The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Lamar Trotti (writer)
Walter Van Tilburg Clark (novel)

Release Date:

21 May 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Western

Tagline:

LYNCH LAW RULES THE MOB! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Two drifters are passing through a Western town, when news comes in that a local farmer has been murdered and his cattle stolen...

Plot Keywords:

Justice | Posse | Cult Western | 1880s | Nevada

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins

Cast

Henry Fonda	...	Gil Carter
Dana Andrews	...	Donald Martin
Mary Beth Hughes	...	Rose Mapen / Rose Swanson
Anthony Quinn	...	Juan Martínez / Francisco Morez
William Eythe	...	Gerald Tetley
Harry Morgan	...	Art Croft (as Henry Morgan)
Jane Darwell	...	Jenny Grier
Matt Briggs	...	Judge Daniel Tyler
Harry Davenport	...	Arthur Davies
Frank Conroy	...	Maj. Tetley
Marc Lawrence	...	Jeff Farnley
Paul Hurst	...	Monty Smith
Victor Kilian	...	Darby
Chris-Pin Martin	...	Poncho
Willard Robertson	...	Sheriff
Ted North	...	Joyce
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
C.E. Anderson	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Stanley Andrews	...	Bartlett (uncredited)
Hank Bell	...	Red (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Green (uncredited)
Paul E. Burns	...	Winder (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	Jimmy Cairnes (uncredited)
Tex Cooper	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Forrest Dillon	...	Mark (uncredited)
Dan Dix	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Larry Dods	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Tex Driscoll	...	Posse nember (uncredited)
Francis Ford	...	Halva Harvey (uncredited)
Margaret Hamilton	...	Mrs. Larch (uncredited)
Rondo Hatton	...	Gabe Hart (uncredited)
Don House	...	Posse member (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Moore (uncredited)
Tom London	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Frank McGrath	...	Posse member (uncredited)
George Meeker	...	Mr. Swanson (uncredited)
Frank Orth	...	Larry Kinkaid (uncredited)
George Plues	...	Alec Small (uncredited)
Ed Richard	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Dick Rich	...	Deputy Butch Mapes (uncredited)
Walt Robbins	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Almira Sessions	...	Miss Swanson (uncredited)
Clint Sharp	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Ben Watson	...	Posse member (uncredited)
Leigh Whipper	...	Sparks (uncredited)

Directed by
William A. Wellman

Writing credits
Lamar Trotti		(writer)
Walter Van Tilburg Clark		(novel)

Produced by
Lamar Trotti	....	producer

Original Music by
Cyril J. Mockridge

Cinematography by
Arthur C. Miller		(as Arthur Miller)

Film Editing by
Allen McNeil

Art Direction by
James Basevi
Richard Day

Set Decoration by
Frank E. Hughes
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Earl Luick

Makeup Department
Guy Pearce	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ad Schaumer	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• Neue Filmform Heiner Braun (1964) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Centfox Film (1965) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Fox Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Key Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Strange Incident (UK)

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2006) | South Korea:12 (2003) (DVD rating) | West Germany:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #8590) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Sara Allgood was originally cast in the role of "Jennie 'Ma' Grier," but was replaced by Florence Bates. Bates was then injured in a horseback riding scene, necessitating her replacement by Jane Darwell, who appears in the finished film.

Goofs:

Continuity: During opening sequences when Fonda is at the bar, the whiskey he is drinking changes from clear to dark.

Quotes:

Gil Carter: Say, what is there to do in this town anyway?
Darby: Well, unless you want to get in line and woo Drew's daughter...
Art Croft: We don't.
Darby: The only other unmarried woman I know is 82, blind and a Payute. That leaves you five choices: eat, sleep, drink, play poker or fight. Or you can shoot some pool. I got a new table in the back room.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

Soundtrack:

Lonesome Valley

Timeless.

Shall we call this western?This is so moving,so harrowing and so tragic it would be a sacrilege.With a running time of 75 min,William Wellmann's work runs the whole gamut of emotions:hatred,contempt,madness,despair,indifference,you name it.Besides,the script is wonderfully written,depicting with a gutsy realism the supporting characters :the old man,the terrifying shrew,the renegade officer,his coward son -but who 's the real coward in the end?-,the Mexican,all are unforgettable.Between the lines ,there are secret plots which could provide the substance for at least four other movies.

Oddly,star Henry Fonda is nothing but a witness-except for the last sequences -and it's Dana Andrews' extremely sensitive performance which will haunt the viewers -as well as his hangmen- long after the ending.Andrews' portrayal is so moving that he almost outshadows the rest of the stellar cast,not a small feat:a western hero has rarely shown so much despair and dignity and his letter will move you to tears .It's anyway the sequence when he writes it that climaxes the movie,when most of the guys are guzzling or drinking ,with the horrible fat woman 's shrill chuckles as a sinister soundtrack.

As Neil Young sings "would fade away so young/with so much left undone/remember me to my love I know I'll miss her" (Powderfinger)

Do not miss this film !It's a timeless classic.