The Ox Bow Incident

[stuart.uk]

Beleive it or not I only saw this film yesterday

Spoiler

It was about a posse hunting down cattle-rustlers and whom they believed killed a man. They stumble across 3 men at a night camp, who have circumstancial evidence against them, so after a vote, which saw 7 men go against a lynching, the 3 men, which included Dana Andrews (arguebably the performance of the film) and Anthony Quinn were hung. After the men were hung, the posse found out they were innocent

2 of the 7, included Henry Fonda and his side-kick Harry Morgan. I thought Fonda played a weak hero, until the last minute he tried to stop the hanging, but was forced down. I thought it very interesting that aging character actress Jane Darwell was cast as one of the ring leaders of the lynching, playing a trouser wearing tomboy, not like the old lady she played from Gone With The Wind, or even the tougher Ma Joad in Grapes Of Wrath.

[RedRiver]

I like this quiet, poetic western drama. I feel for Fonda's reluctant hero, and appreciate his fine performance. I get a kick out of Ma Joad riding herd on a rope hungry posse. Harry Morgan is good, and as you said, Mr. Andrews shines brightly. Good show!

[CineMaven]

One of the best performances of his career. Hearbreaking.

[rohanaka]

One of the things I like best about The Ox Bow Incident (despite the fact that I am a "western" fan), is that it really is more of a commentary on human nature and what makes folks tick.. (and motivates a mob to become a mob)than it is your typical "cowboy" story. So it did not necessarily have to BE a western. Really.. this story could be told in a variety of settings.. and it would still be as intense (and disturbing).

But having said all that.. I feel the western genre really is an effective backdrop for a story of this kind. At any rate.. I have to say, this is a truly remarkable tale. And a fine piece of acting by just about all concerned. Very fine film, and well worth watching.

[RedRiver]

Right on the money, Rohanaka. This is not a western story. It's a story about you and me and our neighbors. You've described it perfectly.

[JackFavell]

I agree.

I think it's very effective having Jane Darwell as one of the most vicious, strong minded members of the posse. It only proves the point that it can be anyone. I felt the same way recently, watching a very similar themed This Land is Mine, where Una O'Connor was cast as a really awful person. I had never seen her play such a selfish, thoughtless old woman before. It's a shock, but proves that hunger, fear, and mob mentality can bring out the worst in anybody.

[charliechaplinfan]

One of the best performances of his career. Hearbreaking.

I agree.

I recommended my husband show this at his school, a lesson in a film that fits nicely into 90 minutes. The message of this film reminds me of when I had to study Julius Caeser at school, the mob mentality, it stayed with me, The Ox Bow Incident is a different story but with as strong a message about mob mentality as the old classic by Mr Shakespeare. Chilling and well acted by all.

[stuart.uk]

The film reminds me of another western The Bravados with Gregory Peck and a young Joan Collins

Spoiler-Peck kills 3 men, 2 in cold blood, believing they raped and killed his wife, it's only when the surviving member of the gang bests him, he finds out they didn't do it. However, he's still regarded as a hero, as the men he killed robbed a bank and killed with Stephen Boyd playing a vicious rapist, though Peck has to live with his mistake

I think I'm right in saying the highly underated western Broken Lance was a remake of an Edward G Robinson modern day drama about racist bigotry within a family

[RedRiver]

You are correct about BROKEN LANCE, Stuart. The Robinson film is HOUSE OF STRANGERS. And I appreciate your mention of THE BRAVADOS, a thoughful western by Henry King. The man gave us THE GUNFIGHTER and JESSE JAMES as well.

[Western Guy]

Hi y'all. I'm new to this Board but am a certified cinema-addict. Love the postings I read here and am thrilled with the wonderful images that are added. Love Classic Hollywood, have been privileged to both meet and speak with some of the movie Icons of Yesterday, and have written extensively on the subject.

Now I specialize in Westerns, so this is a topic I take particular interest in. "The Ox-Bow Incident" is IMO one of the top five Westerns Hollywood ever produced. It works on so many levels, not the least being that each time I watch it, knowing the outcome, I'm still caught up in the suspense to the point that I hope reason will prevail. When a film can do that, it's movie-making at its best. Another factor in its success is that it's pure ensemble playing. Sure, Henry Fonda is top-billed but never does he dominate the proceedings. He's pretty much a spectator until towards the end. I'd have to say that Dana Andrews is the nominal star. You can feel every emotion he experiences. Frank Conroy is hateful and "Ma Joad" Jane Darwell certainly sheds the sympathy and kindness she displayed in the earlier Ford film. Tony Quinn is mysterious (you really want to know just what is his background), Harry Morgan is the "perfect partner", Marc Lawrence is his usual terrific self. A pretty despicable, stubborn character but his scene at the bar near the end when he expresses his apparent remorse over his actions with that wiping of his face speaks volumes.

Just a great, great Western that tells its compelling story compactly without overstaying its welcome.

[knitwit45]

Howdy, and welcome to our little Oasis, Western Guy. We hope you'll put your feet up and stay awhile.
What are some of the things you've written about, and are they available online?

[RedRiver]

You bet, Western Guy! Tell a solid, pointed story in under two hours, and I'm sold. I recently watched a movie, a big hit. Halfway through, I'm thinking, This is pretty good. At about 100 minutes, it's starting to lose me. By the time it was over..."Are we there yet?" I don't have the patience.

[movieman1957]

Glad to have you along Western Guy. Westerns are my favorite genre. Many of the gang enjoy them and we have some fine discussions. The one thing is that discussions of anything always somehow eventually bring us around to "The Searchers" or "Liberty Valance."

At 75 minutes it's a credit to Wellman to tell it powerfully and succinctly. That is one of the reasons many of us are fans of the Randolph Scott (cue chorus) and Budd Boetticher films. Short, succinct and gripping.

[JackFavell]

Hi Western Guy!

I'm a fairly new westerner, but I enjoyed your assessment of Ox Bow Incident, especially your descriptions of Dana Andrews, Anthony Quinn and Marc Lawrence, who are my favorites in the movie, at least right now. The more I go back and watch Quinn, the more I realize how possible it is that his character was quite far from the murderous thug that the mob thought he was. Well spoken in several languages, educated, obviously smart as a whip, it's tragic when his life is snuffed out prematurely - leaving us (purposely) with that doubt as to who he really was, which adds to the overwhelming feeling of waste. I think Wellman wanted us left wondering and flailing about in our doubts about who he was.

Marc Lawrence visibly crumbles in that last scene. He's brilliant, and gets across so much with such economy.

I don't think I have to say anything at all about Dana. He's magnificent.

I'd love to read some of your work as well! Welcome to the boards!

Stuart,, I think we are definitely left uncomfortable with Henry Fonda's weak hero as you say. He behaved much as any of us might in such a circumstance. We WANT someone to step up, but there isn't anybody. He really wasn't a hero at all, simply a bystander confronted with the prospect of being hung by the mob as an accomplice, because they didn't know who HE was either. I think that the traditional ideas of Hero and Villain in this movie were completely obliterated. I feel uncomfortable because there is really no one who you can nail as THE villain here either. There's only US.

[charliechaplinfan]

Glad to see you here, Western guy, I hope you enjoy being a member here.

I only watched this for the first time about a year ago, I remember thinking, 'It's a classic movie, they shy away from this kind of thing in the 1940s, they're not actually going to go along with it, Henry Fonda will finally win the day.' I didn't think I could bear it if they did actually do it, even when they'd done the deed I wondered if there was some trickery I hadn't considered, we were only meant to think it had happened that way but it hadn't really. Oh boy, it's not a film I'll ever forget.

I've never really got involved in the discussions on The Searchers because it just doesn't get me in a good way, apart from the photography, I find it has an unpleasant aftertaste to it, but The Ox Bow Incident although about the unpleasantness of a mob is in my top 5 Westerns, not a minute of screen time wasted, one of the best ensemble films ever made.