Jubal [DVD] [1956]

Jubal is directed by Delmer Daves and adapted by Daves and Russell S. Hughes from the Paul Wellman novel, Jubal Troop. It stars Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Rod Steiger, Charles Bronson, Valerie French & Felicia Farr. David Raksin scores the music and Charles Lawton Jr. is the cinematographer. Out of Columbia Pictures it`s a CinemaScope/Technicolor production, and location for the shoot is Jackson Hole, The Grand Tetons, Wyoming, USA.

Jubal Troop (Ford) is found exhausted out on the range and given shelter at a nearby ranch owned by Shep Horgan (Borgnine). Shep oversees Jubal`s recovery and offers him a job as part of his ranch team. This is met with objection by Shep`s mean foreman, Pinky (Steiger), but Shep is undeterred and Jubal goes on to prove his worth in the position. Shep and Jubal get on great, but trouble is brewing because Shep`s pretty Canadian wife, Mae (French), has taken quite a shine to Jubal. This further enrages Pinky, and a hornets nest is stirred, spelling trouble for practically everyone.

Delmer Daves` (Dark Passage/Broken Arrow) Jubal is often likened to William Shakespeare`s Othello, that`s something that, whilst being flattering, is best ignored. For Jubal, and its makers, deserve credit in their own right for producing such a tight, tense, adult Western. It`s a film that`s driven by characters who are caught in a web of jealousy and suppressed emotions, with the underrated Daves bringing some psychological dimensions into the narrative. He`s also a director who knows that such a story benefits greatly by not including action and violence just for the sake of upping the tempo. He paces this film to precision, winding up the tension to breaking point, then to unleash all the pent up fury on the viewers, but even then he (correctly) chooses to keep some critical moments off the screen, gaining results far better than if stuff had actually been shown the audience (two shots in the finale are stupendously memorable).

This griping human drama is played out in front of magnificent scenery, where Daves and Lawton Jr. (3:10 to Yuma/Comanche Station) utilize the CinemaScope and Technicolor facilities to their maximum potential. Filling the widescreen frame with majestic mountains,vibrant slanted forests and rolling grassy hills. The Grand Tetons location had previously been used in other notable Western movies, such as The Big Trail, The Big Sky and famously for George Stevens` Shane. While post Jubal it served a considerable purpose for Dances with Wolves. All of this grandeur for the eyes is boosted by Raksin`s (Laura/Fallen Angel) score, with gentle swirls for the tender Jubal/Naomi thread and rushes for the posse sequences, it`s an arrangement very at one with the mood and tempo of the story.

The cast list oozes star power, and gets performances to match. Ford is a master at roles calling for underplayed intensity, and that`s what he gives Jubal Troop. Keeping the characters cards close to his chest in the beginning, Ford pitches it perfect as the emotionally bottled up drifter. Borgnine, a year after his Oscar win for Marty, is perfect foil to Ford`s calmness, he`s in turn big and boisterous, often crude, yet under the bluster is a sweet and honest man. And there in the middle of the three men is Steiger, bringing the method. Pinky is brooding, devious and one pulse beat away from being psychotic, but Steiger, with a menacing drawl flowing out of his mouth, is creepily mannered. Steiger and Daves clashed other how to play Pinky, the director wanting something more akin to Ford`s serene like role play, but Steiger wanted it played bitter and coiled spring like; the actor getting his way when producer William Fadiman sided with him.

Valerie French (Decision at Sundown) looks beautiful in Technicolor, and in spite of an accent problem, does a neat line in how to play a smoldering fuse in a box of fire crackers. Felicia Farr (The Last Wagon) is the polar opposite, religiously comely and virginal, she`s a touch underused but the play off with French impacts well in the story. Key support goes to Charles Bronson (The Magnificent Seven) as loyal friend to Jubal, Reb. Played with laid back machismo, it`s something of what would become the trademark Bronson performance. Other notables in the support cast are the always value for money Noah Beery Jr. (Wagons West), John Dierkes (The Hanging Tree) and Jack Elam (The Man From Laramie).

Damn fine film that`s worthy of being sought out by those interested in the best of the 50s slew of Adult Westerns. 8.5/10

This powerful western drama directed by the admirable Delmer Daves, is a none too thinly disguised reworking of Shakespeare's "Othello". Ernest Borgnine still in the afterglow of his oscar for "Marty"(55) plays the role of Othello. Rod Steiger is a brooding Iago. "He don't like nobody, not even himself". Valerie French plays the temptress Desdemona and Glenn Ford plays our hero Cassio.

In the film Shep Horgan played by Borgnine finds a badly injured Jubal Troop played by Ford, and takes him back to his ranch. Horgan takes a shine to him and he is later offered a job at the ranch which he takes. Matters become complicated when Horgan's unfaithful wife played by French, also takes a more carnal shine to Troop, who then replaces Pinky another ranch cowhand, played by Steiger, as the object of her dangerous affections. All these shennanigans turn Pinky apoplectic with rage. Never a happy bunny at the best of times he begins to go very bad indeed. So bad that he does not require a black hat to identify him. Jealousy and anger fan the flames of tragedy. A wicked web of lies and intrigue is spun to trap the unsuspecting Jubal, and cause a shattering rift between himself and his great friend Horgan. We head inexorably toward death and redemption for some.

The film boasts an unusually strong cast who all give strong performances. Borgnine maintains his powerful good form and Ford is reliable as ever. Steiger perhaps steals the show as the villainous Pinky, a juicy role very similar to his Jud Fry in "Oklahoma"(55). Charles Bronson offers strong support as a stalwart friend of Ford, and Noah Beery Jr appears yet again in one of his decent reliable cowhand roles. It is a somewhat dark psychodrama and not what you could describe as a traditional western. But it is very, very good like much of Daves excellent canon of work. I have given it four stars but it comes very close to five. Highly recommended.

The 1956 colour Western-JUBAL-stars film legends-GLENN FORD,ERNEST BORGNINE,ROD STEIGER,CHARLES BRONSON,with excellent support from-JACK ELAM,NOAH BEERY and beauties FELICIA FARR and VALERIE FRENCH.
JUBAL-was filmed amongst some stunning mountainous/wooded scenery,which is an added bonus when viewing this classic western. Jubal Troop[Ford]is found injured by Shep Horgan[Borgnine]and taken to his home to recover,meanwhile his wife Mae[French]takes a fancy to the injured stranger. Mae is also liked by trouble maker Pinky[Steiger] who works for Horgan,who becomes jealous and starts trouble for the three of them,leading to a confrontation between Horgan and Troop. Meanwhile settlers that includes Reb[Bronson]and the beauty Naomi[Farr]is who Jubal[Ford] really falls in love with. JUBAL-is a great action western.
Beautiful-FELICIA FARR-made another western with GLENN FORD the classic-3:10 TO YUMA,1957. FELICIA FARR was the second wife of film legend-JACK LEMMON-who he himself would co-star in the classic western-COWBOY,1958-with GLENN FORD.
Regards,Bill.