introspection. Bronson portrays a Marshall who has turned bounty hunter explicitly as a reaction to his being "short" and unable to command the allegiance of those he is to protect. His beliefs and lifestyle are challenged by Doc played by John Carradine who sees something of his younger self in this angry man with a gun. Also driving the psychological elements of the film is the Marshall's growing attachment to Jill (Carole Mathews) and her daughter Sally (Fintan Meyler).
Cast
- Charles Bronson as Luke Welsh
- Robert Hutton as Sloane
- John Carradine as Doc Weber
- Carole Mathews as Jill Crane
- Fintan Meyler as Sally Crane
- Paul Maxey as Judge Wallen
- Thomas Browne Henry as Con Maynor
- William Stevens as Corky
- Martin Smith as Tex
- Joe McGuinn as Mr. Creavy
- George Douglas as Charles Maynor
- Mike Mason as Les Patton
- George Pembroke as Sheriff Hinkle
- Argentina Brunetti as Mrs. Bonaventura
- Ed Wright as Brent
- Stacey Marshall as Saloon Girl
- Shirley Haven as Customer
- Pedro Gonzales Gonzales as Mexican with donkey
Production
The film was shot in late 1957, and gave an early lead role to Charles Bronson.[6]
The film was the first in a series that Gene Fowler Jr. made for Robert L. Lippert. Fowler said "that Lippert experience was wonderful in a way because we had the run of the Fox lot; whatever sets happened to be still standing, we'd use those sets. My partner, Lou Vittes and I, would walk through those sets that had already been used for more expensive pictures than we could make and we would pretty much write the script around those sets."[7]
Parts of the theme song sound similar to the theme from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, directed by John Ford four years later and starring John Wayne, James Stewart and Lee Marvin.
References
- Showdown at Boot Hill (1958) at the TCM Movie Database
- Hal Erickson. "Showdown at Boot Hill (1958) – Gene Fowler, Jr". AllMovie. Retrieved 2018-01-07.
- Showdown at Boot Hill at the American Film Institute Catalog
- "SHOWDOWN AT BOOT HILL". Monthly Film Bulletin. 25. 1958. p. 63. ProQuest 1305823201.
- Dexter, Maury (2012). Highway to Hollywood (PDF). p. 102.
- Hopper, H. (Dec 10, 1957). "Musical 'viva villa' to star john raitt". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 167175857.
- Weaver, Tom (2006). Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes: Interviews with Actors, Directors, Producers and Writers of the 1940s through 1960s. McFarland. p. 75–76. ISBN 9780786428571.