Roughshod (1949 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Roughshod
Roughshod film poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMark Robson
Written byStory:
Peter Viertel
Screenplay:
Hugo Butler, Daniel Mainwaring
Produced by
StarringGloria Grahame
Robert Sterling
John Ireland
Claude Jarman Jr.
CinematographyJoseph Biroc
Edited by
Music byRoy Webb
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Release date
  • June 16, 1949 (1949-06-16) (U.S.)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Roughshod is a 1949 black-and-white Western film starring Gloria Grahame and Robert Sterling and directed by Mark Robson.[1][2][3]

Plot[]

Three escaped prison convicts led by cold-blooded killer Lednov ambush three cowboys for their clothes and guns. Leaving their bloodied bodies by a smoldering fire the trio rides on looking for revenge against a rancher, Clay Phillips, who had dogged Lednov all the way to Mexico and wounded him before turning him over to American authorities for a previous crime. Phillips is warned by friend Jed Graham to get out of Aspen.

Early thirtish Clay and young teenage brother Steve had already been heading toward Sonora with a small herd of horses - all they've got. They come across four stranded saloon girls, "women of the night" townsfolks have sent packing. Also headed to Sonora, they are stuck on the trailside with a broken wagon wheel, take-charge Mary having been at the reins.

A lovestruck local cowboy turns up to take Marcia back and marry her, over his parents' objections. Elaine, who is sick and evidently pregnant, flees when she hears Clay is leading the group to the nearest ranch to leave the girls in its owners' care. Steve corrals her and they continue on. To heartbreak, recrimination, and tentative reconciliation, it turns out Elaine is the Wyatts' runaway daughter. Her father yields to his wife's compassion, but orders that the other women leave. Mary upbraids Clay for his narrow mind, spitting that he can't think past his idealized future of a Simon-pure dream wife in a spotted gingham dress.

Clay reluctantly accepts the pair again as cargo, but softens somewhat towards Mary as he accedes to her teaching his illiterate brother how to read along the trail. Following an old trail to avoid the outlaws they run into an indignant Irish miner, who claims they're after his claim. Upon seeing his cache of gold Helen decides he's a better prospect than what lies ahead in Sonora.

Another amorous entanglement between Clay and Mary breaks down again in argument over his inability to look beyond her past. Her pride injured again, she flees recklessly in his wagon. With the men in pursuit it jolts loose from its team and plummets down a riverbank. Clay reflexively charges into the water to retrieve Mary. Some of her finery begins to float downstream, leading to yelping at the loss. Once more Clay's caring impulses suffer a jarring reversal. His resolve to put her on the next stage redoubles.

While they wrangle Lednov spies Mary's frillery, which leads him onto the group's trail. En route the outlaws come upon the miner's camp. Lednov kills the Irishman, then turns on Helen, clearly intent on having his way with her. Recoiling from his stare, the chilling prospect of the desires of all three men are captured in her eyes. She is never seen again.

Night falls. In the morning Clay flags down a passing coach. He hides his protectiveness, and intentions, behind a brusque goodbye to Mary. That afternoon the brothers reach their ranch, no more than a patch of grass and a makeshift horse corral. Knowing what lies ahead, Clay instigates a confrontation with Steve to spare him a likely death. Before the teen can leave he sees the gang approaching and stays to fight it out together. Clay kills the two wingmen before Steve is wounded by Lednov. Clay dispatches him to end the fight.

He takes Steve to the nearest town doctor, who patches him up. Mary is there, holding a lamp. The couple embraces. After an empassioned kiss Clay wonders aloud if he can find some gingham in town for a dress.

Cast[]

Reception[]

The film recorded a loss of $550,000.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ Lentz, Robert J. (2014). Gloria Grahame, Bad Girl of Film Noir: The Complete Career. McFarland. p. 69. ISBN 9780786487226. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  2. ^ Magers, Boyd; Fitzgerald, Michael G. (2004). Westerns Women: Interviews with 50 Leading Ladies of Movie and Television Westerns from the 1930s to the 1960s. McFarland. p. 76. ISBN 9780786420285.
  3. ^ Davis, Blair (2017). Movie Comics: Page to Screen/Screen to Page. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 9780813572277. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  4. ^ Richard B. Jewell, Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures, Uni of California, 2016

External links[]


Stub icon

This 1940s Western film–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Retrieved from ""