Hangman’s Knot *** (1952, Randolph Scott, Donna Reed, Claude Jarman Jr, Frank Faylen, Lee Marvin) – Classic Movie Review 9240

Writer-director Roy Huggins’s 1952 Columbia Pictures Technicolor Western Hangman’s Knot stars Randolph Scott as Major Matt Stewart, who with his Confederate troop kills an escort of Union cavalry soldiers while ambushing a train full of gold in 1865. But then they learn the American Civil War is already over, one month ago, so they are guilty of robbery and murder.

Hangman’s Knot is a well made, intelligent, good-looking minor Western, with Scott heading a useful cast (especially Donna Reed as nurse Molly Hull, Claude Jarman Jr as soldier Jamie Groves, Lee Marvin as killer Rolph Bainter). The Technicolor cinematography by Charles Lawton Jr is a big welcome asset.

Also in the cast are Frank Faylen, Glenn Langan, Richard Denning, Jeanette Nolan, Clem Bevans, Ray Teal, Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams, John Call and Monte Blue.

Hangman’s Knot is directed by Roy Huggins, runs 81 minutes, is made by Producers-Actors Corporation and Scott-Brown Productions, is released by Columbia Pictures, is written by Roy Huggins, is shot in Technicolor by Charles Lawton Jr, is produced by Harry Joe Brown and is scored by Mischa Bakaleinikoff.

It is writer and producer Huggins’s sole film as director.

The Confederates use dynamite in 1865, but dynamite was not patented by inventor Alfred Nobel until 1867 and dynamite was not used in the Civil War.

Allegedly Donna Reed was so terrified by Marvin in the scene holding her against the wall that afterwards she would not let him near her on or off set.

 © Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9240

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