THE HALLIDAY BRAND
US, 1956, 79 minutes, Black and white.
Joseph Cotten, Viveca Lindfors, Ward Bond, Betsy Blair, 2111 Williams, Jay C. Flippen.
Directed by Joseph H. Lewis.
A western directed by Joseph H. Lewis, a director whose reputation has increased over the decades. He is remembered for thriller like Gun Crazy and westerns like a Lawless Street, Terror in a Texas Town and the present film. The film is a modest production, filmed in black and white, relying on its star cast. Joseph Cotten is solid in the central role. However, Ward Bond excels as the stubborn and proud father. The film takes up the themes of so many bigger-budget westerns: family, prejudice, Indians. It stands up well in retrospect and is a thoughtful western.
1. The reputation of the film in its time? Later? Interesting drama? Western? Piece of Americana?
2. Black and white photography? The atmosphere of the west? The town? Outdoor locations? Musical score?
3. The title and the several references as the film focused on Daniel Halliday and his pride. His prejudice against Indians and his stance against Indian blood in his family? The consequences of his pride for his children, for those they loved? Violence and death?
4. The screenplay and its theme shifts? The focus on Dan and Clay? The illness of their father? The dramas behind the response of each character to the father and to Dan? The flashbacks? The dramatic impact of the finale?
5. Dan Halliday as the eldest son, his father's pride in his name? The encounter between Clay and Dan? Their father's illness and Dan's return? The encounter with Martha, Alita? The illness of his father? The memories? Audience curiosity about Dan's fate? His father's pride, ruling of the west, building up the town? His good will towards the Indians - but unwilling to allow intermarriage? Dan's not wanting to be a lawman? Clay wanting to be something in his father's eyes? Martha and her love for Jivaro and the father's clash? The death of Jivaro and Dan blaming his father? The mob law? Dan's stance, Clay's help? Dan's breaking with his father? Letting the cattle loose, taking the money and returning it? Defying his father? His father and the posse chase? The encounters with Alita and falling in love with her? His being an outlaw? His being persuaded to return, his father's deceiving him, his stance against him? His father trying to shoot him? inability to shoot? His father dying in his arms - stating that Dan was too much like him? A future for the family after breaking free from their father's hold on them?
6. Clay as the younger brother, in the shadow of Dan, wanting to be like his father, noticed by him? Standing by his father? The imprisoning of Jivaro? The lynching? Dan going to meet his father? His father playing brother against brother? The marriage with Alita? His turning against his father?
7. Martha and her love for Jivaro, her father's hold over her? The lyrical dancing sequence broken into by the father? The arrest of Jivaro, his imprisonment, his stating his innocence? Martha's grief at his death? Her serving her father though hostile to him? the stances? Her friendship with Alita?
8. Alita and the death of her brother, support of her father, her mother? Her illness and her being taken to the homestead? Her being ousted by Halliday? Love for Dan? The marriage with Clay? her standing by the move against their father?
9. Jivaro and his love for Martha, the arrest, his being with the cattle rustlers, Dan and Clay taking his side, Halliday being out of town with the posse allowing the mob to come in and the pride of father? the shock? The Indian mother? Their grief at their son's death? Halliday's confrontation, the father drawing on him and his death? The grief of the Indian mother?
10. The portrait of an American pioneer, opening up the land, supporting the people in the town, his expectations of then? Use of violence? Justifying the death of a few for the good of many? Law and using the law? Hold over his children, their rebellion against him? His illness, plea for their love, his death?
11. Themes of family life? Themes of Indian and white? Mob rule and justice? Insights via drama?
