THE NAKED SPUR
US, 1952, 91 minutes, Colour.
James Stewart, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, Millard Mitchell, Ralph Meeker.
Directed by Anthony Mann.
The Naked Spur is an interesting, if somewhat conventional, western. It was one of eight films in which James Steward starred for director Anthony Mann during the early 150s. Amongst these were several westerns including Winchester 73 and The Man From Laramie. Stewart portrays a strong character in this film, a determined man confronting a wily thief and murderer played by Robert Ryan. Janet Leigh has quite a good role as the heroine and there is support from Ralph Meeker. The film is an interesting example of a typical 1950s western.
1. The tradition of westerns? Entertainment? Law and order, justice? The film as a James Stewart vehicle?
2. M.G.M. production values, location photography, colour, musical score, strong cast?
3. The conventional material of the group trying to outwit each other and the quest for justice? Greed? The treatment of the conventional material?
4. The picture of the West: locations, the frontier? Rugged territory to be traversed, mountains and rivers? Violence? The application of justice? The bounty hunters? Crime? The harshness of the West? The confrontation with the Indians and the violence towards them?
5. Audience response to the basic situation: the killer and his being hunted by the bounty hunter, his use of the girl? The relentlessness of the bounty hunter ? his disappointment in marriage, wanting a property. his hopes having been dashed and his wanting vengeance? The supporting group and their greed? The inevitable build-up of tensions? The change in the hero and heroine?
6. Jams Stewart's style as Howard Kemp: the hard man, his memories of Mary and the Civil War, the encounter with Jesse and his prospecting? Getting him to help in the trailing and capture of Ben? The clashes with Roy Anderson and the background of the army, his escape and the confrontation with the Indians? The capturing of Ben? Lena trying to help Ben? The attempt on his life by Ben? His illness, the difficulties of riding the horse and falling off? His reaction to Ben's attempts to set the group at each other's throats? His treatment of each individual? The betrayal by Jesse? His death? Anderson's greed and his death? The final confrontation with Ben and Lena's help ? after her tending him and his learning to trust her? The final choices and their going to California? The man of the West?
7. Lena and the background with Ben, her hopes, helping him to evade capture, suffering, her talking with Kemp and understanding him, her aiding him at the end, the final?
8. Robert Ryan's snarling as Ben? Smooth-talking, criminal type, exploitive? The attempt on Kemp's life? His smooth-talking and insinuations to set the others against each other? The temptation to Jesse about the gold and his killing him? The final confrontation?
9. Anderson and his being cashiered from the army, his greed. the pursuit of the Indians, his zeal and greed at the end and his death?
10. Jesse as the old prospector, helping Kemp, uncertain. the temptation of the gold, his betrayal of Kemp and his being killed by Ben?
11. The set pieces for violence in the West? The violent confrontations and the emphasis on the physical? The comparisons with the psychological edge and tension? A satisfying western?
