The Hanging Tree

1959 "From The Prize Novel -- A Picture Of Thundering Power!"
7.1| 1h47m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 13 March 1959 Released
Producted By: Warner Bros. Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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Joseph "Doc" Frail is a doctor with a past he's trying to outrun. While in Montana, he comes across a mining camp with a hanging tree and rescues a man named Rune from the noose. With Rune as his servant, Frail decides to settle down, and he takes over as town doctor. He meets Elizabeth, who is suffering from shock, and the two soon fall in love. But when Elizabeth is attacked, Frail's attempt to help her lands them both in trouble.

Genre

Western

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Director

Delmer Daves

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures

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The Hanging Tree Audience Reviews

Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever
Actuakers One of my all time favorites.
TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.
BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
jbriskey-30546 Worth a view because of the outstanding performance by Cooper. The rest of it's a mess of irrational behaviors, silly confrontations, and unbelievable characters. Not sure who to blame for these shortcomings; probably both the screen writers and the director. Too bad, a waste of Cooper.
dougdoepke No need to recap the sprawling plot.For a western, the movie is generously produced. The Washington state locations are scenic as heck and a great backdrop to the rushing crowds and boisterous miners. In fact, the gold camp recreation is one of the most realistic I've seen. Then too, the production has one of the most underrated directors of westerns of the period, Delmer Daves, whose list includes such classics as 3:10 to Yuma (1957), Jubal (1956),and the generally overlooked Cowboy (1958). All of these are tightly written and efficiently directed little gems.But I have to say that despite the first-rate production values and a first-rate cast, this more epic sized western doesn't achieve the impact of Daves' smaller movies. The problem is a loose script and a dawdling camera that stretches out the dramatics and the movie's length to a sometimes tedious degree. I'm guessing that Warner Bros. wanted a production equal to Gary Cooper's iconic standing. I suspect they were also promoting newcomer Schell's career, and thus much time is split between her, Cooper, and the always reliable Malden. All perform well, but add up to bits and pieces that don't fit together very well, while padding the screen time unnecessarily.I wish Scott's truly fearsome religious zealot had gotten a bigger role. He might have made the movie memorable, so strong is his spotty presence. Something I don't usually notice in films is the movie score. But here the music is blended nicely into the screenplay, without overdoing it. Perhaps revealingly, this is Daves' final western. From here, he went on to teenage fare, such as the blockbuster A Summer Place (1959) that despite its teen angst of the day is not without notable compensations. Anyway, this film's a scenic delight at the same time the narrative unfortunately is not, which adds up to a very mixed result.
ma-cortes ¨Hanging tree¨ results to be a good western set in a gold-mining camp and remains consistently agreeable and attractive . Set in Montana , 1873 , it takes place at a mining village called Skull Creek where arrives a frontier doctor named Joseph Frain (Gary Cooper as a good guy , as usual , being last western Gary Cooper starred in) . The doctor rescues a young thief named Rune (Ben Piazza) from a lynch mob . The doctor temporarily nurses and devotes his time to Elizabeth Mahler (Maria Schell) a strange girl . Unfortunately, however, the doctor with a dark past (it was left ambiguous whether the doctor had killed his unfaithful wife) may place his patient in considerable risk . The nasty (Karl Malden as a bad guy) attempts to rape Elizabeth but Cooper comes to his rescue . Later on , the townspeople took the doctor out to ¨The hanging tree¨ but this time is helped by his friends . This first-rate but slow-paced Western draws its riveting tale and power from the interaction of finely drawn roles as well as drama and action . A fine and thought-provoking film in which Daves keeps straight face and magnificent control of rhythm in spite of some highly unlikely situations . Masterfully made and including excellent performances , breathtaking background shots and impeccable close-ups . ¨Hanging tree¨ which look a fairly and realist sighting at a mining camp . It stars genre stalwart Gary Cooper as a doctor-gambler-gunslinger who has a rather sinister past , he is a good professional treating a blind girl and saving a rogue thief . Maria Schell as blind woman is awesome too . Furthermore , George C Scott's screen debut as a fanatic preacher . Good adult Western with exciting battle of wits between an obstinate doctor , a beautiful blind woman and a nasty miner . This laid-back Western contains sensitive songs sung at the beginning and ending by Marty Robbing composed by Jerry Livingstone and written Marck Davis , being deservedly nominated for Oscar , in addition an emotive musical score by the classic Max Steiner . Colorful cinematography by Ted McCord , filmed in State of Washington nearly Yakime , where was expressly built a mining village . Well produced by Cooper and his Production Company called ¨Baroda¨ and some scenes were realized by Karl Malden by illness of Delmer Daves . ¨Hanging tree¨ turns out to be stylish, well paced , solid, meticulous and with enjoyable look . This perfectly acted movie is gripping every step of the way . Rating : Above average , worthwhile watching , still a memorable film The motion picture was well directed by Delmer Daves - including his characteristic use of landscape- , though he fell ill during filming and Karl Malden took over for several days until Daves recovered. Daves was a Western expert for the reason he lived a long time of his boyhood with the Navajo and Hopi Indian tribes as he realized the notorious trail-blazing ¨Broken arrow¨ the first movie for many years not treat the Indians as cannon-fodder for the cavalry , which made the picture unpopular in some quarters . He went on directing the suspenseful ¨3:10 to Yuma¨, other pro-Indian as ¨The last wagon¨ and about Modoc Indians as ¨Drum beat¨ , the Shakespearian style of ¨Jubal¨ , ¨Return of the Texan¨ and ¨Cowboy¨ which a fairly spectacle about a long cattle drive . From 1959 Delmer Daves becomes embroiled for the remainder of his career with teenage love epics and very popular at the Box-office as ¨A summer place¨, ¨Parrish¨, ¨Susan Slade¨, and ¨Rome adventure¨, among others .
MartinHafer This is a very good movie that could have been a lot better with two small changes. George C. Scott's role was completely unnecessary to the film and should have been excised. He was too good an actor for such a dopey character. Also, they call Karl Malden 'Frenchie' throughout the film, but why?! He seems to be attempting a French accent here and there--but rarely. It's a shame, as otherwise it's a really, really good film.Gary Cooper plays a doctor that comes into a crappy mining town. You don't know exactly what he's done in the past, but he's got a heck of a reputation with the gun. So, folks mostly leave him alone...that is, except for stupid 'ol Frenchie--but more about that later. Early in the film, Doc saves a stupid young man (Karl Swenson) and as a result, he announces that the kid is his indentured servant. Either that, or he'll tell the other miners that the kid was the guy they shot who was trying to steal from their sluices! The kid isn't happy, but he doesn't seem to have any choice.It gets a lot more interesting when a stagecoach is attacked outside town. Everyone but a lady is killed and the Doc takes her in and nurses her back to health. Tongues wag in this horrible town--in particular those of the viperous 'ladies' (Virginia Gregg is great as the leading slimy lady). You can tell there is some sexual tension developing between them. However, some other form of sexual tension has developed. Frenchie is clearly a sex offender in training and Doc warns him to stay away from the lady. But, he doesn't listen and the doctor beats the snot out of him. You know that eventually this will mean one of them will try to kill the other. But, what makes this an exceptional film is the ending--an ending that has a lot to say about greed and the baser nature of mankind. See the film--I really don't want to ruin the wild ending. Overall, a very well written film...aside from Scott! Cooper is great in one of his last roles--a real plum one. Watch this one.