THE MAN FROM LARAMIE

US, 1955, 104 minutes, Colour.
James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Donald Crisp, Cathy O’Donnell?, Alex Nicol, Aline MacMahon?, Wallace Ford, Jack Elam.
Directed by Anthony Mann.

The Man from Laramie is the last collaboration between James Stewart and director Anthony Mann. During the first half of the 1950s they collaborated in a number of westerns including Winchester 73 and The Naked Spur, in an action adventure, Thunder Bay as well as Strategic Air Command and the biography, The Glenn Miller Story.

James Stewart was a stalwart in many westerns of the 1950s, an honourable man, an icon of American values. Here he is a loner who comes into a town, is attracted by a young woman, played by Cathy O’Donnell?, but falls foul of her cousin, a sadistic and spoilt young man played by Alex Nicol. He is spoilt by his landowning father, played by Donald Crisp. Arthur Kennedy portrays a half-brother. Character actors like Aline MacMahon?, Wallace Ford and Jack Elam feature as well.

The film has the typical ingredients of the western, the loner, the landowners, betrayals, shootouts.

However, with Anthony Mann’s direction, his westerns are more forceful in their characterisations and in the presentation of edgy and neurotic characters. Mann was to direct a number of other westerns including The Last Frontier, The Tin Star with Henry Fonda and the big-screen version of Cimarron. He began work on Spartacus but was replaced by Stanley Kubrick. He also directed El Cid, The Fall of the Roman Empire and The Heroes of Telemark.

1. Was this a good western? What impact did it have as a western?

2. What conventions of the western were prominent in this film; the town, the lone hero, the ranch, and property owner, villains, the guns, the land, the Indians? Which were best used? Did the film transcend the ordinariness of conventions?

3. The film was of the western genre of the single hero. How successful in presenting the single and lone hero? Audience response to this kind of hero?

4. The film was also a prominent example of the revenge genre. How did it present and explore this particular theme of vengeance?

5. James Stewart's performance as Lockhart? How typical of James Stewart? James Stewart as a character who belongs in the west? The title emphasising him as the man? (Did the song add anything to this?) His army background, the nature of his vengeance, the division in his emotions, what changed him? What characterised Will Lockhart as a hero? The nature of his violence in the west? His effect on people? How admirable a person? How much a sign of contradiction of love, hate, fear?

6. The importance of the Wagoman family? Alec Wagoman as owning the town? How evil a man was he, how greedy? the background of his building his empire? Could the audience sympathise with him? His fear of a man from Laramie? His love for his son? His going blind? (Its symbolism?) The fact that he was deluded in his choice of manager, in his song? His suffering and its retribution for his life?

7. How did Dave Wagoman contrast with Vic and the Man from Laramie? The weak generation after a strong father? His brutality towards Lockhart destroying his donkeys? His vindictiveness, his weakness against Vic, the irony of his death?

8. Was Vic an adequate antagonist for Lockhart? Audience sympathy for him? How evil a man was he? How much a victim of circumstances? His wanting to be a son and yet his failure? Wagoman's use of him and suspicions of him? Lockhart's antagonism towards him? Barbara's love for him? The complexity of his character in the possibilities of choosing good and avoiding the evil? How desperate was he when he chose his evil course? His betrayal of the Indians? The savagery of his death?

9. How important were the minor characters in this film: Boldt and his informing, and his death? Charlie and his prospecting and his support of Will Lockhart? The sheriff and his influence in the town with the Wagomans and Will Lockhart? As a comment on life in the west?

10. The role of women in the film? Barbara as a Wagoman, her memory of her father, her making her own life, wanting to go East, her love for Vic, her support for Lockhart and its effect on her life? Kate and her betrayal by Ma Wagoman? Her wanting to hire Lockhart? Lockhart as bringing Kate and Wagoman together?

11. What was the film's commentary on vengeance? The consuming nature of vengeance, its purpose?

12. The themes of law and justice in the West? The administration of justice? Who had the rights? The role of law and the sheriff? Individual vengeance?

13. The theme of family and Empire in America? Greed and selfishness as the basis of Empire? Evil working itself out within a family?

14. The role of the Indians in the film? The commentary on Indians and white relations with them?

15. Betrayal, selling rifles, death?

16. How melodramatic was the climax? Or was it appropriate for this kind of film? Vic's death? Lockhart renouncing his vengeance? Wagoman, though blind, seeing more clearly?

17. Comment on the role of the music in the film. The use of location photography and colour?

18. How basic were the ingredients of this western? An archetypal western?