Seven Ways from Sundown

Seven Ways from Sundown is a 1960 American Eastmancolor Western film directed by Harry Keller and starring Audie Murphy and Barry Sullivan. It is based on the novel of the same name by Clair Huffaker, who also wrote the script. Young cast member Teddy Rooney is the son of actors Mickey Rooney and Martha Vickers.[2]

Seven Ways from Sundown
Directed byHarry Keller
Produced byGordon Kay
Written byClair Huffaker (novel)
Story byClair Huffaker
StarringAudie Murphy
Barry Sullivan
Music byIrving Gertz
William Lava
CinematographyEllis W. Carter
Edited byTony Martinelli
Production
company
Universal Pictures
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • September 25, 1960 (1960-09-25) (Los Angeles)
  • December 30, 1960 (1960-12-30) (United States)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$500,000[1]

Plot

Seven Jones (Audie Murphy) is a young Texas Ranger on his first assignment. Seven has become a Texas Ranger after his brother Two died bringing a man back to justice in the big bend country. Seven forms a bond with an old Sergeant by the name of Henessey (John McIntire), who promises to take him under his wing and teach the young ranger. Seven has been rooming with the Karrington's and their daughter Joy (Venetia Stevenson) has begun to fall for the young ranger.

Lieutenant Herly (Kenneth Tobey), strangely orders the inexperienced Seven along with Sergeant Henessey to hunt down Jim Flood (Barry Sullivan) and bring him back to justice. Flood is a legendary gunslinger who is something of a Western folk hero. Joy tries to dissuade Seven from going on the dangerous mission but wanting to honour his brother, Seven insists on going.

Along Flood's trail, Henessey teaches Seven how to shoot and draw. The two men form a bond. Flood meanwhile sets a trap for the two men. He snipes Henessey wounding him mortally and flees. Before dying Henessey makes Seven promise to not try and take Flood in single-handedly. Seven buries his friend and mentor and sets out for justice.

He catches up with Flood at a pass and manages to shoot him from a distance wounding him. Flood turns out to be a charming prisoner and directs Seven to his cabin where the two men get to know each other while gambling. Seven refuses to use money but finally agrees to only penny bets. Flood mocks Seven in the morning revealing Seven a hopeless gambler has amassed a debt of $87. The charming outlaw takes a shine to the young inexperienced Ranger even while Seven distrusts Flood. The next morning the two men set out for Texas with Flood securely tied up. Along the way the two men enter hostile Indian territory. Flood asks for a gun so they can fight off the Indians but Seven refuses, fearing Flood will shoot him in the back. The two manage to fend off the Indians with Flood creating a distraction and allowing Seven to pick off the Indians. After escaping the Indians, Flood suggests they make their way to a small township called Hobbs where Flood is revered as a hero.

Flood promises not to escape while Seven settles in and re-supplies. At the saloon, two bounty hunters approach Seven and try to pressure him into handing over Flood to them. Seven outwits them and shoots one of the bounty hunters. The two set off again in the morning. Still needing supplies, Seven spots a wagon train and they ride over whereupon Flood is recognised. The two avoid being bushwhacked and ride away. En route Seven and Flood are ambushed by some heavily armed bounty hunters. Flood seeing they are helplessly outgunned offers to surrender to let the younger man go. Seven stubbornly defies him and stares down the men. Flood causes a distraction and they prevail.

Unbeknown to Seven, Flood pockets a gun and continues to ride back to town. Seven is greeted as a hero and Herly takes Flood into custody. Seven goes to the Karringtons and has dinner with Joy. Meanwhile in the jail it is revealed that Flood shot and killed Seven's brother Two. He chides Herly for his cowardice and it is revealed, that when Two was killed Herly was hiding in a gully too afraid to help his man. Herly agrees to release Flood in fear that Flood will out him as a coward, but Flood realises that Herly intends to shoot him and cover it up as an escape attempt. Under the pretence of smoking one last cigar Flood outdraws the unsuspecting Herly and flees the jail.

On leaving town, he fires wildly and Joy is caught in the crossfire. Luckily she's only wounded and a posse sets out after Flood. Flood loses the posse and returns to town to encourage Seven to leave with him. He admires the young Ranger and explains that were Seven to become an outlaw and partner with him, they would be unstoppable together. The younger Seven admits he respects Flood but declines the offer. He explains that in leaving the town earlier Flood accidentally shot Joy and could have killed her. Flood and Seven face off and Seven manages to get the upper hand mortally wounding Flood. Cradling his friend Seven asks why Flood slowed down his draw (knowing full well that Flood could have easily killed the novice gunfighter). Flood reminds Seven that were he to kill Seven he'd lose out on his $87 gambling debt. Flood dies and Seven places Flood's cherished cigars on his body.

Cast

Production

The film was originally directed by George Sherman. Parts of the film were shot in St. George, Utah.[3] During filming in the studio, shortly after the unit had returned from location work outside Las Vegas, he and Audie Murphy had an argument over a line reading which resulted in Murphy pushing Sherman over and threatening to kill him. Sherman left the project and was replaced for the remainder of the shoot by Harry Keller. Murphy started an affair with co-star Venetia Stevenson which lasted for a year.[1]

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gollark: Troubling.
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See also

References
  1. Don Graham, No Name on the Bullet: The Biography of Audie Murphy, Penguin, 1989 p 291-292, 299
  2. Seven Ways from Sundown at Audie Murphy Memorial Site
  3. D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.


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