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the audience applauded

A lot of fun.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

The collaboration between James Stewart and Anthony Mann is comparative to the collaboration between John Wayne and John Ford, the things that both pairs have in common are that both did mostly westerns and other genres, and both collaborations produced classic masterpieces that have stood the test of time. In "The Naked Spur" which is the 3rd of 8 films between Stewart and Mann, and in this movie Stewart plays a bounty hunter named Howard Kemp who is after an outlaw named Ben Vandergroat (Robert Ryan) who is responsible for the murder of a US Marshal. Along the way Kemp meets an old man named Jesse Tate (Millard Mitchell, in his second to last film role) who helps him to go after Vandergroat, and while they're going on a trail that they believe will lead them to the outlaw and their reward for bringing them to the police. On that trail the two men meet a soldier named Roy Anderson (Ralph Meeker), then Vandergroat is found and his girlfriend (Janet Leigh) comes to his rescue which then they go with Kemp and his partners to go to turn Vandergroat in as soon as they get to Abilene, Kansas. Even though the movie has a very small cast Mann and his screenwriters Sam Wolfe and Harold Jack Bloom really do a good job of allowing us to get to know each of the 5 main characters with very effective character development during the course of the movie. I'm not surprised that Jimmy Stewart would play the protagonist role, which like John Wayne, Cary Grant, Henry Fonda, Clark Gable, Gary Cooper and many others Stewart like the other actors that I just mentioned wouldn't have the guts to play the role of a villain because it was against their beliefs system which is totally understandable. Along with Stewart's the performances in the movie are top notch, of which Robert Ryan was totally menacing in his character, and Janet Leigh was the most likable person in the movie because she was the person who could expose the emotions of the other characters around her. though this isn't the best movie that Anthony Mann ever directed it is pretty close to the number 1 spot out of all three of the films I've seen that were directed by him. This isn't a masterpiece but it is a great film and arguably one of the best westerns of all time.

This sharp, tense western has a rip-roaring premise that fascinatingly juxtaposes the claustrophobic psychology of a chamber piece with the wide-open expanses of a wild America.James Stewart plays a man on a mission, and that mission is to drag outlaw Robert Ryan back to civilization so that he can cash in on the bounty. On his way, he is accidentally assisted by Ralph Meeker, as a morally suspect ex-soldier, and Millard Mitchell, as a crusty gold prospector. Since the two men help, they want a share of the bounty too. Robert Ryan realizes that he can play the greed of each man off the other, planting suspicions in their heads and causing them to fight among each other, thereby increasing his chances of escaping. To top it off, Janet Leigh is along for the ride as Ryan's girlfriend, so there's the added tension that one woman in a group of keyed up guys alone in the wilderness naturally adds to any scenario.The cast is ace, and the chemistry between all of the actors is palpable. Ryan is one of my favorite actors, and his unique, giggly spin on the typical western villain gives the film some added punch. Meeker is also terrific as the macho alpha male who undresses Leigh with his eyes for the entirety of the film. And Jimmy Stewart is of course excellent in an against-type role as the would-be hero who has too many masculine insecurities plaguing him to be truly heroic.I don't much like how the film ended and wish the filmmakers had found something better to do with Janet Leigh, but this was the early 1950s, so one can't be too surprised by the role she's given.Sam Rolfe and Harold Jack Bloom were nominated for the Best Story and Screenplay Academy Award, which they lost to Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch, and Richard Breen for "Titanic." Grade: A

The scenery is stunning.The storyline is promising.The acting is is of a standard that would have been acceptable in the '50s. By today's standards it is quite corny.I enjoyed the opening. No lead up, it takes us straight in to action and we learn about the characters as the story unfolds.It has silly moments, like when the Indians attack. The Indians can't hit a target and ride around in the open. Each Indian, however, is dispatched with a single shot from the named cast.All in all, a bit of a ripping yarn that could have been a better film.

THE NAKED SPUR - (1953) - I remembered this film from my past for sure about the time Janet Leigh showed up. I saw it back in another western phase a year or two ago. It was definitely not my preferred kind of western. I prefer some moments of comic relief (not necessarily pure comedy) and a little less grit and grimace. Jimmy Stewart was so conflicted and angry that I didn't equate him as the hero. He was way too uptight. I found him annoying and unattractive. I didn't think he and Leigh had any chemistry, and that made her part really unnecessary. For that matter, she was quite annoying and seemed to hop from man to man and not making informed choices. However, as a female stranded out west, I think she made the smarter call. Meeker and Mitchell were good, but other than to rankle Stewart's composure, I'm not sure their presence added much other than to make a bigger crowd. The real reason to watch, however, was for the one clearcut bad guy. I'll be on the lookout for Robert Ryan again. He was pure screen magic and made the film. Yes, the Hays Code causes Mann to have to let Ryan get the shorter end of the proverbial stick, but he still had a presence that made it hard to pull completely against him. Thus the need for a more clearcut hero.I was a little hesitant about Anthony Mann if Stewart was going to keep playing the anti-hero type. I like a hero. Fortunately, "Winchester '73" put Mann and Stewart back on my radar. Now that is excellence at its peak. I think I'm more of a John Ford type gal, but I'm going to remain open-minded as I work through the Mann westerns. It appears that there are quite a few IMDb reviewers who also had some issues with Stewart. I may have to keep Stewart reserved for lighter fare as I adore him in The Philadelphia Story, Harvey, The Shop Aroundthe Corner, and many other comedies and romances. At least I have "Winchester '73" to add to my favorite westerns, but, unfortunately, not this Mann western.