The Man from Laramie (Widescreen/Full Screen)

This collaboration between director Anthony Mann and actor James Stewart is another dark character study as Stewart once again is a cowboy on the vengeance trail as he heads for a dusty New Mexico town in search of gun-runners who supplied rifles to the Apaches who wiped out a cavalry troop that included his younger brother. The town of Coronado and the surrounding territory are controlled by a cattle baron who owns the Barb ranch and doesn't take kindly to outsiders meddling in the town's affairs. Rancher Alec Waggoman's neurotic son Dave and tough but high-strung ranch foreman Vic Hansbro resent Will Lockhart's determination to uncover the mystery of Apaches acquiring rifles and why the massacre just happened to take place on Waggoman's land. The film has a few touches of extreme violence without being graphic and Stewart's straight-shooting Lockhart is likeable and believable. The picture's romantic angle is more implied than stated between Lockhart and Barbara Waggoman and is realistic in the way it unfolds during Lockhart's investigation in Coronado. A great cast of supporting actors was assembled for this movie and makes this star western even more enjoyable.

Columbia Pictures Corporation presents "THE MAN FROM LARAMIE" (1955) (104 min/Color) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --Will Lockhart (James Stewart) is obsessed with finding the man who sold automatic rifles to the Apaches, resulting in the death of his brother --- Will enters the town of Coronado, NM, ruled by the blind and aging patriarch Alec Waggoman (Donald Crisp) --- Unaware that he is trespassing on Waggoman's land, he finds himself accosted by Alec's psychopathic son, Dave (Alex Nicol), who brutally beats Will and is ready to kill him --- But Will is rescued at the last minute by Waggoman's adopted son, Vic Hansbro (Arthur Kennedy) --- Will finds that Waggoman has become increasingly concerned over who will inherit his vast empire.

A brilliant psychological Western reminiscent of Shakespeare's King Lear.

James Stewart & Anthony Mann: their 5 westerns together from 1950 to 1955, rewrote the cowboy story for the big screen - their's were tough, psychological though lyric masterpieces of western cinema - beautifully photographed and expertly written stories with intriguing characters and realistic action - a blueprint for westerns of the 50s (and embraced by Budd Boetticher & Randolph Scott in their excellent collaborations in the late 1950s - see the Randolph Scott section of this website)

This, The Man From Laramie (1955) was the fifth and last of this quintet of Stewart / Mann westerns - preceded by Winchester '73 (1950), Bend of the River (1952), The Naked Spur (1954) & The Far Country (1954).
Under the production staff of:
Anthony Mann [Director]
Philip Yordan [Screenwriter]
Frank Burt [Screenwriter]
Thomas T. Flynn [Saturday Evening Post story]
William Goetz [Producer]
George Duning [Original Film Music]
Charles Lang [Cinematographer]
William A. Lyon [Film Editor]

BIOS:
1. Anthony Mann [aka: Emil Anton Bundesmann] - [Director]
Date of Birth: 30 June 1906 - San Diego, California
Date of Death: 29 April 1967 - Berlin, Germany

2. James Stewart
Date of Birth: 20 May 1908 - Indiana, Pennsylvania
Date of Death: 2 July 1997 - Los Angeles, California

the cast includes:
James Stewart - Will Lockhart
Arthur Kennedy - Vic Hansbro
Donald Crisp - Alec Waggoman
Cathy O'Donnell - Barbara Waggoman
Alex Nicol - Dave Waggoman
Aline MacMahon - Kate Canady
Wallace Ford - Charley O'Leary
Jack Elam - Chris Boldt
John War Eagle - Frank Darrah

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars
Performance: 5 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 104 min on DVD ~ Sony Pictures ~ (02/15/2000)

Originally saw this film in Black and White. This colorized version is poor at the best; spend the time and effort to find the B/W; the hokie-ness detracts from the movie itself.