Day of the Outlaw
Encyclopedia
Day of the Outlaw is a 1959 film starring Robert Ryan
and Burl Ives
. It was directed by André De Toth
; this film being his last Western
feature film. Parts of it were filmed on location in snowy Bend, Oregon
.
) is a ruthless cattleman at odds with homesteaders in a small, bleak western town called Bitters. Just as a feud between Starret and a local farmer is about to come to a bloody end, Jack Bruhn (Burl Ives
), and his band of thugs ride into town. They are on the run from the law after robbing a bank. He is a wounded outlaw, a former cavalry officer but that doesn't stop him and his gang holding the town's civilians hostage. Starrett must now find a way to save his town, and redeem himself in the process. By helping the bad guys escape, or so they think, across the snow-covered mountains.
. Hungarian director Andre De Toth’s also created several terrific scenes, especially the Saturday night "dance" (where the women desperately try to fight off the outlaws’ loutish advances) and the extended final sequence in the chase across the mountains.
Day of the Outlaw received poor reviews when it was released in 1959. However it is now considered to be an unusual western with a good story and fine acting with scenes that maximise the coldness of the temperatures on screen. Also featured in a supporting role is David Nelson
, the other son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson.
Robert Ryan
Robert Bushnell Ryan was an American actor who often played hardened cops and ruthless villains.-Early life and career:...
and Burl Ives
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
. It was directed by André De Toth
André De Toth
André de Toth was a Hungarian-American filmmaker, born and raised in Makó, Csongrád, Kingdom of Hungary Austro-Hungarian Empire. He directed the 3-D film House of Wax, despite being unable to see in 3-D himself, having lost an eye at an early age. He is known for his gritty B movies in the western...
; this film being his last Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
feature film. Parts of it were filmed on location in snowy Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
.
Plot
Blaise Starrett (Robert RyanRobert Ryan
Robert Bushnell Ryan was an American actor who often played hardened cops and ruthless villains.-Early life and career:...
) is a ruthless cattleman at odds with homesteaders in a small, bleak western town called Bitters. Just as a feud between Starret and a local farmer is about to come to a bloody end, Jack Bruhn (Burl Ives
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
), and his band of thugs ride into town. They are on the run from the law after robbing a bank. He is a wounded outlaw, a former cavalry officer but that doesn't stop him and his gang holding the town's civilians hostage. Starrett must now find a way to save his town, and redeem himself in the process. By helping the bad guys escape, or so they think, across the snow-covered mountains.
Cast
- Robert RyanRobert RyanRobert Bushnell Ryan was an American actor who often played hardened cops and ruthless villains.-Early life and career:...
as Blaise Starrett - Burl IvesBurl IvesBurl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
as Jack Bruhn - Tina LouiseTina LouiseTina Louise is an American actress, singer, and author. She is best known for her role as the "movie star" Ginger Grant on the television situation comedy Gilligan's Island .-Early life:...
as Helen Crane - Alan MarshalAlan Marshal (actor)----Alan Marshal was an Australian-born actor who co-starred with Marlene Dietrich, Irene Dunne, Greta Garbo, Ginger Rogers, and Mae West....
as Hal Crane - Venetia StevensonVenetia StevensonVenetia Stevenson , born Joanna Venetia Invicta Stevenson is a retired film and television actress.-Family:Stevenson is the daughter of Oscar nominated director Robert Stevenson and actress Anna Lee. Her brother is actor Jeffrey Byron...
as Ernine, Vic's Daughter - David NelsonDavid Nelson (actor)David Oswald Nelson was an American actor, director, producer. He was the elder son of bandleader/TV actor Ozzie Nelson and singer Harriet Hilliard and the older brother of singer Eric "Ricky" Nelson.-Career:...
as Gene, Bruhn's Gang - Nehemiah PersoffNehemiah PersoffNehemiah Persoff is an American film and television character actor. He was born in Jerusalem, Palestine Mandate.Born in what is now part of Israel, Persoff emigrated with his family to the United States in 1929...
as Dan, Starret's Foreman - Jack LambertJack Lambert (actor)Jack Lambert was an American character actor born in Yonkers, New York specializing in playing movie tough guys and heavies. Best known for playing the psychotic cat-loving, iron-hooked Steve "the Claw" Michael in Dick Tracy's Dilemma.Following a stint on Broadway, Lambert moved to Hollywood and...
as Tex (Bruhn's gang) - Frank DeKovaFrank DekovaFrank Dekova was an Italian-American character actor.-Biography:Dekova was born in New York City and taught at a school in New York before joining a Shakespeare repertory group...
as Denver, Bruhn's Gang (as Frank deKova) - Lance Fuller as Pace, Bruhn's Gang
- Elisha Cook Jr.Elisha Cook Jr.Elisha Vanslyck Cook, Jr. was an American character actor who made a career out of playing cowardly villains and weedy neurotics in dozens of films...
as Larry Teter (town barber) (as Elisha Cook) - Dabbs GreerDabbs GreerRobert William "Dabbs" Greer was an American actor who performed many diverse supporting roles in film and television for some fifty years. His distinctive, southern-accented voice fitted well in shows featuring rustic characters, such as westerns...
as Doc Langer, Veterinarian - Betsy Jones-MorelandBetsy Jones-MorelandBetsy Jones-Moreland was an American actress.She was born as Mary Elizabeth Jones in Brooklyn, New York, and began her career in small roles in the mid-1950s, appearing in several Roger Corman films, including a lead role in Last Woman on Earth...
as Mrs. Preston (as Betsey Jones-Moreland) - Helen WestcottHelen WestcottHelen Westcott was an American stage and screen actor and former child actor....
as Vivian - Donald Elson as Vic, General Store Owner
Production notes
Russell Harlan's stark black & white cinematography captures the bleakness of the North American winter on location near Mt. Bachelor, OregonOregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Hungarian director Andre De Toth’s also created several terrific scenes, especially the Saturday night "dance" (where the women desperately try to fight off the outlaws’ loutish advances) and the extended final sequence in the chase across the mountains.
Day of the Outlaw received poor reviews when it was released in 1959. However it is now considered to be an unusual western with a good story and fine acting with scenes that maximise the coldness of the temperatures on screen. Also featured in a supporting role is David Nelson
David Nelson (actor)
David Oswald Nelson was an American actor, director, producer. He was the elder son of bandleader/TV actor Ozzie Nelson and singer Harriet Hilliard and the older brother of singer Eric "Ricky" Nelson.-Career:...
, the other son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson.