One Foot in Hell (film): Difference between revisions
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==Synopsis== |
==Synopsis== |
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Mitch Barrett ([[Alan Ladd]]) is a former [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] soldier emigrating to the West |
After the][American Civil War]] and the tragic burning of Atlanta, Georgian "Mitch Barrett" ([[Alan Ladd]]) is a former [[Confederate States of America|Confederate Army]] soldier emigrating to the West with his loving wife "Ellie" ([[Rachel Stephens]]) whose is pregnant and unfortunately goes into birthing labor when they're forced to stop in a small cattle town of Blue Springs in the [[Arizona Territory]] in the middle of the night. |
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After getting a hard time from the hotel desk clerk who finally gives him a room for them. Then he gets the good-hearted town doctor who does come but after examining her tells Mitch that he needs a certain prescription to help his wife ease her pains in childbirth.. He goes where the doc sends him to the local pharmacist who is upset at being woken up out of bed upstairs and deliberately takes his time filling out the medicine, then he balks at giving it to him unless he's paid the cost of $1.87, despite being told Mitch left his belongings in the room and about the sick woman back at the hotel, until in desperation Mitch pulls a gun. While heading back to the hotel, the Sheriff comes out hearing the yells of the robbed druggist and grabs Mitch who tries to explain his desperate situation. They all return to the hotel where the physician tells him it's too late and that his wife has died. Because of what Mitch sees as the heartlessness of these three local men – "George Caldwell" the hotel keeper (Henry Norell), "Sam Giller" the general store owner ([[John Alexander (actor)|John Alexander]]) and "Ole Olsen" the sheriff ([[Karl Swenson]]). Unhinged by Ellie's death, he plots to get his revenge by killing them all and robbing the local bank of $100,000 / one hundred thousand dollars being deposited by a rich cattleman driving his herd through to market, thus ruining the town. |
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He accepts the job of deputy sheriff, then murders the sheriff so that he can take his place. To help him carry out the elaborately-planned robbery, he recruits four people: Dan Keats ([[Don Murray (actor)|Don Murray]]), an alcoholic ex-Confederate soldier who scrapes a living drawing portraits of the customers in saloons; Sir Harry Ivers 'of the Lancaster Ivers' ([[Dan O'Herlihy]]), an upper-class-sounding English pickpocket; Julie Reynolds ([[Dolores Michaels]]), a prostitute who hopes for enough money to go East and make a respectable life for herself; and Stu Christian ([[Barry Coe]]), a ruthless gunman. During the robbery, on Mitch's instructions, Ivers and Christian kill the store owner and the hotel keeper. |
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When the town members are sorry to hear what happened to his wife and him, at the behest of the sympathetic doctor, they offers Mitch several job offers and requests for him to stay and live his future there. Among them are positions in the local store or town bank or in with the county sheriff. He accepts the job of deputy sheriff, then soon afterwards secretly murders the sheriff himself so that he can take his place. |
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| ⚫ | Afterwards, Mitch sets out to eliminate the other members of the gang in order to conceal his own part in the plot. He succeeds in killing Ivers and Christian but when he corners Dan and Julie, who |
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To help him carry out the elaborately-planned revenge plot centered around the Blue Springs bank robbery, he recruits over time in a nearby town, four other people to carry out his plot: |
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"Dan Keats" ([[Don Murray (actor)|Don Murray]]), an alcoholic also another ex-Confederate Army lieutenant with artistic talents, who now scrapes a living drawing portraits of the customers in saloons to pay for his constant drinks, who also learned in the war and knows the ancient technique of "[[Greek Fire]]" (liquid kerosene & chemicals in a glass bottle for an explosive); |
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"Sir Harry Ivers" - 'of the Lancaster Ivers' ([[Dan O'Herlihy]]), an upper-class-sounding "blue-blood" [[England|English]] pickpocket; |
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"Julie Reynolds" ([[Dolores Michaels]]), a bar girl / prostitute who hopes for enough money to go back East and make a respectable life for herself; and |
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"Stu Christian" ([[Barry Coe]]), a ruthless gunman. |
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After the robbery at the bank while escaping out the back door, gunfighter Christian as planned shoots Mitch in the shoulder with a superficial flesh wound to make it look right when he as sheriff pretended to try and apprehend them. Just before the robbery, on Mitch's instructions, Ivers and Christian separately kill the store owner and the hotel keeper for his revenge. |
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| ⚫ | Afterwards, Mitch sets out to eliminate the other members of the gang in order to conceal his own part in the plot. He succeeds in killing Ivers and Christian but when he comes back to the hide-out cabin, corners Dan and Julie, who had earlier fallen in love, after a struggle, Julie manages to shoot him in self-defense. |
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The only survivors, Dan and Julie then return the stolen bank money explaining everything to the understanding town doctor, prepared to stand trial and spend some years in jail with the prospect possibility of later long-term happiness awaiting them after their release. |
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==Cast== |
==Cast== |
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Revision as of 11:45, 10 January 2024
| One Foot in Hell | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | James B. Clark |
| Written by | Aaron Spelling Sydney Boehm |
| Produced by | Sydney Boehm |
| Starring | Alan Ladd Don Murray Dan O'Herlihy |
| Cinematography | William C. Mellor |
| Edited by | Eda Warren |
| Music by | Dominic Frontiere |
| Color process | Color by DeLuxe |
Production company | 20th Century Fox |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,090,000[1] |
One Foot in Hell is a 1960 American Western and CinemaScope film starring Alan Ladd, Don Murray and Dan O'Herlihy, directed by James B. Clark and co-written by Sydney Boehm and Aaron Spelling from a story by Spelling.
Synopsis
After the][American Civil War]] and the tragic burning of Atlanta, Georgian "Mitch Barrett" (Alan Ladd) is a former Confederate Army soldier emigrating to the West with his loving wife "Ellie" (Rachel Stephens) whose is pregnant and unfortunately goes into birthing labor when they're forced to stop in a small cattle town of Blue Springs in the Arizona Territory in the middle of the night.
After getting a hard time from the hotel desk clerk who finally gives him a room for them. Then he gets the good-hearted town doctor who does come but after examining her tells Mitch that he needs a certain prescription to help his wife ease her pains in childbirth.. He goes where the doc sends him to the local pharmacist who is upset at being woken up out of bed upstairs and deliberately takes his time filling out the medicine, then he balks at giving it to him unless he's paid the cost of $1.87, despite being told Mitch left his belongings in the room and about the sick woman back at the hotel, until in desperation Mitch pulls a gun. While heading back to the hotel, the Sheriff comes out hearing the yells of the robbed druggist and grabs Mitch who tries to explain his desperate situation. They all return to the hotel where the physician tells him it's too late and that his wife has died. Because of what Mitch sees as the heartlessness of these three local men – "George Caldwell" the hotel keeper (Henry Norell), "Sam Giller" the general store owner (John Alexander) and "Ole Olsen" the sheriff (Karl Swenson). Unhinged by Ellie's death, he plots to get his revenge by killing them all and robbing the local bank of $100,000 / one hundred thousand dollars being deposited by a rich cattleman driving his herd through to market, thus ruining the town.
When the town members are sorry to hear what happened to his wife and him, at the behest of the sympathetic doctor, they offers Mitch several job offers and requests for him to stay and live his future there. Among them are positions in the local store or town bank or in with the county sheriff. He accepts the job of deputy sheriff, then soon afterwards secretly murders the sheriff himself so that he can take his place.
To help him carry out the elaborately-planned revenge plot centered around the Blue Springs bank robbery, he recruits over time in a nearby town, four other people to carry out his plot:
"Dan Keats" (Don Murray), an alcoholic also another ex-Confederate Army lieutenant with artistic talents, who now scrapes a living drawing portraits of the customers in saloons to pay for his constant drinks, who also learned in the war and knows the ancient technique of "Greek Fire" (liquid kerosene & chemicals in a glass bottle for an explosive);
"Sir Harry Ivers" - 'of the Lancaster Ivers' (Dan O'Herlihy), an upper-class-sounding "blue-blood" English pickpocket;
"Julie Reynolds" (Dolores Michaels), a bar girl / prostitute who hopes for enough money to go back East and make a respectable life for herself; and
"Stu Christian" (Barry Coe), a ruthless gunman.
After the robbery at the bank while escaping out the back door, gunfighter Christian as planned shoots Mitch in the shoulder with a superficial flesh wound to make it look right when he as sheriff pretended to try and apprehend them. Just before the robbery, on Mitch's instructions, Ivers and Christian separately kill the store owner and the hotel keeper for his revenge.
Afterwards, Mitch sets out to eliminate the other members of the gang in order to conceal his own part in the plot. He succeeds in killing Ivers and Christian but when he comes back to the hide-out cabin, corners Dan and Julie, who had earlier fallen in love, after a struggle, Julie manages to shoot him in self-defense.
The only survivors, Dan and Julie then return the stolen bank money explaining everything to the understanding town doctor, prepared to stand trial and spend some years in jail with the prospect possibility of later long-term happiness awaiting them after their release.
Cast
- Alan Ladd as Mitch Barrett
- Don Murray as Dan Keats
- Dan O'Herlihy as Sir Harry Ivers
- Dolores Michaels as Julie Reynolds
- Barry Coe as Stu Christian
- Larry Gates as Doc Seltzer
- Karl Swenson as Sheriff Ole Olsen
- John Alexander as Sam Giller
- Rachel Stephens as Ellie Barrett
Production
The film was known as Gunslinger[2] or The Gunslingers.[3]
The budget was over $1 million and Ladd got 10% of the profits.[4]
Filming was interrupted when the Screen Actors Guild went on strike during the shoot on March 7.[5] Filming resumed on 11 April.[6][7] Alan Ladd injured his hand while working at his ranch during the layoff but was well enough to resume filming.[8]
Dolores Michaels said that "Playing westerns aren't included among the things I'll settle for on screen, although the part of Julie in this picture is better than most. She's a bad girl who goes good and has a highly dramatic moment with a gun at the end. But a woman never wins in a Western and there's just so much you can do with this period piece."[9]
References
- ^ Solomon, Aubrey. Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. p252
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (February 11, 1960). "Widmark to Act in Great Britain: Peggy Lee to Return lo Drama; Marilyn Forced to Cool Heels". Los Angeles Times. p. B10.
- ^ Hopper, H. (January 9, 1960). "Looking at hollywood". Chicago Daily Tribune. ProQuest 182421877.
- ^ Tinee, Mae (March 20, 1960). "Title Changes Bewildering". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. g5.
- ^ MURRAY SCHUMACH (March 6, 1960). "FILM WORK GRINDS TOWARD A HALT: Industry Gloomy as Actors Ready Walkout Tomorrow -- No Contract Talks Set". New York Times. p. 79.
- ^ "Hollywood Prepares to Resume Production: Scattered Film Companies Must Be Brought Together; Some Studios Ready". Los Angeles Times. April 9, 1960. p. 2.
- ^ "Fox Will Resume Work on Four Films Today". Los Angeles Times. April 11, 1960. p. B1.
- ^ "Fox Will Resume Work on Four Films Today". Los Angeles Times. April 11, 1960. p. B1.
- ^ Michaels, Dolores; Hopper, Hedda (June 12, 1960). "Slimmer Figure Gets Fatter Roles". Los Angeles Times. p. F3.