1959·Western·1h 32m
7.1
★
Blaise Starrett is a rancher at odds with homesteaders when outlaws hold up the small town. The outlaws are held in check only by their notorious leader, but he is diagnosed with a fatal wound and the town is a powder keg waiting to blow.
Directed by André de Toth
winter
outlaw
shootout
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Robert Ryan
Blaise Starrett
Burl Ives
Jack Bruhn
Tina Louise
Helen Crane
Alan Marshal
Hal Crane
Venetia Stevenson
Ernine, Vic's Daughter
David Nelson
Gene, Bruhn's Gang
Nehemiah Persoff
Dan, Starret's Foreman
Jack Lambert
Tex, Bruhn's gang
Frank De Kova
Denver, Bruhn's Gang
Lance Fuller
Pace, Bruhn's Gang
Elisha Cook Jr.
Larry Teter, Town Barber
Dabbs Greer
Doc Langer, Veterinarian
Crew
André de Toth
Director
Philip Yordan
Screenplay
Alexander Courage
Original Music Composer
Russell Harlan
Director of Photography
Philip Yordan
Producer
Al Wyatt Sr.
Stunt Double
Boyd 'Red' Morgan
Stunt Double
Popular Reviews
18 reviews
Sean
10.0★ · 02/03/26
***52 Westerns in 52 Weeks Challenge***
Week 5: Winter Westerns**
It’s marvelous what an atmosphere can do for the experience a movie offers and André de Toth’s isolated and desolate winter western which paired Russell Harlan’s stunning photography with Alexander Courage’s phenomenally moody score (fun fact Courage also composed the theme to the original Star Trek series which I’m two seasons into right now, the coincidence was too good not to mention) came out as one of the bleakest looks into the darkest humanity has to offer through the use of beautiful set design and Phillip Yordan’s straightforward and effect adaptation of Lee Wells’ novel. I love how this, unlike other western stories, doesn’t try to glorify or make you love or root for any of its main characters, we meet Robert Ryan as he’s about to kill a man against the woman he love’s wishes, the question that looms largest in regards to Bruhn is “what if this town had enough women for all of his men?”, the only of the characters we follow that truly warrants the audience’s empathy is Gene and even he’s a member of the evil gang occupying the town. It fully leans into the bleak and difficult life on the western frontier from the themes it touches upon to the physical representations of that difficult life, most notably through the weather and poverty of our characters, it’s a completely different experience from any western out of the near sixty that I’ve seen so far and gives me even more hope that this genre will continue to give me great and unique first watches for the rest of my life. I haven’t read the book so I can’t say what came from the author or Yordan in his adaptation but I was so captivated by this script, the best word I can use describe it is “effective”, the story seamlessly leaps from theme to theme through dialogue where every line is essential, another good way to describe it would be calling it “fluff-less” and I really appreciate that even if I do enjoy some fluff from time to time. Russell Harlan is a cinematographer I’ve loved for a while and didn’t know it, just in research for writing this review I found out he did two other films I really loved the look of, those two being Gun Crazy and Red River. Learning he did them was unsurprising after how much of this was as gorgeous as it was and with this newfound knowledge and appreciation I’ll certainly be on the lookout for more of his cinematography in the future. That’s about all I have to say for this watch, this is a masterfully crafted western story utilizing too many themes to name with some of the most beautiful cinematography I’ve ever seen and a beautiful score to match it, I’m sad to say none of de Toth’s other films entice me nearly as much as this but after the experience this gave me I have no choice but to see more.
Week 5: Winter Westerns**
It’s marvelous what an atmosphere can do for the experience a movie offers and André de Toth’s isolated and desolate winter western which paired Russell Harlan’s stunning photography with Alexander Courage’s phenomenally moody score (fun fact Courage also composed the theme to the original Star Trek series which I’m two seasons into right now, the coincidence was too good not to mention) came out as one of the bleakest looks into the darkest humanity has to offer through the use of beautiful set design and Phillip Yordan’s straightforward and effect adaptation of Lee Wells’ novel. I love how this, unlike other western stories, doesn’t try to glorify or make you love or root for any of its main characters, we meet Robert Ryan as he’s about to kill a man against the woman he love’s wishes, the question that looms largest in regards to Bruhn is “what if this town had enough women for all of his men?”, the only of the characters we follow that truly warrants the audience’s empathy is Gene and even he’s a member of the evil gang occupying the town. It fully leans into the bleak and difficult life on the western frontier from the themes it touches upon to the physical representations of that difficult life, most notably through the weather and poverty of our characters, it’s a completely different experience from any western out of the near sixty that I’ve seen so far and gives me even more hope that this genre will continue to give me great and unique first watches for the rest of my life. I haven’t read the book so I can’t say what came from the author or Yordan in his adaptation but I was so captivated by this script, the best word I can use describe it is “effective”, the story seamlessly leaps from theme to theme through dialogue where every line is essential, another good way to describe it would be calling it “fluff-less” and I really appreciate that even if I do enjoy some fluff from time to time. Russell Harlan is a cinematographer I’ve loved for a while and didn’t know it, just in research for writing this review I found out he did two other films I really loved the look of, those two being Gun Crazy and Red River. Learning he did them was unsurprising after how much of this was as gorgeous as it was and with this newfound knowledge and appreciation I’ll certainly be on the lookout for more of his cinematography in the future. That’s about all I have to say for this watch, this is a masterfully crafted western story utilizing too many themes to name with some of the most beautiful cinematography I’ve ever seen and a beautiful score to match it, I’m sad to say none of de Toth’s other films entice me nearly as much as this but after the experience this gave me I have no choice but to see more.
***52 Westerns in 52 Weeks Challenge***
Week 5: Winter Westerns**
It’s marvelous what an atmosphere can do for the experience a movie offers and André de Toth’s isolated and desolate winter western which paired Russell Harlan’s stunning photography with Alexander Courage’s phenomenally moody score (fun fact Courage also composed the theme to the original Star Trek series which I’m two seasons into right now, the coincidence was too good not to mention) came out as one of the bleakest looks into the darkest humanity has to offer through the use of beautiful set design and Phillip Yordan’s straightforward and effect adaptation of Lee Wells’ novel. I love how this, unlike other western stories, doesn’t try to glorify or make you love or root for any of its main characters, we meet Robert Ryan as he’s about to kill a man against the woman he love’s wishes, the question that looms largest in regards to Bruhn is “what if this town had enough women for all of his men?”, the only of the characters we follow that truly warrants the audience’s empathy is Gene and even he’s a member of the evil gang occupying the town. It fully leans into the bleak and difficult life on the western frontier from the themes it touches upon to the physical representations of that difficult life, most notably through the weather and poverty of our characters, it’s a completely different experience from any western out of the near sixty that I’ve seen so far and gives me even more hope that this genre will continue to give me great and unique first watches for the rest of my life. I haven’t read the book so I can’t say what came from the author or Yordan in his adaptation but I was so captivated by this script, the best word I can use describe it is “effective”, the story seamlessly leaps from theme to theme through dialogue where every line is essential, another good way to describe it would be calling it “fluff-less” and I really appreciate that even if I do enjoy some fluff from time to time. Russell Harlan is a cinematographer I’ve loved for a while and didn’t know it, just in research for writing this review I found out he did two other films I really loved the look of, those two being Gun Crazy and Red River. Learning he did them was unsurprising after how much of this was as gorgeous as it was and with this newfound knowledge and appreciation I’ll certainly be on the lookout for more of his cinematography in the future. That’s about all I have to say for this watch, this is a masterfully crafted western story utilizing too many themes to name with some of the most beautiful cinematography I’ve ever seen and a beautiful score to match it, I’m sad to say none of de Toth’s other films entice me nearly as much as this but after the experience this gave me I have no choice but to see more.
Week 5: Winter Westerns**
It’s marvelous what an atmosphere can do for the experience a movie offers and André de Toth’s isolated and desolate winter western which paired Russell Harlan’s stunning photography with Alexander Courage’s phenomenally moody score (fun fact Courage also composed the theme to the original Star Trek series which I’m two seasons into right now, the coincidence was too good not to mention) came out as one of the bleakest looks into the darkest humanity has to offer through the use of beautiful set design and Phillip Yordan’s straightforward and effect adaptation of Lee Wells’ novel. I love how this, unlike other western stories, doesn’t try to glorify or make you love or root for any of its main characters, we meet Robert Ryan as he’s about to kill a man against the woman he love’s wishes, the question that looms largest in regards to Bruhn is “what if this town had enough women for all of his men?”, the only of the characters we follow that truly warrants the audience’s empathy is Gene and even he’s a member of the evil gang occupying the town. It fully leans into the bleak and difficult life on the western frontier from the themes it touches upon to the physical representations of that difficult life, most notably through the weather and poverty of our characters, it’s a completely different experience from any western out of the near sixty that I’ve seen so far and gives me even more hope that this genre will continue to give me great and unique first watches for the rest of my life. I haven’t read the book so I can’t say what came from the author or Yordan in his adaptation but I was so captivated by this script, the best word I can use describe it is “effective”, the story seamlessly leaps from theme to theme through dialogue where every line is essential, another good way to describe it would be calling it “fluff-less” and I really appreciate that even if I do enjoy some fluff from time to time. Russell Harlan is a cinematographer I’ve loved for a while and didn’t know it, just in research for writing this review I found out he did two other films I really loved the look of, those two being Gun Crazy and Red River. Learning he did them was unsurprising after how much of this was as gorgeous as it was and with this newfound knowledge and appreciation I’ll certainly be on the lookout for more of his cinematography in the future. That’s about all I have to say for this watch, this is a masterfully crafted western story utilizing too many themes to name with some of the most beautiful cinematography I’ve ever seen and a beautiful score to match it, I’m sad to say none of de Toth’s other films entice me nearly as much as this but after the experience this gave me I have no choice but to see more.
Bearman08
9.0★ · 11/28/25
Some very thick tension and great use of setting an absolute must watch when it comes to westerns.
Some very thick tension and great use of setting an absolute must watch when it comes to westerns.
Bearman08
9.0★ · 11/28/25
Some very thick tension and great use of setting an absolute must watch when it comes to westerns.
Some very thick tension and great use of setting an absolute must watch when it comes to westerns.
Mirriau
7.0★ · 07/29/25
Days of the Outlaw feels like one of those movies whose bleak aesthetics get highlighted by being an old film. If this movie were to be remaked, I think it would fail as both its pace and parasexual undertones don't fall under the contemporary criteria.
What I'm trying to say is that this felt like an unorthodoxic movie to me, but it mades sense.
What I'm trying to say is that this felt like an unorthodoxic movie to me, but it mades sense.
Days of the Outlaw feels like one of those movies whose bleak aesthetics get highlighted by being an old film. If this movie were to be remaked, I think it would fail as both its pace and parasexual undertones don't fall under the contemporary criteria.
What I'm trying to say is that this felt like an unorthodoxic movie to me, but it mades sense.
What I'm trying to say is that this felt like an unorthodoxic movie to me, but it mades sense.
val
5.0★ · 06/08/25
third act was good, ernine and gene were cool but thats about it
third act was good, ernine and gene were cool but thats about it