Reds in the saloons

Johnny Guitar (1954)

Based on the novel of the same name this film was directed by Nicholas Ray, written by blacklisted Ben Maddow with stars Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden and Mercedes McCambridge. Rivalry between two women comes to a head as the railway approaches a western town.

This film works on two levels, first as a tale about about sex with all the rivalry, jealousy and frustration that comes from it without ever actually mentioning it but also as a metaphor for the McCarthy witch hunts. As the antagonist Mercedes McCambridge gives an excellent performance but Joan Crawford does seem miss cast and that does have a negative affect on the film. Certainly this is a good western but it does fall short of the comparable High Noon (1952).

4/5