Winchester ’73 (1950)

James Stewart is Lin McAdams, who rides into Dodge City on the trail of a man he’s been hunting for quite a while, and finds himself in a shooting match with that man — Dutch Henry Brown (Stephen McNally) with a Winchester ’73 as the grand prize.

McAdams wins the shooting match, but Dutch Henry and his men promptly beat him up and steal the prized repeating rifle. And so the hunt is on, as McAdams and sidekick High Spade head out on the trail of the rifle, and Dutch Henry.

Over the course of the film, the rifle changes hands several times. McAdams’ determination to find his man doesn’t waver. Along the way, he crosses paths with saloon girl Lola Manners (Shelley Winters), who is hoping to settle down with small-time crook Steve Miller (Charles Drake), if he’ll only go straight.

In the end, all trails lead to Tascosa, where Dutch Henry, his henchmen and a crazed killer named Waco Johnny Dean (Dan Duryea) plan to pull a bank job. Of course, McAdams is headed to Tascosa, too. He has a score to settle with the brother who killed his father.

James Stewart as Lin McAdam, a man with a score to settle and a rifle to retrieve in Winchester ’73 (1950)

Shelley Winters as Lola Manners, a saloon girl kicked out of Dodge on a town holiday in Winchester ’73 (1950)

Review:

Superior Western as director Anthony Mann teams up with Stewart for their first of several films together. The episodic plot as Mann tracks the trail of the Winchester provides for plenty of action, with ample time set aside to develop the characters, too.

Most of them are black and white. Stephen McNally, bland as a lead man in several other Westerns, turns in one of his better performances here as the brother gone bad. Duryea comes across as even more sinister.

Drake has one of the more interesting roles. He’s in love with Lola, but when Indians attack their buckboard, he rides off in fright, leaving her behind … until he stumbles upon a cavalry patrol. That show of cowardice haunts him through the rest of the film.

The movie’s deep cast also includes Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis in small roles, playing an Indian chief and a cavalryman, respectively. It marked one of the earliest film outings for both future stars.

Stephen McNally as Dutch Henry Brown, the man Lin McAdams is looking for in Winchester ’73 (1950)

Dan Duryea as Waco Johnny Dean, arguing over a rifle with Steve Miller (Charles Drake) in Winchester ’73 (1950)

Directed by:
Anthony Mann

Cast:
James Stewart … Lin McAdam
Shelley Winters … Lola Manners
Dan Duryea … Waco Johnny Dean
Stephen McNally … Dutch Henry Brown
Millard Mitchell … High Spade Frankie Wilson
Charles Drake … Steve Miller
John McIntire … Joe Lamont
Will Geer … Wyatt Earp
Jay C. Flippen … Sgt. Wilkes
Rock Hudson … Young Bull
John Alexander … Jack Riker
Steve Brodie … Wesley
James Millican … Wheeler
Abner Biber man … Latigo Means
Tony Curtis … Doan

Runtime: 92 min.

Millard Mitchell as High Spade with James Stewart as Lin McAdams in Winchester ’73 (1950)

John McIntire as Joe Lamont, a gunrunner who winds up the the special rifle in Winchester ’73 (1950)

Memorable lines:

Wyat Earp: “Today, you’re going to see one of these here men win something that I would give my right … that I would give my left hand to own. Now if you good folks would behave yourselves, I could give my right hand.”

Dutch Henry’s sidekick: “Why do they always scalp when they kill? You’d think they’d let a man keep his hair.”
Dutch Henry: “Never mind his hair. Some Injun’s got my gun.”

Lola Manners, after giving Sgt. Wilkes a kiss on his cheek: “That’s for saving my life.”
Sgt. Wilkes: “I thought it was because I was so pretty.”

Lin McAdam: “There’s some things a man’s gotta do, so he does ’em.”

James Stewart as Lin McAdam with Steve Darrell as Bat Masterson and Will Geer as Wyatt Earp in Winchester ’73 (1950)

Rock Hudson as Young Bull, an Indian chief negotiating with Joe Lamont (John McIntire) in Winchester ’73 (1950)

Charles Drake as Steve Miller with sweetheart Lola Manners (Shelley Winters) in Winchester ’73 (1950)

James Stewart as Lin McAdam with Jay C. Flippen as Sgt. Wilkes in Winchester ’73 (1950)