From veteran director Andre De Toth comes an underrated and mighty fine winter western. It is a little too short perhaps and there are parts that could have been better paced, but these are minor problems really because Day of the Outlaw is actually very good. For one thing, it is strikingly photographed in stark black and white, and the snowy landscapes are nothing less than magnificent. The score is also a really nice touch, dramatic, beautiful and dramatic, and Day of the Outlaw is also well scripted, nuanced and powerful yet with an essence of bitterness. And in terms of effective scenes the climatic gunfight in the snow is quite remarkable to say the least. The story is evocative and engrossing, the direction is excellent and the acting is adept with Robert Ryan rugged and heroic, Burl Ives brilliant as ever and Tina Louise both alluring and appealing. Overall, underrated with a lot to recommend it. 8/10 Bethany Cox
48 Reviews
Fresh enough to merit a watch
planktonrules17 May 2008
I must admit up front that I am not a huge fan of Westerns and the biggest reason I watched this film was because it had Robert Ryan in it. For some time, I have thought that Ryan was one of the best "unknown" actors, as he appeared and even starred in quite a few films but most people today have no idea who he was. My admiration for him is because he looked a lot like an ordinary guy (since he wasn't overly handsome) but despite this, his performances always seemed so realistic. He really was a heck of a good actor and his work in this film is no exception.
DAY OF THE OUTLAW isn't a great Western but it is different enough from the average film that it seems fresh enough to merit watching. What I particularly liked is how the first 15 minutes or so of the film turned out to be not at all directly related to where the film went next. Not knowing the plot, this really took me off guard--and I like when a film isn't easy to predict.
I also liked the idea of a gang of thugs invading and holding a town hostage--though this idea has been done before in Westerns (FIRECREEK) and non-Westerns (THE WILD ONE). What made this one stand out more from the others is that this group wasn't just bad in the usual sense, they were moral degenerates--rapists and sadists, not just socipaths or thieves. Plus, the idea of a strong but wounded leader (Burl Ives) trying to control these sick freaks was fascinating--as was the final showdown.
All in all, a very good film and one you should try to find due to its intelligent script and excellent acting.
By the way, one reviewer said they felt Burl Ives was wrong for the part since in real life he was a nice-guy folk singer. Well, with gritty previous roles in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF and THE BIG COUNTRY, I would certainly have to disagree with the sentiment, as Ives played the heavy in movies about as often as he played a good guy.
DAY OF THE OUTLAW isn't a great Western but it is different enough from the average film that it seems fresh enough to merit watching. What I particularly liked is how the first 15 minutes or so of the film turned out to be not at all directly related to where the film went next. Not knowing the plot, this really took me off guard--and I like when a film isn't easy to predict.
I also liked the idea of a gang of thugs invading and holding a town hostage--though this idea has been done before in Westerns (FIRECREEK) and non-Westerns (THE WILD ONE). What made this one stand out more from the others is that this group wasn't just bad in the usual sense, they were moral degenerates--rapists and sadists, not just socipaths or thieves. Plus, the idea of a strong but wounded leader (Burl Ives) trying to control these sick freaks was fascinating--as was the final showdown.
All in all, a very good film and one you should try to find due to its intelligent script and excellent acting.
By the way, one reviewer said they felt Burl Ives was wrong for the part since in real life he was a nice-guy folk singer. Well, with gritty previous roles in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF and THE BIG COUNTRY, I would certainly have to disagree with the sentiment, as Ives played the heavy in movies about as often as he played a good guy.
Bleak and Original Western
claudio_carvalho21 January 2010
In the end of the Nineteenth Century, the tough cowboy Blaise Starrett (Robert Ryan) arrives in the snowing village of Bitters with his foreman Dan (Nehemiah Persoff) with the intention of killing the farmer Hal Crane (Alan Marshal) using the pretext of the barbed wire he is running around his farm. However, Blaise really wants his wife Helen (Tina Louise) with whom he had a love affair. During the showdown between the cowboys and ranchers in the saloon, the violent gang of outlaws led by Captain Jack Bruhn (Burl Ives) appears out of the blue interrupting their quarrel. Jack Bruhn, who is a notorious captain of the army responsible for the massacre of a village of Mormons, disarms the men and explains that they have robbed the payment of the army and a cavalry is chasing them. He is wounded and wants to spend the night in the village and he gives his word to the locals that his gunners will not touch the women. Further he orders the barman to hide the booze from his men. When the local veterinary removes the bullet from the chest of Jack Bruhn, he realizes that he might have an internal bleeding and not survive. Blaise decides to lure the criminals and lead them in a journey with no return.
"Day of the Outlaw" is a bleak and original Western in a snowing landscape and based on a historical fact of North America: the violent confrontation between farmers and ranchers that ran barbed wire around their own land and public land that they used for grazing without permission and people that cut the barbed wire. The cinematography is magnificent and the sequences in the snow are impressive, with the horses submitted to a great effort to ride through the mountains. The performances are stunning with Robert Ryan and Burl Ives in the role of strong and tough characters. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Quadrilha Maldita" ("The Damned Gang")
"Day of the Outlaw" is a bleak and original Western in a snowing landscape and based on a historical fact of North America: the violent confrontation between farmers and ranchers that ran barbed wire around their own land and public land that they used for grazing without permission and people that cut the barbed wire. The cinematography is magnificent and the sequences in the snow are impressive, with the horses submitted to a great effort to ride through the mountains. The performances are stunning with Robert Ryan and Burl Ives in the role of strong and tough characters. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Quadrilha Maldita" ("The Damned Gang")
Robert Ryan Rides Again
rockbroker25 August 2001
This is an uncommon, stark western starring the versatile Robert Ryan in tough guy mode, as a ruthless cattleman at odds with homesteaders in a tiny, bleak western town. As he is about to settle a feud with a local farmer, Burl Ives and his band of sadistic thugs ride into town and hold the citizens hostage. As Ives tries to keep his men from raping the women, Ryan must find a way to save the town, and redeem himself in the process.
Beautiful outdoor photography and solid acting combine with an unusual story line to make this a very interesting, tense flick. The movie eschews the usual western cliches in favor of maintaining a somber, moral tone. Ives excels as an internally conflicted villain. And Ryan, as always, is the man.
Beautiful outdoor photography and solid acting combine with an unusual story line to make this a very interesting, tense flick. The movie eschews the usual western cliches in favor of maintaining a somber, moral tone. Ives excels as an internally conflicted villain. And Ryan, as always, is the man.
"I guess every fool has his reason."
classicsoncall13 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Interesting to speculate what might have happened if the Jack Bruhn gang never showed up. Blaise Starrett (Robert Ryan) was creating a lot of resentment with his insistence on putting a stop to the fencing on open range land. Given his demeanor, the thought occurred to me that the town of Bitters might have been named after him. Had it gone that way, the story might have been just as grim as the one we got to see.
I'm still not used to seeing Burl Ives in a Western setting, even though he's appeared in a number of them. Often as a villain too, as in 1958's "The Big Country". I guess I was too conditioned as a kid by his voicing Sam the Snowman in the TV movie "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"; that's where I think I first became aware of him. I think the story could have used a better explained rationale for the hold he had over his fellow band of thugs and cutthroats. They all stood down when he made it a point, but after a while I began to question why they were so afraid of him.
The one casting surprise in the story for me was that of David Nelson as the young outlaw Gene who had an eye for town girl Ernine (Venetia Stevenson). Brother Rick appeared in a few but this is the first time I've seen David in any vehicle other than his parents' TV series.
Where the film departs from a more conventional dynamic occurs in the latter part of the story when Ryan's character leads the outlaw bunch on a death march with the complicity of their leader Bruhn, who at that point pretty much knew that he was dying of a bullet wound. Starrett's only hope of making it out alive is borne out when the gang members start taking each other out in an expanded take on "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre".
With as many Westerns as I've seen, this is the first one that graphically depicts what a difficult time a horse can have trying to walk through a couple feet of snow. It's obviously not that easy, and something Blaise Starrett might have considered when he stated to Bruhn at one point while on the trek - "None of us are gonna make it".
I'm still not used to seeing Burl Ives in a Western setting, even though he's appeared in a number of them. Often as a villain too, as in 1958's "The Big Country". I guess I was too conditioned as a kid by his voicing Sam the Snowman in the TV movie "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"; that's where I think I first became aware of him. I think the story could have used a better explained rationale for the hold he had over his fellow band of thugs and cutthroats. They all stood down when he made it a point, but after a while I began to question why they were so afraid of him.
The one casting surprise in the story for me was that of David Nelson as the young outlaw Gene who had an eye for town girl Ernine (Venetia Stevenson). Brother Rick appeared in a few but this is the first time I've seen David in any vehicle other than his parents' TV series.
Where the film departs from a more conventional dynamic occurs in the latter part of the story when Ryan's character leads the outlaw bunch on a death march with the complicity of their leader Bruhn, who at that point pretty much knew that he was dying of a bullet wound. Starrett's only hope of making it out alive is borne out when the gang members start taking each other out in an expanded take on "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre".
With as many Westerns as I've seen, this is the first one that graphically depicts what a difficult time a horse can have trying to walk through a couple feet of snow. It's obviously not that easy, and something Blaise Starrett might have considered when he stated to Bruhn at one point while on the trek - "None of us are gonna make it".
There are things worse, ma'am, than dancing with lonely men.
hitchcockthelegend6 March 2009
Cowboys and ranchers must stick together when a gang of outlaws ride into town intent on causing trouble and abusing the town. Even though the outlaw leader, ex army Captain Jack Bruhn has them under some sort of control, salvation may have to come from the moody Blaise Starrett, who has his own secret agendas to deal with.
Day Of The Outlaw (poor title not befitting the quality of the film) is directed by André De Toth ("Ramrod", "Crime Wave" & "House of Wax") and stars Robert Ryan, Burl Ives & Tina Louise. Adapted from the novel written by Lee E. Wells, it's a film that is crying out to be seen by more people, especially those with an aversion to Westerns. For although grounded in Western tradition, it comes across more as a moody film noir piece in a cold wintry Western setting
The atmosphere throughout hangs heavy like a weighted burden, with this tiny tin pot town in the snowy swept mountains photographed starkly by Russell Harlan. This is some out of the way place that nobody but its small inhabitants care about (appropriately it's called Bitters), and even those that do are probably doing so more out of ill judged loyalty to having not tasted something else before.
Robert Ryan was a terrific actor, often only mentioned when talk turns to famous pictures like "The Wild Bunch" & "The Dirty Dozen", but it's with performances like here, or "The Set-Up" & "Crossfire", that he really puts a depth and critical layers to his talent. Burl Ives is also great, his weary and scarred Bruhn is almost in empathy with Starrett and the townsfolk, so much so, we are never quite sure just how this picture will end.
Tina Louise rounds out the leads, and apart from being an incredibly sexy woman, she does some great facial acting here, particularly during a section of the pic where the outlaws demand dances with the ladies. This is laden with a vile undercurrent, with Louise perfectly portraying the threat with acting gravitas. With astute directing and acting to match the bleak and sombre soaked story, "Day Of The Outlaw" comes highly recommended to fans of atmospheric enveloped cinema. 9/10
Day Of The Outlaw (poor title not befitting the quality of the film) is directed by André De Toth ("Ramrod", "Crime Wave" & "House of Wax") and stars Robert Ryan, Burl Ives & Tina Louise. Adapted from the novel written by Lee E. Wells, it's a film that is crying out to be seen by more people, especially those with an aversion to Westerns. For although grounded in Western tradition, it comes across more as a moody film noir piece in a cold wintry Western setting
The atmosphere throughout hangs heavy like a weighted burden, with this tiny tin pot town in the snowy swept mountains photographed starkly by Russell Harlan. This is some out of the way place that nobody but its small inhabitants care about (appropriately it's called Bitters), and even those that do are probably doing so more out of ill judged loyalty to having not tasted something else before.
Robert Ryan was a terrific actor, often only mentioned when talk turns to famous pictures like "The Wild Bunch" & "The Dirty Dozen", but it's with performances like here, or "The Set-Up" & "Crossfire", that he really puts a depth and critical layers to his talent. Burl Ives is also great, his weary and scarred Bruhn is almost in empathy with Starrett and the townsfolk, so much so, we are never quite sure just how this picture will end.
Tina Louise rounds out the leads, and apart from being an incredibly sexy woman, she does some great facial acting here, particularly during a section of the pic where the outlaws demand dances with the ladies. This is laden with a vile undercurrent, with Louise perfectly portraying the threat with acting gravitas. With astute directing and acting to match the bleak and sombre soaked story, "Day Of The Outlaw" comes highly recommended to fans of atmospheric enveloped cinema. 9/10
Bleak Western
kenjha2 August 2009
Outlaws make a stopover at a tiny frontier town, holding the residents hostage. The most notable feature of this western is its frigid, snow-covered setting, effectively conveyed by the stark cinematography. The plot concerning conflicts between ranchers and cowboys and the invasion of the outlaws is not terribly compelling but De Toth keeps it interesting enough. Ryan plays a disgruntled cowboy and, as always, he's worth watching. Louise, who played Ryan's Daughter-in-Law the previous year in her film debut in "God's Little Acre," here plays his love interest! Ives is fine as the leader of the outlaws. The score is nice.
Uncompromising, bleak brilliant western
Maverick196216 February 2015
Andre de Toth directs faultlessly here bringing a big surprise to anyone who thought that 1950's westerns were watered down versions of reality. This is possibly the most uncompromising and bleak vision of the old west that I can remember seeing for a film from the 1950's. Brilliantly photographed against a backdrop of snow, hills and forests, with wonderfully composed shots of both actors and scenery, this is a minor masterpiece. Terrific choice of actors headed by tough guy Robert Ryan, folk singer Burl Ives and the beautiful Tina Louise with great supporting actors, Dabs Greer, Elisha Cook Jr, Jack Lambert etc. Great story, unfolding slowly and with completely unexpected events occurring throughout. Just when you think something is going to explode, de Toth holds it all back,racking up the tension to the bitter end. The best western I've watched in years. If only they made pictures like this still.
No Winter Wonderland For These People
bkoganbing4 March 2009
Day Of The Outlaw casts Robert Ryan as a tough westerner who resents the homesteaders like Alan Marshal fencing off the open range. But in Marshal's case, he's got other resents going as well since he's married to Tina Louise who once had a fling with him. He has every intention of doing something about it legally or illegally and who's to question in this remote rugged high country in a town that's barely twenty or so people.
But when Burl Ives and a murderous pack of outlaws ride into town and take it over to provision up because the US Cavalry is chasing them, Ryan, Marshal, Louise and everyone else is in the same boat. Imagine if you will Ives's Rufus Hannessy from The Big Country leading a gang of outlaws and you see what the town is up against. The only one not a killer is young David Nelson of the group.
Ives has an additional problem, a bullet in his chest and the only doctor around is a veterinarian, Dabbs Greer. He gets the bullet out, but Ives would need proper medical care in a hospital to recover and to guard against internal bleeding. That's what slowly killing him, despite the morphine Greer is loading him up with.
That part of the story is absolutely the true. Around this same period President William McKinley was shot in Buffalo and was thought to be recovering at first. But even he did not get adequate medical care and took a turn for the worse and a week later, died.
Andre DeToth who did many good and rugged westerns did this grim tale set in the west during the winter. It looks like good skiing country, but this ain't no winter paradise for anyone concerned.
But when Burl Ives and a murderous pack of outlaws ride into town and take it over to provision up because the US Cavalry is chasing them, Ryan, Marshal, Louise and everyone else is in the same boat. Imagine if you will Ives's Rufus Hannessy from The Big Country leading a gang of outlaws and you see what the town is up against. The only one not a killer is young David Nelson of the group.
Ives has an additional problem, a bullet in his chest and the only doctor around is a veterinarian, Dabbs Greer. He gets the bullet out, but Ives would need proper medical care in a hospital to recover and to guard against internal bleeding. That's what slowly killing him, despite the morphine Greer is loading him up with.
That part of the story is absolutely the true. Around this same period President William McKinley was shot in Buffalo and was thought to be recovering at first. But even he did not get adequate medical care and took a turn for the worse and a week later, died.
Andre DeToth who did many good and rugged westerns did this grim tale set in the west during the winter. It looks like good skiing country, but this ain't no winter paradise for anyone concerned.
essential quirky western
christopher-underwood28 July 2018
Well, this is one of those movies you watch without any preconceptions because you have never heard of it before and it creeps up and socks you in the jaw. Starts, seemingly simply enough with Robert Ryan as the old school cowboy coming up against the more conservative farmers and settlers. There is the added ingredient of sexy Tina Louise, married to one of the new boys but clearly still having the hots for old flame, Ryan. Just when we think we have the measure of it and Ryan has picked his fight and the bottle is rolling down the bar, its crash to signal the start, the door bursts open. Knowing that Burl Ives was in the film and having mixed feelings about his acting abilities, i had wondered whether the miserable and bearded drunken side-kick to Ryan was he, but there was no doubting anymore as Ives and his crew of degenerates tumble in. Tensions abound throughout, the incredible barnyard type dance without liquor but plenty of vigour and barely disguised rape fantasies, is probably the most dramatic but there is an effective fist fight, various confrontations with the sexy lady and all this before the sublime and so very snowy last section as beauty and good intentions clash with cruelty and betrayal. Very fine and essential quirky western with solid dialogue and fine cinematography.
Not bad -- Snowy western melodrama
westerner3579 July 2003
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILER One of the better b/w psychological westerns that United Artists released back in the 50s, this one concerns a cattle rancher played by Robert Ryan, who is bitterly opposed to the local farmers closing off the range with barbed wire.
Ryan goes into town looking for a showdown with the farmers when all of a sudden Burl Ives outlaw gang shows up and interrupts the drama. Ives doesn't care about their dispute, he just wants fresh supplies so he and his gang can continue their getaway. He holds both Ryan and the farmers hostage while this is all going on, so one of them can't get away and notify the army who is in pursuit for the gold shipment they've just robbed.
It also turns out that Ives was wounded during the earlier robbery and is slowly dying. There's nothing that can be done for him, yet he stoically continues with his plan of escape, regardless of the consequences.
Although Ryan has no sympathy for the farmers, he agrees to lead Ives gang through the snow-covered landscape in order to make their escape. There is no trail through the wilderness but it doesn't matter. Ryan is just trying to buy time and get the gang away from the farmers and the townspeople because he just can't stand by and let them get slaughtered by Ives gang.
During their trek, Ives falls off his horse and dies and the rest of the gang gets greedy and start killing each other off the other's share of the gold. They can't kill Ryan because they believe he is the only one who knows the way. The last tow who survive, die in the bitter cold while Ryan tries to keep warm by hiding behind a tree covered snowbank. Ryan then barely makes it back to town and the film ends.
It's one of the better U/A films and I highly recommend it, if only for the excellent performances of Ryan and Ives and the scenic alpine locations. I only wish it was done in color to take advantage of all that. With Tina Louise (as the love interest), Lance Fuller and David Nelson.
6 out of 10
Ryan goes into town looking for a showdown with the farmers when all of a sudden Burl Ives outlaw gang shows up and interrupts the drama. Ives doesn't care about their dispute, he just wants fresh supplies so he and his gang can continue their getaway. He holds both Ryan and the farmers hostage while this is all going on, so one of them can't get away and notify the army who is in pursuit for the gold shipment they've just robbed.
It also turns out that Ives was wounded during the earlier robbery and is slowly dying. There's nothing that can be done for him, yet he stoically continues with his plan of escape, regardless of the consequences.
Although Ryan has no sympathy for the farmers, he agrees to lead Ives gang through the snow-covered landscape in order to make their escape. There is no trail through the wilderness but it doesn't matter. Ryan is just trying to buy time and get the gang away from the farmers and the townspeople because he just can't stand by and let them get slaughtered by Ives gang.
During their trek, Ives falls off his horse and dies and the rest of the gang gets greedy and start killing each other off the other's share of the gold. They can't kill Ryan because they believe he is the only one who knows the way. The last tow who survive, die in the bitter cold while Ryan tries to keep warm by hiding behind a tree covered snowbank. Ryan then barely makes it back to town and the film ends.
It's one of the better U/A films and I highly recommend it, if only for the excellent performances of Ryan and Ives and the scenic alpine locations. I only wish it was done in color to take advantage of all that. With Tina Louise (as the love interest), Lance Fuller and David Nelson.
6 out of 10
CAST OF ALL TIME GREAT ACTORS!
whpratt113 June 2003
This 1959 black and white Western story had very eerie photography which was about a town with very few people, high in the mountains, snow covered and plenty of fog. It had some very depressing scenes with hardly any groceries on the store shelves and very few bottles of booze behind the bar. Horses and men had trouble walking in the snow and you never knew who was going to kill who, a horse was even killed because it fell and broke his leg. Burl Ives,(Jack Bruhn) did not sing a song, but gave orders to his men, and kept them from any women or drink. Bruhn sort of took over the town and layed the law down and had a bullet removed without even a drop of booze to ease the pain. Robert Ryan(Blaise Starrett) was in love with a married woman and managed to leave the town and then return as a hero. Tina Louise (Helen Crane) was the sweetheart of this film and Elisha Cook Jr.,"I Wake Up Screaming" and "Rosemary's Baby", was a barber in this picture, however, you never saw him give a haircut, nor his usual bulging eyes and nervous looks. Believe it or not, there was some laughs in this film, especially when the men were allowed to dance with the few local woman, they went wild and just jumped and threw them all around, only to try to get a kiss. This is still a classic film and is worth viewing.
Downbeat But Fascinating Western
elf-653 August 2006
This is a strange one: superb performances and realistic action set in a wonderfully harsh and beautiful setting, yet let down by plodding, uninspired direction. The sub-plot/romance concerning young Gene and the blonde girl reminded me of "3.10 to Yuma" for some reason, and then I felt a bit disappointed when I compared the two films.
The camera work is a bit dull, with only wide shots, and a variety of mid-shots. De Toth never really seems interested in his characters or his story. And, like one of the other reviewers, I was a bit worried about the horses. Still, the location sequences are great, and a wonderful juxtaposition with a more typically dusty Western setting. The gloomy tone of the film, combined with the setting, gives it an intriguingly noir edge.
Not bad, but this could have been so much more powerful.
But, hey - I could watch Robert Ryan in anything!
The camera work is a bit dull, with only wide shots, and a variety of mid-shots. De Toth never really seems interested in his characters or his story. And, like one of the other reviewers, I was a bit worried about the horses. Still, the location sequences are great, and a wonderful juxtaposition with a more typically dusty Western setting. The gloomy tone of the film, combined with the setting, gives it an intriguingly noir edge.
Not bad, but this could have been so much more powerful.
But, hey - I could watch Robert Ryan in anything!
An odd western
JasparLamarCrabb17 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
André De Toth's odd western stars Robert Ryan as an angry gunslinger feuding with a local farmer and coveting the farmer's sexy wife. Before Ryan can have it out with the farmer, a band of outlaws hit town and a tense psychodrama ensues. While the acting is uniformly excellent, this film is so devoid of any style it's hard to imagine what De Toth was after. Ryan and Burl Ives (as the lead bad guy) are excellent and the snowy imagery (it's set in the mountains of Wyoming) is different, but the plot is anemic. With zero close-ups of any of the actors, it's tough to get too deeply invested in what happens to any of these characters. Tina Louise and David Nelson are in it too. The rousing music is by Alexander Courage.
White western
dbdumonteil4 October 2006
This is an excellent western by Andre de Toth. It is mainly remembered for its final thirty minutes,an extraordinary ride in the snow ,where the director makes the best of black and white pictures while he's filming all the tired horses ...Hell freezes over.
But the first hour is absorbing as well with its depiction of an one-horse town lost in the snow,a dead end where one never really knows which ones are prisoners and which ones are guards .The "ball ",during which the four women are really having a bad time (particularly Tina Louise)is one of the most violent scenes ever filmed in a western .And all they are doing is dancing.It has to be seen to be believed! Robert Ryan is ,as always,excellent ,as a tired blasé man who just wants to live in peace.
But the first hour is absorbing as well with its depiction of an one-horse town lost in the snow,a dead end where one never really knows which ones are prisoners and which ones are guards .The "ball ",during which the four women are really having a bad time (particularly Tina Louise)is one of the most violent scenes ever filmed in a western .And all they are doing is dancing.It has to be seen to be believed! Robert Ryan is ,as always,excellent ,as a tired blasé man who just wants to live in peace.
Excellent unusual Western
Billiam-427 November 2021
Excellent unusual Western set in a winter landscape starts off as a closed room drama and continues in rough mountain territory, expertly directed and photographed with a good, solid cast, and some twists in its narrative.
Almost too tense
pmtelefon31 January 2020
"Day of the Outlaw" is a mean, tough and very tense western. It has a strong cast and beautiful exterior photography. What goes on in "Day of the Outlaw" is not for the faint of heart. This is a serious movie. I don't think there was any humor in it. "Day of the Outlaw" is a good western and I plan on watching it again soon.
Grim But Relentless Western Drama
zardoz-1323 May 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Robert Ryan and Burl Ives circle each other like hungry wolves in director André De Toth's grim, rugged western "Day of the Outlaw" that takes place in the middle of snow-swept wilderness. Initially, this horse opera starts out with a cattleman feuding with a farmer who is about to enclose his land with barbed wire. Long-time rancher Blaise Starrett (Robert Ryan) promises to burn the wagon load of barbed wire and kill the farmer, Hal Crane (Alan Marshal), before he allows him to fence off his land. The woman between the two men is Crane's wife Helen Crane (Tina Louise) who made the mistake of having an affair with Blaise. She wants peace between the two men.
Just as trouble between the two fractions is rising, Jack Bruhn (Burl Ives) and six gunmen appear in town ahead of a cavalry patrol searching for them. They disarm the citizen of the small town and take up residence long enough for the mortally wounded Bruhn to have an animal doctor extract a bullet from his chest. Bruhn rules his desperate evil henchmen with an iron fist. He refuses to let them get drunk and party with the women. Eventually, Bruhn relents enough to let them dance with the women. One of Crane's men tries to resist and he dies for his insubordination. Later, another tries to ride out of town but he is shot down. Blaise assures Bruhn that he knows a way that nobody can follow them and convinces Bruhn who has recovered sufficiently to ride a horse to follow him. Basically, with the cavalry closing in on them, the villains have no alternative but to follow Blaise.
"Day of the Outlaw" struggles to be a different kind of survivalist western with a hero who never fires a single bullet from his gun. The performances are strong and the wilderness setting is spectacular, but scenarist Philip Yordan doesn't build in enough tension. The last twenty minutes take place on the snowy trail as the villains are eliminated gradually by between greed or death. One young villain who hasn't gone completely bad is sent packing when he must relinquish his horse to another companion. If you like offbeat westerns that don't rely on the usual clichés, "Day of the Outlaw" is a refreshing change of pace. Burl Ives makes a good villain and Robert Ryan is quietly confident as the tough-as-nails hero.
Just as trouble between the two fractions is rising, Jack Bruhn (Burl Ives) and six gunmen appear in town ahead of a cavalry patrol searching for them. They disarm the citizen of the small town and take up residence long enough for the mortally wounded Bruhn to have an animal doctor extract a bullet from his chest. Bruhn rules his desperate evil henchmen with an iron fist. He refuses to let them get drunk and party with the women. Eventually, Bruhn relents enough to let them dance with the women. One of Crane's men tries to resist and he dies for his insubordination. Later, another tries to ride out of town but he is shot down. Blaise assures Bruhn that he knows a way that nobody can follow them and convinces Bruhn who has recovered sufficiently to ride a horse to follow him. Basically, with the cavalry closing in on them, the villains have no alternative but to follow Blaise.
"Day of the Outlaw" struggles to be a different kind of survivalist western with a hero who never fires a single bullet from his gun. The performances are strong and the wilderness setting is spectacular, but scenarist Philip Yordan doesn't build in enough tension. The last twenty minutes take place on the snowy trail as the villains are eliminated gradually by between greed or death. One young villain who hasn't gone completely bad is sent packing when he must relinquish his horse to another companion. If you like offbeat westerns that don't rely on the usual clichés, "Day of the Outlaw" is a refreshing change of pace. Burl Ives makes a good villain and Robert Ryan is quietly confident as the tough-as-nails hero.
Robert Ryan and Ginger stuck in a snowy mountain town beleaguered by rogues
Wuchakk27 December 2021
A tough cattleman (Robert Ryan) in bleak Bitters, Wyoming, is willing to use deadly force to stop a rancher (Alan Marshal) who's fencing-in the area, but a band of rogue cavalry men led by Capt. Jack Bruhn (Burl Ives) interrupt their quarrel. Tina Louise plays the rancher's wife, Venetia Stevenson a girl in the town and David Nelson a reasonable member of the gang.
"Day of the Outlaw" (1959) is a B&W psychological Western shot in the Oregon Cascades. It's similar to Westerns from the same period by Anthony Mann and Budd Boetticher, not to mention just as good or better. The protagonist (Ryan) isn't a hero, but rather a tortured man ready to make a last stand; meanwhile Bruhn (Ives) isn't wholly corrupted and still has some sense of nobility. Several of his hardened men, however, have clearly crossed over into the dark side.
Tina Louise, who would play Ginger from Gilligan's Island in 5-6 years, is younger & cuter here while Venetia Stevenson is nimble and winsome. You might remember Venetia from her jaw-dropping role in "The City of the Dead," aka "Horror Hotel" (1960).
Director Andre DeToth was having personal problems at the time of shooting and it affected the mood of the set, plus there were other issues, like snowstorm delays, Ryan missing a week due to pneumonia and DeToth changing his mind about scene locations at the last minute, etc. Perhaps the biggest problem was that the budget was low and, when they ran out of finances, DeToth & crew just packed-up and went back to Los Angeles.
Producers & editors had to make do with what was shot, which explains some weaknesses here and there. Scriptwriter Philip Yordan lamented "what could have been."
The movie runs 1 hour, 32 minutes, and was shot in central Oregon at Dutchman Flat & Todd Lake Meadows about 20 miles east of the town of Bend in late November thru early December, 1958.
GRADE: B+/A-
"Day of the Outlaw" (1959) is a B&W psychological Western shot in the Oregon Cascades. It's similar to Westerns from the same period by Anthony Mann and Budd Boetticher, not to mention just as good or better. The protagonist (Ryan) isn't a hero, but rather a tortured man ready to make a last stand; meanwhile Bruhn (Ives) isn't wholly corrupted and still has some sense of nobility. Several of his hardened men, however, have clearly crossed over into the dark side.
Tina Louise, who would play Ginger from Gilligan's Island in 5-6 years, is younger & cuter here while Venetia Stevenson is nimble and winsome. You might remember Venetia from her jaw-dropping role in "The City of the Dead," aka "Horror Hotel" (1960).
Director Andre DeToth was having personal problems at the time of shooting and it affected the mood of the set, plus there were other issues, like snowstorm delays, Ryan missing a week due to pneumonia and DeToth changing his mind about scene locations at the last minute, etc. Perhaps the biggest problem was that the budget was low and, when they ran out of finances, DeToth & crew just packed-up and went back to Los Angeles.
Producers & editors had to make do with what was shot, which explains some weaknesses here and there. Scriptwriter Philip Yordan lamented "what could have been."
The movie runs 1 hour, 32 minutes, and was shot in central Oregon at Dutchman Flat & Todd Lake Meadows about 20 miles east of the town of Bend in late November thru early December, 1958.
GRADE: B+/A-
Well-acted and suspenseful
Philipp_Flersheim22 May 2023
A small settlement in wintery Wyoming, riven by the conflict between a rancher and the newly arrived farmers, is occupied by a troop of outlaws who threaten to wreak havoc if not kept happy. 'Day of the Outlaw' is an all in all quite well-made B-western that offers a lot of suspense and very good acting from actors most of which are relatively little known. It has also been beautifully filmed: Black and white suits the wintry landscapes just as well as the bleak and somewhat claustrophibic interiors where most of the action takes place. The central weakness of the film that kept me from rating it higher than 7 stars is the plot. The film takes what seems an eternity (actually about 20 minutes) to set the scene for the conflict between the rancher Blaise Starrett (excellently played by Robert Ryan) and the farmers, who are led by Hal Crane (Alan Marshal). Crane buys that periennial symbol of this kind of 'war' (barbed wire), Starrat has his forman buy petroleum to burn the wagon where the wire is being stored. Then there is the back story of Starrat's unrequited love for Crane's wife Helen (Tina Louise). All this material for conflict and suspense is discarded without compunction when the outlaws arrive. The film changes tack and never returns to its original theme. From now on, the only issues are how the keep the outlaws from ripping apart the settlement, and eventually how to get rid of them. Strange. But as I said, in all other respects 'Day of the Outlaw' is very good and eminently watchable.
Wonderful Movie
jeremy312 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
This movie has so much to it. It is about a band of outlaws who invade a small town in the mountains during the winter. Now, Robert Ryan plays a pretty tough guy, and he can best a big guy in the fight but not all of them. That is the whole point. It is about the limits of being human. Burl Ives plays a character that you do not know whether to love or hate. He is very wise and charming, but also spends all his time trying to make decisions to keep his crew of roughnecks happy. He has a sense of justice, but also can turn and become the dictator as well. So, Robert Ryan's character knows that he cannot defeat the whole band, so he lets them know that this is their last chance to get out of town and make it to the warmer valley below, or self destruct in a town with just four women. In the end, he beats the outlaws not by strength and force, but by using the ultimate powers of nature to outwit and defeat the outlaws. The freezing cold and snow is what ultimately defeats them. I think this is a very unique and wonderful movie. I can't help but think that Robert Altman probably was inspired by this film to do McCabe and Mrs. Miller, another movie about nature as the ultimate decider.
Frosty oater with a lackluster title
jamesrupert20142 March 2023
In the midst of the usual frontier-feud between established cattleman Blaise Starrett (Robert Ryan) and newcomer sodbuster Hal Crane (Alan Marshal), an existential threat in the form of a gang of villainous cut-throats, led by courteously menacing Jack Bruhn (Burl Ives), rides into town. The story is interesting and 'adult' (the potential fates of the town's women-folk is heavily hinted at), but I could have done without the superfluous 'lovers triangle' and the implausible sub-plot about one of the villains being a 'nice guy at heart' (which just seemed tacked on to dilute the general bleakness of the film). Ryan is fine as the tough-guy rancher who gets to make the standard 'we tamed these parts before you came with your fences' speech, as is Ives (although I would have liked to have seen more to explain Bruhn's unquestioned authority in the gang). The townies are all fine but the various desperadoes (each of whom warrants a threatening introduction) frequently overdo the leering, sneering tough-guy sthick, and Tina Louise doesn't make a very convincing frontier wife. The B/W cinematography is outstanding and the 'third act', high in the snowy Wyoming mountains, is very well done. If you are looking forward to the scene on the provocative theatrical-release poster in which Tina Louise's cleavage and a stray Colt are prominently displayed, you'll be disappointed. All and all, a somewhat predictable but watchable 'adult' western.
Stark and gritty
richardskranium23 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The actual whole story is not crystal-clear to me,but the atmosphere,camera-work,and feeling of desperation in this film makes it one rough ride ! Robert Ryan plays a brave man willing to sacrifice his life in order to save a small town from a bunch of bandits that just came to town,and the bandits are lead by Burl Ives of all people! It becomes obvious that Mr. Ives' character,'the Captain' is the only thing holding these bandits back from destroying the whole town-but he is in poor health and may not last long.The bandits have a stash of gold somehow and soldiers are not far away behind the gang,it is implied that the gang is avoiding the soldiers.Ryan takes the bandits on a wild-goose-chase in the dead of winter in the mountains,claiming to know of a passage through the mountains,and away from the soldiers.The snow is deep and almost buries the horses,the mountain range looks endless,the men and horses may as well be ants.
This movie is a great example of man vs nature coupled with poor planning.The men start to turn on each other after the Captain dies in the snow.The horses die,it is a rough time on the mountain. It also clearly illustrates that a bunch of gold may as well be a bunch of lead for all the good it does these men.The end of the film is sudden and somehow does not really wrap things up,it almost seems like a sequel could be made or maybe was planned.All in all a pretty gritty little gem worth seeing.
old western
SnoopyStyle10 April 2023
There is bad blood in the tiny community of Bitters, Wyoming. Cattleman Blaise Starrett (Robert Ryan) do not get along with the new homesteaders especially Hal Crane (Alan Marshal). It doesn't help that he's in love with Hal's wife Helen (Tina Louise). The situation comes to a boil and then Jack Bruhn (Burl Ives) leads his band of criminals into town.
It's a little old western from the golden age. The sets are sparse. They build it all for the movie. The story is hard. There are some good actors here. For me, the most interesting is Tina Louise. I've mostly known her for the few Gilligan episodes that I've seen. She's a fine actress. It does need starker filmmaking. It needs a noir look to better fit the story material. While I like the snowy journey as a visual, I like it less as a climatic ending. Nothing is as good as a high noon shootout for a western.
It's a little old western from the golden age. The sets are sparse. They build it all for the movie. The story is hard. There are some good actors here. For me, the most interesting is Tina Louise. I've mostly known her for the few Gilligan episodes that I've seen. She's a fine actress. It does need starker filmmaking. It needs a noir look to better fit the story material. While I like the snowy journey as a visual, I like it less as a climatic ending. Nothing is as good as a high noon shootout for a western.
I thought it was lacking.....
spencejoshua-2273616 March 2022
I have to agree with most of the reviewers that the setting was wonderful. The Wyoming mountains in winter was an excellent location to tell this story. I thought the town was fitting for that time period and established the atmosphere very well. Acting was mostly solid. Script was alright. Characters were fitting. Everything was spot on.......except the execution. I just didn't feel like the story ended well. The final trek had so much potential but fell flat for me. I didn't feel like the characters acted within their traits that had already been introduced. I didn't feel like there was adequate closure to the conflicts that had arisen throughout the film. Again, great setup, but not so great execution.
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