One Foot in Hell *** (1960, Alan Ladd, Dan O’Herlihy, Don Murray, Dolores Michaels) – Classic Movie Review 10,101

Director James B Clark’s odd, interesting, often quite compelling 1960 revenge Western film One Foot in Hell stars a well-cast Alan Ladd as the bitter Mitch Barrett taking it out on the Arizona small town of Blue Springs that wouldn’t help when his pregnant wife was dying and he couldn’t pay for the medicine she needed. The main villains, he thinks, are hotel keeper George Caldwell (Henry Norell), general store owner Sam Giller (John Alexander) and sheriff Ole Olsen (Karl Swenson).

His plan, after being offered the job of town deputy sheriff and then becoming sheriff, is to hit the local bank and nab its $100,000 with the help of a little gang he has formed in the nearby town. His gang are alcoholic ex-Confederate soldier Dan Keats (Don Murray), English pickpocket Sir Harry Ivers (Dan O’Herlihy), prostitute Julie Reynolds (Dolores Michaels) and ruthless gunman Stu Christian (Barry Coe).

A complex, semi-bad guy role for Ladd, playing a character consumed with hate and vengeance, the bursts of action, the CinemaScope and De Luxe Color cinematography by William C Mellor, and the script’s moral dilemmas make this fairly involving, and a fitting ride into the sunset as Ladd’s last Western.

Aaron Spelling had originally written the script as a TV play, hence its wordiness. The screenplay is by Spelling and the film’s producer Sydney Boehm.

Also in the cast are Dan O’Herlihy, Don Murray, Dolores Michaels, Barry Coe, Larry Gates, Karl Swenson, John Alexander, Rachel Stevens, Stanley Adams, Harry Carter, I Stanford Jolley, Ann Morriss and Henry Norell.

One Foot in Hell is directed by James B Clark, runs 90 minutes, is made by 20th Century Fox, is released by Twentieth Century Fox (1960) (US), is written by Aaron Spelling and Sydney Boehm, is shot in CinemaScope and De Luxe Color by William C Mellor, is produced by Sydney Boehm, is scored by Dominic Frontiere, with production designs by Duncan Cramer and Leland Fuller.

One Foot in Hell is a strong title, much better than the generic Gunslinger or The Gunslingers that were considered.

Dolores Michaels recalled: ‘The part of Julie in this Western is better than most. She’s a bad girl who goes good and has a highly dramatic moment with a gun at the end.’

The budget was $1,090,000 and Ladd earned 10 per cent of the profits.

There was a layoff for five weeks when the Screen Actors Guild went on strike. Ladd returned to his ranch and injured his hand.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,101

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