''Strange Lady in Town'' is a 1955 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Mervyn LeRoy Mervyn LeRoy (; October 15, 1900 – September 13, 1987) was an American film director and producer. In his youth he played juvenile roles in vaudeville and silent film comedies. During the 1930s, LeRoy was one of the two great practitioners of ...

and starring

Greer Garson Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was an English-American actress and singer. She was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second World War for her portrayal of strong women on the hom ...

. She plays a doctor who plans to introduce modern techniques of medicine to old Santa Fe in 1880, but is opposed by an established doctor played by

Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...

Plot

1880: Dr. Julia Garth, traveling from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, arrives near

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...

, where her brother David is a U.S. Cavalry lieutenant. She soon meets the town's respected physician, Dr. Rourke O'Brien, as well as Father Gabriel Mendoza, who has helped establish a new hospital. Spurs O'Brien, the tomboy niece of the doctor, has a crush on David. She helps Julia buy a horse and teaches her to ride. Julia begins seeing patients, including a boy having vision problems and a toothache sufferer

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...

has brought to her, but encounters resistance from Dr. O'Brien, who doesn't believe women should be practicing medicine. David shoots a man who accuses him of cheating at cards, pleading self-defense. Dr. O'Brien can't help but admire and be attracted to Julia, but she declines his marriage proposal, citing prejudices like his toward women as the reason she left Boston in the first place. He is irritated again when Julia gives medical advice to his most distinguished patient, New Mexico's governor, General Lew Wallace. At a party, David strikes an Army captain who accuses him of cheating and rustling. David admits to Julia that the charges are true, then robs a bank and rides off. Julia and Spurs manage to talk David into surrendering, whereupon he is shot. Julia is pressured to leave town by some townspeople until Dr. O'Brien speaks up on her behalf and proposes, to which she accepts.

Cast

as Dr. Julia Garth *

as Dr. Rourke O'Brien * Cameron Mitchell as Lt. David Garth *

Lois Smith Lois Arlene Smith (née Humbert; born November 3, 1930) is an American character actress whose career spans eight decades. She made her film debut in the 1955 drama film '' East of Eden'', and later played supporting roles in a number of movies ...

as Spurs *

Walter Hampden Walter Hampden Dougherty (June 30, 1879 in Brooklyn – June 11, 1955 in Los Angeles), known professionally as Walter Hampden, was an American actor and theatre manager. He was a major stage star on Broadway in New York who also made numerous ...

as Father Gabriel *

Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez (May 24, 1925 – February 6, 2006) was an American character actor best known for his appearances in a number of John Wayne movies. Life and career His father was a trumpet player, and his mother was a dancer. His brot ...

as Trooper Martinez-Martinez * John Stephenson as Capt. Taggart * Adele Jergens as Bella *

Gregory Walcott Gregory Walcott (born Bernard Wasdon Mattox, January 13, 1928 – March 20, 2015) was an American television and film actor. Although he had roles in many Hollywood films and television series, he is perhaps best known for having appeared in th ...

as Scanlon *

Ralph Moody Ralph Moody (September 10, 1917 – June 9, 2004) was an American stock car racer. He eventually became a team co-owner of Holman Moody. Background He built his first Model T Ford race car in 1935, and ran it on nights and weekends. He served ...

as Gov.

Lew Wallace Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of the New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Wallace is ...

* Nick Adams as

* Paul Wexler as Townsman

Production

Filming

It was filmed at

Old Tucson Studios Old Tucson (formerly Old Tucson Studios) is an American movie studio and theme park just west of Tucson, Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Mountains and close to the western portion of Saguaro National Park. Built in 1939 for the movie ''Arizona'' ...

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

References

External list