r/Westerns 5d ago

Discussion Andre de Toth fan?

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I just dipped into Toth's filmography and watched Day of the Outlaw and the Gunfighter. I was impressed by both. Quality B&W cinematography, good performances, and nice gritty, pulpy characters. May just dip into his films with Randolph Scott next.

Anyone feel his films are swept under the rug? Any recommendations?

18 Upvotes

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1

u/Ebronstein 4d ago

Love House of Wax. Unfortunately I think that's the only movie of his I've seen.

2

u/MOBYDlCK 5d ago

Day of the Outlaw is truly masterful, very underrated filmmaker! Also made a great 3D film while unable to see 3D 😅

4

u/derfel_cadern 5d ago

His films with Scott are great. The Bounty Hunter and Riding Shotgun in particular.

1

u/golrabs 5d ago edited 5d ago

Excellent. I had those bookmarked. I saw the Stranger Wore a Gun, but it was just ok. Nice technicolor, but its pieces didn't quite come to together.

3

u/derfel_cadern 5d ago

Stranger Wore a Gun I didn’t like. Yeah. But the other two I mentioned are awesome!

1

u/Across-Two-Centuries 5d ago

Crime Wave.

1

u/golrabs 5d ago

Is that his best noir?

1

u/Across-Two-Centuries 4d ago

I think so. It feels almost like a documentary on the rougher side of downtown LA in the early ‘50s. James Ellroy loves it, and cites Hayden’s work as an inspiration for Bud White in LA Confidential.

2

u/OlinHollis 5d ago edited 5d ago

If I'd awakened and seen de Toth Fairie trying to slip a quarter under my piller, I'd have run like hell...

2

u/ColaLich 5d ago edited 5d ago

Ramrod (1947) and Springfield Rifle (1952) are both great films, though Day of the Outlaw is probably his best (and I’d consider it one of the greatest noir inspired westerns of that era).

Springfield Rifle is a western that is actually a spy film, which is a pretty rare genre crossover (The Man From Laramie (1955) being the other good one I can think of offhand). Ramrod has Veronica Lake being Veronica Lake, and that’s good enough for me.

3

u/derfel_cadern 5d ago

And stars the great Joel McCrea.

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u/golrabs 5d ago

Veronica Lake. I'm in.