Back in those days of the 19th century the polite phrase in describing Audie Murphy's illegitimate birth was to say he was born on the left side of the blanket. I think this story came from the left side of the blanket.
Cast A Long Shadow has Murphy as the illegitimate son of the owner of the local Ponderosa who lives a wastrel life. As the film opens the foreman of said Ponderosa John Dehner pulls a drunk Murphy out of the saloon and tells him his father died and as he had no other family the whole thing is left to him.
Dehner was hoping it be left to him, but since it wasn't and Murphy just wants to keep on with his wastrel life, Dehner has built up a syndicate of sorts from the locals to purchase the place and keep Murphy in booze for a very long time.
What happens afterward, the way Murphy is treated by the townspeople no matter how their 19th century blue noses felt for a man who was to be their benefactor is just ridiculous. Only Terry Moore who Murphy once courted treats him well.
All Dehner's and the rest's plans go up in smoke for the unbridled contempt they hold him in and for another little joker in the deck that gets sprung on everyone. How it all is resolved is for you to see Cast A Long Shadow.
Try as I may I really could not accept people acting against their own rational self interest the way these people do when it comes to Murphy. Cast A Long Shadow will not be rated as one of Audie's better westerns.
Cast a Long Shadow
1959
Action / Romance / Western
Cast a Long Shadow
1959
Action / Romance / Western
Keywords: cattle drivecattle stampede
Plot summary
Matt Brown is a penniless drunk who gets into brawls often times. He also plays poker when he has money. During a fight over a poker game, Matt is saved by Chip Donahue, the foreman of the Keenan ranch. Chip tels Matt that old man Jake Keenan died and he left his 87,000 acre ranch and fortune to Matt. Keenan had no family other than his illegitimate son, Matt. Whilst he was alive, old man Keenan never recognized Matt as his son and also treated Matt's mother very badly. Back at the ranch in Lobos, New Mexico, Matt rekindles his relationship with his former girlfriend, Janet Calvert. They decide to marry, despite her brothers' reluctance to accept Matt and in spite of Sam Mullen's advances toward Janet. Her brothers would rather see her marry Sam Mullen than Matt. When Janet's mother gives her blessings to Matt, things calm down and a celebration starts. Meanwhile, Chip Donahue the ranch foreman, discovers bank documents in the ranch's safe. These documents show that old man Jake Keenan was in debt to the bank and his lands and ranch were used as collateral. Because of the non-payment of debt, the bank can take over the ranch and lands within a few days. Chip Donahue brings the sad news to Matt and to Matt's tenants, raising their cattle on Matt's lands. The only solution seems to be the immediate repayment of debt to the bank. The only way Matt and his tenants can raise the money in such a short time is to sell three thousand herd of cattle to market in Santa Fe by the end of the week, but such a long cattle drive in such a short time is no easy task. To make matters worse, Sam Mullen and his friends are determined to sabotage Matt's plans.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
The left side of the blanket
AUDIE MURPHY DESCENDING FROM A DECADE OF STAR-POWER & SOME FINE WESTERNS
At this Point in His Career Audie Murphy began to Show Personal Problems and Uneasiness with Films and Productions Available.
The Off-Screen Personal Problems, such as Gambling Debts and a Disgruntled Attitude Started to Manifest On-Set and On-Screen.
In this "Red River" (1948) Retread He seems Miscast as a Bully.
The Movie even Cribbed Scenes from the Aforementioned Cattle-Drive and Murph Thought the Script was Sub-Par.
Filmed in B&W, another Irritation that Didn't Sit Well.
Co-Star Terry Moore Encouraged Him to "Bite the Bullet" and Give it His All when Murph didn't even want to Rehearse.
That Helped a Little, but His Performance came Across as Below His Usual Standard.
John Dehner does a Good Job and the Rest of the Cast are OK.
But Thomas Carr's Lackluster Direction Didn't Help the Movie to Rise Above Average.
Overall, it's Not a Bad Movie, but Audie Murphy Fans may be Disappointed.
The 60's were Not Kind to the Former Super-Star and this one could be Seen as the Start of the Decline.
The Western Movie was also Suffering from Over-Exposure on the Big and Small Screen and would Soon be Out of Favor.
The End of the Decade Long Run was around 1962.
But After All this Being Said, its Still...
Worth a Watch.
One of most unknown movie of Audie Murphy !!
Maybe the most unknown picture that Audie Murphy offerings to us, a bad temper guy wanderer which is running from is rough father, his name is Matt, until be found by the loyal foreman (Dehner) that his father already has dead and surprisingly he left to him the big farm, the young drunkard don't want to be rancher again, The foreman has a fair proposition, many employers has 20.000 dollars to offer to all lands, Matt accept at once, but has to go back to sign the papers, there he was seen with sneering by so many people, just a useless booze, in such atmosphere he refused to sell their lands anymore, meanwhile his father left a bank's debit a large sum of money that must to pay in few days, the answer will be sell all cattle at Santa Fé, Matt becomes in few days likes his father, cruel, bossy and has no feelings concerning those employers, who work so hard for countless years, this picture has an contradiction, the sudden changing in just few days of a man, sounds weird in such behavior, the major fact will be reveal in the cattle's journey, a minor picture of Murphy, but still interesting due such greatness of this charismatic cowboy, pay attention on John Dehner, he was a key of the all things!!
Resume:
First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7