The Naked Spur (1953)

Wonderful Movie

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Perhaps one of a special hybrid of western-noir adventure The Naked Spur effectively blends genres to deliver a satisfying story that resonates long after the final scene. From the start we wonder what's up in this mysterious western as Stewart's Kemp sneaks up on a prospector camped out in the Colorado Mountains. That the man doing the sneaking is everyman James Stewart whom we've come to identify with in so many films as that sort of man who is in trouble. Here in this film it is his emotional psych that is being troubled as he appears to be criminal in his actions.When Howard Kemp (James Stewart) approaches a secluded plateau in pursuit of a criminal he employs the aid of prospector Jesse Tate (Millard Mitchell) and dishonorable soldier Roy Anderson (Ralph Meeker) to help him capture accused killer Ben Vandergroat (Robert Ryan) and bring him in to justice. Vandergroat was arrested for shooting an unarmed man and has fled with virginal Lina Patch (Janet Leigh) in tow. It seems that Kemp and Vandergroat has a past history and when the criminal lets out that a reward is offer for him the other men step up for a piece of the take. It seems that when Kemp went off to fight the Civil War and left his home and property in the hands of his fiancé, she sold it and left with the profits, and the reward will get his land back. Vandergroat works to get the others to go against Kemp, and as the odds turn a head to head confrontation becomes inevitable.The script keeps us in the dark about Kemp's purpose and when we hear Vandergroat spill the beans about the reward it serves to cast doubt on the supposed accusations about who's guilty. This particularly "noir" touch is what gives the film its troubling core.. Stewart is a man who is keeping a secret and his motivating the others to aid him in his scheme supports the modern idea that the difference between good people and bad is the quality of their corrupt ethical values.The shadow of guilt that shifts between Kemp to Vandergroat as other characters are swayed by the lure of wealth transforms the ad hoc community to a distrustful one. This dark vision of the world is something screenwriter Sam Rolfe may have been honing his skill set for his later work on the TV show Have Gun will Travel about a cowboy detective dressed in black who did dirty investigative work in the old West.This noir bleakness is the single item that bonds the men in this film, a common denominator as all the men become desirous of the reward, and of the virginal Lina. As the only woman in the narrative Janet Leigh's Lina Patch is a character that carries the double weight of virgin, and fallen woman and as the tensions shift between characters, her own value changes as property of either the good man on a tainted mission, or the bad man voicing the truth about his actions. It was Leigh's first real film role, and a testament to her abilities at expressing the emotional changes that pull the character through the story.The film, however noir in its design, still delivers a great Hollywood ending that redeems both the lead character and manages to reaffirm the basic value of love, faith, and community. This is one of the things that James Stewart always brought to a movie, and in his post-Army days as he was returning to active work as an actor, it was an interesting mellowing of his basic persona that was present in early comedies. Perhaps it was the 52-mission flight record he logged in when flying in the Air Corp and experiencing the first-hand understanding of the fragile barrier between life and death that developed him into such a fine actor in his later career.If you return to this tale after a first-viewing experience, the filmmakers have succeeded in their goal. It is a treat.

If you can get past the dumb title, this is a heckuva good outdoor western, filmed in majestic southwestern Colorado. It's four untrustworthy guys and one eye-candy woman trying to make it to Abilene, where three of the guys can collect a big reward for the fourth. What's unusual is none of the guys is particularly likable, so it's hard to know who to root for. There's the cashiered army lieutenant (Meeker), the grizzled old prospector (Mitchell), the embittered rancher (Stewart), and the giggling outlaw (Ryan). Then there's Ryan's girlfriend (Leigh) who only looks half-Hollywood. The shifting alliances among the bunch as they travel makes up the plot. This is the first of the celebrated Mann westerns and it shows in most every aspect: setting, script, photography, directing, and acting. (My only reservation is with the "sitting duck" staging of the Indian attack.) Nonetheless, get a load of that roaring river, too much for even white water rafting (the Uncompahgre, I believe). Then too, the tumbling rapids sort of mirrors the gang's shifting undercurrents. Stewart's never been better as the ornery Howie, basically the same kind of part he played in all his Mann westerns, while Ryan adds color with nervous snickers and giggles, definitely a different kind of bad guy. Ordinarily, I'd figure the girl was added for marquee purposes. After all, who wants to look at ugly guys for 90- minutes. But here Leigh's worked nicely into the plot. The showdown is a really memorable one and makes me doubt I'll do any more rock climbing.All in all, it's a spectacular western, with a fine cast and a suspenseful drama. In short, not a movie to be passed up

One of Mann's notable collaborations with Jimmy Stewart that captures the attention of the audience with enough action and good acting by many famed stars of those days such as Janet Leigh or Robert Ryan and, I need not mention, James Stewart. The film delivers an unforgettable story that teaches us lessons that have to do with greed and pure meanness. I shan't say more, alas I am perturbed that I will reveal important facts of the plot. Moving along, the scenery is quite dazzling and powerful, the film takes place on the rocky mountains so expect beautiful hills and valleys and streams. (Here start some info that could be called spoilers!) None the less I am still inclined to point out some dismal characteristics of the film that I did not enjoy. The film had a rather abrupt ending, like there wasn't enough time to film a couple of scenes more. I believe that instead of suddenly showing the brutal nature of a character there should have been some kind of transition or slower progression to make the plot a little more believable. Although the sudden ending might actually add to the brilliance of this western. Summarizing, This western has enough action packed scenes, good acting by very famous actors such as James Stewart and Janet Leigh, beautiful scenery and classic Anthony Mann cinematography. As such I believe this film deserves a 7/10 which is, by my standards, quite excellent

By the 1950s the Western was evolving from the simplistic John Ford/John Wayne fables to a more in-depth approach that would culminate in the 'psychological' westerns of the sixties. Henry King kick-started both the genre and the decade with The Gunfighter which removed the Roy Rogers glamorous wardrobe and guitar and showed a much more realistic West. Ironically Anthony Mann's The Naked Spur was released the same year as George Steven's all-time Great Shane which managed to combine the best of both worlds via Alan Ladd's light-coloured 'glamorous' shirt with the harshness of life on the open range. Naked Spur is definitely in the vanguard of 'psychological' Westerns and cunningly contrives a chamber piece - only five characters - set in wide open spaces to appear claustrophobic via the close-knit tensions between the five. Initially each one is out for himself with only the weakest link, Janet Leigh, ostensibly united with Robert Ryan but inevitably the balance shifts so that what began as Stewart, Mitchell, Meeker, three single units united uneasily against Ryan and Leigh, evolves into sole survivors Stewart and Leigh forming a new alliance. Ryan, of course, excelled in this kind of role which he could do standing on his head, Mitchell and Meeker lend sterling support and if Leigh is the weakest link it is Stewart who actually gets to extend his range, leaving behind the gauche, Gary Cooper-lite bashful nice guy and exploring a much darker side of his personality. On TV recently it held up well after 57 years.