Watch Red Sundown
- Passed
- 1956
- 1 hr 21 min
-
6.5 (717)
Red Sundown is an American Western film, directed by Jack Arnold and released in 1956. The movie stars Rory Calhoun as Alec Longmire, a wandering cowboy who settles down in a small Texan town. Alec's arrival coincides with the arrival of a wealthy landowner named Dub Stokes (played by Robert Middleton) who is planning to take over the town and the surrounding area. Dub Stokes has hired a team of gunmen to intimidate the townsfolk into selling their properties to him, but Alec stands up to these bullies and soon becomes the hero of the town.
The movie begins with Alec Longmire riding into the town of Lordsburg, Texas. Alec is a former gunslinger who is hoping to give up his violent ways and start a new life as a rancher. As he wanders through the town, Alec encounters a young woman named Caroline (played by Martha Hyer) who has been mistreated by one of Dub Stokes' henchmen. Alec intervenes and ends up in a fistfight with the henchman, which he wins. Caroline is grateful to Alec for his help and gives him a place to stay on her family's ranch.
Meanwhile, Dub Stokes has been scheming to take over the town and the surrounding area. He has hired a team of gunmen led by a man named Krag (played by L.Q. Jones) to intimidate the townsfolk into selling their properties to him. Krag and his men have been terrorizing the townsfolk, but Alec refuses to be intimidated. He stands up to Krag and his men and even gets into a shootout with them.
As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that Dub Stokes is not the only villain in the movie. There is also a corrupt sheriff named Nat Bell (played by Dean Jagger) who is in Stokes' pocket. Bell has been turning a blind eye to Stokes' criminal activities, but when Alec starts making trouble for Stokes, Bell decides to take action against him. The conflict between Alec and Bell comes to a head in a dramatic showdown at the end of the movie.
Red Sundown is a classic Western film that delivers all the action, drama, and suspense that fans of the genre have come to expect. The movie is beautifully shot, with stunning landscapes and expertly choreographed gunfights. The performances are also top-notch, with Rory Calhoun giving a standout performance as the hero of the movie. Martha Hyer is also excellent as the spunky and resourceful Caroline, while Dean Jagger brings a touch of complexity to his role as Sheriff Bell.
Overall, Red Sundown is a must-see for fans of Western movies. It is a thrilling and entertaining ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The movie has all the elements that make a great Western, including cowboys, gunfights, and a sense of moral clarity. It is also a reminder of a bygone era in American cinema, when Westerns were a dominant genre and heroes like Alec Longmire were larger than life.