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''The Proud Ones'' is a 1956 American
CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...
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
Robert D. Webb Robert D. Webb (January 8, 1903 – April 18, 1990) was an American film director. He directed 16 films between 1945 and 1968. He won the Academy Award for Best Assistant Director for ''In Old Chicago'', the last time that category was offer ...
and starring
Robert Ryan Robert Bushnell Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973) was an American actor and activist. Known for his portrayals of hardened cops and ruthless villains, Ryan performed for over three decades. He was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...
and
Virginia Mayo Virginia Mayo (born Virginia Clara Jones; November 30, 1920 – January 17, 2005) was an American actress and dancer. She was in a series of comedy films with Danny Kaye and was Warner Brothers' biggest box-office money-maker in the late 1940s. ...
. The film was based on the 1952 novel by Verne Athanas who after suffering an early heart attack, he gave up logging and started writing under the pseudonym Bill Colson.


Plot

Cass Silver, marshal of a small Kansas town, is expecting trouble with the arrival of the first Texas trail herds on the newly completed railroad. The town’s new saloon owner, Honest John Barrett is anticipating an increase in business; he and Silver have negative history between them and Barrett wants rid of the marshal. To make matters worse, the marshal's deputy, Thad Anderson, formerly one of the trail cowboys, is the son of a gunfighter Cass shot years before. Thad wants to avenge this death; he has always believed his father was unarmed when Silver shot him. Eventually, Thad realizes the truth and helps the marshal restore law and order to the town.


Cast

*
Robert Ryan Robert Bushnell Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973) was an American actor and activist. Known for his portrayals of hardened cops and ruthless villains, Ryan performed for over three decades. He was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...
as Marshal Cass Silver *
Virginia Mayo Virginia Mayo (born Virginia Clara Jones; November 30, 1920 – January 17, 2005) was an American actress and dancer. She was in a series of comedy films with Danny Kaye and was Warner Brothers' biggest box-office money-maker in the late 1940s. ...
as Sally *
Jeffrey Hunter Jeffrey Hunter (born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr.; November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) was an American film and television actor and producer known for his roles in films such as '' The Searchers'' and ''King of Kings''. On television, Hunte ...
as Thad Anderson *
Robert Middleton Robert Middleton (born Samuel G. Messer, May 13, 1911 – June 14, 1977) was an American film and television actor known for his large size, beetle-like brows, and a deep, booming voice (for which he was known as "Big Bob Middleton"), usually ...
as Honest John Barrett *
Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in '' Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky'' (1938), and '' The Westerner ...
as Jake *
Arthur O'Connell Arthur Joseph O'Connell (March 29, 1908 – May 18, 1981) was an American stage, film and television actor, who achieved prominence in character roles in the 1950s. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for both ''Picn ...
as Jim Dexter *
Fay Roope Fay Roope (born Winfield Harding Roope; October 20, 1893 – September 13, 1961) was a Harvard graduate and a character actor who appeared in American theater in New York City from the 1920s through 1950, and in American film and television from ...
as Markham * Ken Clark as Pike *
Rodolfo Acosta Rodolfo Pérez Acosta (July 29, 1920 – November 7, 1974) was a Mexican-American character actor who became known for his roles as Mexican outlaws or American Indians in Hollywood western films. He was sometimes credited as Rudolfo Acosta ...
as Chico * George Mathews as Dillon *
Edward Platt Edward Cuthbert Platt (February 14, 1916 – March 19, 1974) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of the Chief in the 1965–70 NBC/CBS television series: ''Get Smart''. With his deep voice and mature appearance, he played an ...
as Dr. Barlow *
Whit Bissell Whitner Nutting Bissell (October 25, 1909 – March 5, 1996) was an American character actor. Early life Born in New York City, Bissell was the son of surgeon Dr. J. Dougal Bissell and Helen Nutting Bissell. He was educated at the Allen-St ...
as Mr. Sam Bolton * Edward Mundy as Saloon Barker *
I. Stanford Jolley Isaac Stanford Jolley (October 24, 1900 – December 7, 1978) was an American film and television actor. He starred in the 1946 film Serial film, serial ''The Crimson Ghost'', in which he played the role of Doctor Blackton and also voiced t ...
as Crooked Card Player *
William Fawcett William or Bill Fawcett or ''variation'', may refer to: People * William Fawcett (actor) (1894–1974), American actor who was awarded the ''Légion d'honneur'' * William Fawcett (author) (1902–1941), English journalist and writer on horses, hun ...
as Driver * Richard Deacon as Barber *
Jackie Coogan John Leslie Coogan (October 26, 1914 – March 1, 1984) was an American actor and comedian who began his film career as a child actor in silent films. Charlie Chaplin's film classic '' The Kid'' (1921) made him one of the first child stars in th ...
as Man on the Make * Harry Carter as Houseman *
Don Brodie Don L. Brodie (May 29, 1904 – January 8, 2001) was an American film and television actor. Early years The son of Mrs. Lottie Brodie, he attended Hughes High School in Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati. Before becoming a profes ...
as Hotel Clerk


Production

Film rights were purchased by 20th Century Fox in November 1952 who assigned Frank Rosenberg to produce.
Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include '' One Million B.C.'' (1940), ''My Darlin ...
,
Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and ''Hart to Hart'' (1979– ...
and
Debra Paget Debra Paget (born Debralee Griffin; August 19, 1933) is an American actress and entertainer. She is perhaps best known for her performances in Cecil B. DeMille's epic '' The Ten Commandments'' (1956) and in Elvis Presley's film debut, '' Love ...
were originally announced as stars. The film was not made for a number of years however. In December 1955 Fox said the leads would be played by Robert Ryan, and Virginia Mayo and it would be produced by Robert Jacks with filming to start December 28. Joseph Petracca did a rewrite of the script. Guy Madison was meant to co-star. He dropped out and was replaced by Robert Stack. In early January Stack was replaced by Jeffrey Hunter.


Music

The "Theme from the Proud Ones" written by
Lionel Newman Lionel Newman (January 4, 1916 – February 3, 1989) was an American conductor, pianist, and film and television composer. He won the Academy Award for Best Score of a Musical Picture for '' Hello Dolly!'' with Lennie Hayton in 1969. He ...
, recorded by
Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many world-famous vocalists at Capitol Records ...
, reached number 39 on the US charts on August 4, 1956.Whitburn, Joel The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, Billboard Books, New York, 1992 p. 385


Reception

The Japanese filmmaker
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed List of works by Akira Kurosawa, thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the History of film, hi ...
cited ''The Proud Ones'' as one of his 100 favorite films.


See also

*
List of American films of 1956 A list of American films released in 1956 '' Around the World in 80 Days'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture. A-B C-D E-I J-M N-R S-Z See also * 1956 in the United States Sources Footnotes References * * External links ...


References


External links

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Proud Ones, The 1956 films 1956 Western (genre) films 20th Century Fox films American Western (genre) films Films directed by Robert D. Webb Films scored by Lionel Newman Films set in Kansas CinemaScope films Films based on Western (genre) novels 1950s English-language films 1950s American films