Cattle Queen of Montana
Encyclopedia
Cattle Queen of Montana is a 1954 American Western
film starring Barbara Stanwyck
and Ronald Reagan
. The supporting cast includes Jack Elam
, Chubby Johnson
, and Morris Ankrum
, and the movie was directed by Allan Dwan
.
The Jones family, about to prove claim to prime Montana
land, is raided by renegade Indians in league with villainous neighbor McCord, who gets most of the stolen cattle. Two survivors are helped by college-educated chief's son Colorados. Now Sierra Nevada Jones must fight for her land against legal technicalities and assorted villains. Can she gain the help of McCord's hired gun, Farrell?
. For example, the use of two villains, McCord and Natchakoa, in Cattle Queen of Montana, and Palpatine and Darth Vader
in Star Wars. Both narratives employ the use of two male leads, each a dramatic foil to the other; Colorados, the more conventional hero, future chief to his tribe, struggles to change the negative image the settlers have of his tribe, and Farrell, a gunslinging anti-hero, struggles between helping out Sierra Nevada Jones and performing his duties for Tom McCord, the rancher that had her father killed. Both characters are anchored to the story by the protagonist, Sierra Nevada Jones, and they're roles are similar to the roles played by Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in the Star Wars
movies.
In the Cattle Queen of Montana, one of Tom McCord's men is shot by Sierra Jones, and Farrel (Ronald Reagan
's character), another of McCord's men and witness to the shooting, lies about how the altercation took place to one of the gang leaders, and leaves despite being asked to wait at the headquarters for Tom McCord to show up. In Martin Scorsese
's film, The Departed
, Leonardo DiCaprio
's character, Billy Costigan, is asked to stick around at the gang's headquarters until all of the gang member's backgrounds have been checked, but leaves anyway despite the warning. In The Departed
there is also a wounded man that's discovered Costigan's identity as an undercover police officer, like that of Farrell's character of an undercover US Marshall, Costigan decides to leave the gang's headquarters, for fear that his status as an undercover agent may be uncovered.
Cattle Queen of Montana was the film playing at the Essex Theater in Hill Valley, in the film Back to the Future
, on November 5, 1955.
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
film starring Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
and Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. The supporting cast includes Jack Elam
Jack Elam
William Scott "Jack" Elam was an American film actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies .-Early life:...
, Chubby Johnson
Chubby Johnson
Chubby Johnson was an American movie and television supporting character actor with a genial demeanor and warm country-accented voice perfect for westerns...
, and Morris Ankrum
Morris Ankrum
Morris Ankrum was an American radio, television and film character actor.-Early life:Born Morris Nussbaum in Danville, Illinois, Ankrum originally began a career in academics. After graduating from USC with a law degree, he went on to an associate professorship in economics at the University of...
, and the movie was directed by Allan Dwan
Allan Dwan
Allan Dwan was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:...
.
Plot
The Jones family, about to prove claim to prime Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
land, is raided by renegade Indians in league with villainous neighbor McCord, who gets most of the stolen cattle. Two survivors are helped by college-educated chief's son Colorados. Now Sierra Nevada Jones must fight for her land against legal technicalities and assorted villains. Can she gain the help of McCord's hired gun, Farrell?
Cast
- Barbara StanwyckBarbara StanwyckBarbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
... Sierra Nevada Jones - Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
... Farrell - Gene EvansGene EvansGene Evans was an American actor.He was born in Holbrook, Arizona, but reared in Colton, California. His acting career began while he was serving in World War II. He performed with a theatrical troupe of GIs in Europe. Evans made his film debut in 1947 and appeared in dozens of movies and...
... Tom McCord - Lance Fuller ... Colorados
- Anthony CarusoAnthony Caruso (actor)Anthony Caruso was an American character actor in over 100 American films, usually playing villains, including the First Season of Walt Disney's Zorro as Don Juan Ortega...
... Natchakoa - Jack ElamJack ElamWilliam Scott "Jack" Elam was an American film actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films and, later in his career, comedies .-Early life:...
... Yost - Yvette Duguay ... Starfire
- Morris AnkrumMorris AnkrumMorris Ankrum was an American radio, television and film character actor.-Early life:Born Morris Nussbaum in Danville, Illinois, Ankrum originally began a career in academics. After graduating from USC with a law degree, he went on to an associate professorship in economics at the University of...
... J.I. 'Pop' Jones - Chubby JohnsonChubby JohnsonChubby Johnson was an American movie and television supporting character actor with a genial demeanor and warm country-accented voice perfect for westerns...
... Nat Collins - Myron HealeyMyron HealeyMyron Daniel Healey was an American actor. He began his Hollywood, California, career during the early 1940s in bit parts and minor supporting roles at various studios.-Early years:...
... Hank - Rodd RedwingRodd RedwingRodd Redwing , , was a Native American actor, noted for being the world’s greatest quick-draw artist with six-guns...
... Powhani (as Rod Redwing) - Paul BirchPaul Birch (actor)Paul Birch was an American actor of stage and film.Birch was born Paul Smith in Atmore, Alabama. He was a veteran of 39 movies, 50 stage dramas and a number of television shows including the Hallmark Hall of Fame...
... Col. Carrington - Byron Foulger ... Land Office Employee
- Burt MustinBurt MustinBurton Hill "Burt" Mustin was an American character actor.-Early life:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to W. I. and Sadie Mustin, Mustin was a 1903 graduate of the Pennsylvania Military College , earning his degree in civil engineering...
... Dan
Influence
The adventure story and stock characters are similar to the narrative conventions found in Star WarsStar Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
. For example, the use of two villains, McCord and Natchakoa, in Cattle Queen of Montana, and Palpatine and Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
in Star Wars. Both narratives employ the use of two male leads, each a dramatic foil to the other; Colorados, the more conventional hero, future chief to his tribe, struggles to change the negative image the settlers have of his tribe, and Farrell, a gunslinging anti-hero, struggles between helping out Sierra Nevada Jones and performing his duties for Tom McCord, the rancher that had her father killed. Both characters are anchored to the story by the protagonist, Sierra Nevada Jones, and they're roles are similar to the roles played by Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
movies.
In the Cattle Queen of Montana, one of Tom McCord's men is shot by Sierra Jones, and Farrel (Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's character), another of McCord's men and witness to the shooting, lies about how the altercation took place to one of the gang leaders, and leaves despite being asked to wait at the headquarters for Tom McCord to show up. In Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
's film, The Departed
The Departed
The Departed is a 2006 American crime thriller film, fashioned as a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan...
, Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
's character, Billy Costigan, is asked to stick around at the gang's headquarters until all of the gang member's backgrounds have been checked, but leaves anyway despite the warning. In The Departed
The Departed
The Departed is a 2006 American crime thriller film, fashioned as a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan...
there is also a wounded man that's discovered Costigan's identity as an undercover police officer, like that of Farrell's character of an undercover US Marshall, Costigan decides to leave the gang's headquarters, for fear that his status as an undercover agent may be uncovered.
Cattle Queen of Montana was the film playing at the Essex Theater in Hill Valley, in the film Back to the Future
Back to the Future
Back to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
, on November 5, 1955.