dougdoepke No need to repeat the plot or echo consensus points after the many other reviews. I must have been eleven or twelve when I first saw this classic in a theatre. The marksmanship contest fascinated me, so being a kid I badgered my dad to buy me a 22-rifle. Too young, he said, but I did get a BB-gun, single-shot. Not exactly what I wanted, but at least I could hit tin cans. Now I'm glad I didn't get it. Lord knows what I would have done with a bullet gun. The movie's pass-around battle over a premier repeating rifle is still fascinating after all these years. The narrative's really shrewdly done. The prize rifle amounts to a plot gimmick passing us along with the Winchester to a succession of interesting characters. It's unusual for any movie of the time which preferred to dwell on a central star. Catch also that we don't know why the bad blood between Lin (Stewart) and Dutch Henry (McNally) until the end, but we do know there'll be a big showdown eventually. Meanwhile we meet an interesting array of characters, including slimy Waco Johnny Dean (the great Dan Duryea), laid-back sheriff Wyatt Earp (Will Geer), and sneaky card fumbler Joe Lamont (McIntyre) who somehow always wins the big poker pots. I like the way the script makes us infer Lamont's skullduggery instead of showing us. Then too, there's the humorous bits of dialog, as when dance hall girl Lola (Winters) kisses the impossibly homely Sgt' Wilkes (Flippen) saying he's too pretty to pass up.In fact, it's this succession of colorful characters that distinguishes the film, even though Stewart remains the anchor. Kudos to movie star Stewart for sharing as much time as he does. Also distinguishing the drama are the great settings. The many Arizona landscapes appear to stretch to infinity and are impressively utilized by director Mann. And what an inspiration that final shootout among the barren rocky spires. It's since become a classic showdown sequence and deservedly so. Then there's that authentic mud-hut town squatting on the desert like an ugly pimple. No Hollywood there. In fact, I couldn't spot a single studio exterior anywhere. Cheap-jack Universal thus deserves credit for popping for all the location filming, even if up-and-coming Rock Hudson makes a dubious Indian, to say the least.Off hand, I don't recall any other oater where the hero has to battle two premier baddies (Duryea & MacNally), one after the other. Now I'll watch anything with the deliciously sneering Duryea and here he doesn't disappoint. Facing off with Duryea's Waco Johnny does, however, distract from the blood feud showdown with Dutch Henry. Maybe that's why the high rock shootout was so carefully staged and filmed. Also, I wonder if there's a backstory to this departure from the conventional western.On the somewhat downside is Winters' squishy Lola, the only woman in the cast. As a whiny character she doesn't really add much to the drama which is already spread across many characters. The actress does well enough in the role, though once again Hollywood of the time can't bear to dirty up a leading lady, no matter how much dust she eats. Thus, the dance hall girl remains squeaky clean despite a grueling trip through the desert. On the same quibbling note—I wish Hollywood would give Indians some credit for good battle tactics. That is, why not have Young Bull's warriors attack from all sides instead of as a mass from in front where the soldiers can concentrate their fire power and mow them down. But then, a massed attack does make for a more spectacular screening. Anyway, I think the movie stands up pretty well, with its number of human interest themes. I especially like that closing shot of the Winchester rifle which has now been passed around full circle. All in all, this amounts to a kind of poetic end note unusual for any western, and a fitting one for this classic.

grantss Good western, with a few tweaks to the classical western formula. We have character development, a mysterious backstory between the lead hero and lead villain, and a less than conventional damsel-in-distress.The story of the how the gun changes hands, the hands it goes through and how many people it kills is also interesting. A sort-of circle of life, for a weapon.Good action scenes. Plot is decent, though it has some moments and scenes where not everything gels, and it feels contrived.Good performance by James Stewart in the lead role. Shelly Winters, as the wisecracking damsel-in-distress, is interesting. Certainly not your conventional female character in a western, who are normally seen rather than heard (not saying I agree with that convention, by the way). Initially her one-liners are at odds with the drama of the movie, and jar a little, but her character grows on you and eventually her jokes are a pleasant distraction.Good supporting cast which includes Rock Hudson, in one of his earliest roles, as a young Indian leader (!). Tony Curtis, also early in his career, has a very minor part.

Robert W. I didn't really grow up with Westerns, but an early fascination with Clint Eastwood had me discovering them in a big way. I have always compared the genre of Westerns to Chocolate Chip Cookies (bare with me now on this analogy.) It doesn't matter who makes them, as long as they have the right ingredients they are near perfect. It takes an awful lot to make a "bad" Western and I can't even think of one at the moment. It always helps when you find a particular Western star that you love (Lee Marvin, Eastwood, John Wayne...Jimmy Stewart.) Winchester '73 isn't just any chocolate chip cookie, its one of the greats. Personally I wouldn't put it in league with Sergio Leon's Dollars trilogy or some of Eastwood's better ones but only because it doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table. What it does bring is every single aspect of a great Western to the table all around the legend of a perfect gun that is being passed from person to person while one man searches for it and his nemesis. The shoot outs are fantastic, dark and even gory in a few spots. The performances range from good to great and there is no shortage of action. The film opens in the legendary Dodge City and Wyatt Earp and his crew are there too. It just feels right as a Western! The legendary James Stewart is our hero and the a great Western cowboy. Lin McAdam is tough as nails, a perfect shot and the ultimate cowboy. Perhaps the only issue is that Stewart doesn't get enough scenes in the movie. Yes he is the star but he's probably only in 2/3 of the film and that isn't enough for my taste and McAdam could have gotten a lot more great scenes. Still he is amazing as he almost always is. This character is a terrific turn for him as a tough guy and he pulls it off well. As Stewart said in his own words about McAdam, the character is emotional and vulnerable. Shelley Winters is decent as wild west gal Lola Manners. She is spirited and fiery and fun to watch. Its not a great performance but its certainly a good one. Her chemistry with Stewart is okay but nothing amazing. She plays a much bigger part in the latter part of the film and does well at it. Stephen McNally is Stewart's sworn enemy that he is chasing through the dusty wild west. McNally is terrific as a villain and the chemistry between him and Stewart is perfect. Their adversarial relationship is legendary and you know its going to come to a huge battle in the end. Dan Duryea also deserves mention as McNally's right hand man and number one goon. He makes for a great villain as well and is particularly good opposite Winters in their scenes.I would love to see this on the big screen someday because it is just insanely fun. It has everything you would expect from a classic Western from its opening scenes at the shooting competition to the closing and epic finale shootout between the two enemies. The twist to the story isn't exactly a huge shock, I sort of saw it coming but it still made a terrible finale. Early Hollywood directors always seem to direct a hundred pictures before their death but you still have to give credit where its due and Anthony Mann crafts a terrific story. The only reason it isn't a perfect score is perhaps because it really doesn't try to be anything out of the box of a cookie-cutter Western. But there is also NOTHING wrong with that. Don't even take that as a criticism because if you're a Western fan or even looking to introduce classic Westerns to a new generation, this is one for the ages. A terrific non-stop wagon ride. 8.5/10

Ben Larson Two classics appeared in 1950: Winchester '73 and me. Well, I may not be a classic, but this film is. A western born out of film noir with blurry morals instead of the clear black and white we are so used to seeing.This was the first of five classic collaborations between Anthony Mann and James Stewart. Bend of the River came two years later, followed by The Naked Spur, The Far Country and The Man From Laramie in each of the next three years.The film features a young Shelley Winters as a dance hall girl who is looking to settle down. Her intended doesn't quite measure up, but Stewart is there for the rescue.With Dan Duryea, Will Geer, and Rock Hudson as an Indian Chief, it is well worth your time, as are the four that follow.