Seven Ways from Sundown (1960)

Audie Murphy is Seven “Ways from Sundown” Jones, a young man who joins the Texas Rangers because one of his older brothers, Two Jones, was killed while serving for the outfit. Sgt. Henessey (John McIntire) isn’t thrilled by the inexperienced newcomer, especially after Seven shows his lack of experience with a six-gun.

Soon, the twosome find themselves dispatched to search for Jim Flood (Barry Sullivan), a notoriously likeable — and dangerous — outlaw. Flood ambushes Henessey, but Seven proves more wiley than anyone expected and captures his man.

His contempt for the killer is slowly melted by Flood’s charm … and the fact that he twice passes up an attempt to kill the young Ranger. He, like so many before him, becomes an admirer of Flood. Then comes the day he realizes Flood must be stopped, even if a friend must do the stopping.

Review:

Audie Murphy starred in several 1960s Westerns featuring scripts that were more original than the norm, and this is one of them. In truth, Barry Sullivan makes the film as an outlaw everyone loves, as long as he doesn’t cross them en route to living his free and easy life on the wrong side of the law.

John McIntire turns in a fine performance as the older Ranger who takes Murphy under his wing. And thanks to his boyish looks, Murphy was still capable of pulling off the role of a young Texas Ranger in a film like this.

Venetia Stevenson is Joy Karrington, his love interest. Twice married, her husband were actor Russ Tamblyn and Don Everly of The Everly Brothes. She appeared in only one other Western, 1959’s “Day of the Outlaw.”

Directed by:
Harry Keller

Cast:
Audie Murphy … Seven Jones
Barry Sullivan … Jim Flood
Venetia Stevenson … Joy Karrington
John McIntire … Sgt. Henessey
Kenneth Tobey … Lt. Herly
Mary Field … Mrs. Karrington
Ken Lynch … Graves
Suzanne Lloyd … Lucinda
Ward Ramsey … Fogarty
Don Collier … Duncan
Jack Kruschen … Beeker
Claudia Barrett … Gilda
Teddy Rooney … Jody
Don Haggerty … Dick Durton
Robert Burton … Eavens

Runtime: 86 min.

Memorable lines:

Seven Jones: “My pa wasn’t much for fancy when it came to giving out names, so he just named us by the numbers and let it go at that.”
Joy Karrington: “Plain number’s not much of a name.”
Seven: “That’s what my ma said too, so she always added something. Like, the first born was One for the Money Jones, the second was Two for the Show Jones, right on up to me. My full name is Seven Ways from Sundown Jones.”
Joy: “Wow.”

Seven Jones “I bet this is the only town in Texas where nobody ever heard of Jim Flood.”
Sgt. Henessey: “They’ve heard of him alrgiht. He’s been here and gone. They’re all dizzy with his blasted charm.”

Seven Jones, questioning the direction the Rangers are traveling to track down Jim Flood: “Why not north, like the girl said?”
Sgt Henessey: “Flood never in his life told a girl the right direction he was going.”

Jim Flood to Seven Jones: “You know, you’d make a fair to middling badman if you ever gave yourself half a chance.”