Budd Boetticher
Encyclopedia
Oscar "Budd" Boetticher, Jr. (July 29, 1916 in Chicago
– November 29, 2001 in Ramona
, California
) was a film director during the classical period in Hollywood most famous for the series of low-budget Westerns he made in the late 1950s starring Randolph Scott
.
Known for their sparse style, dramatic rocky locations near Lone Pine, California
, and recurring stories of a lone man seeking vengeance amidst a brutal and abstract landscape, the films have, decades after their release, come to be known as some of the most important Westerns ever made, often compared to the works of existential writers or to narratives from the Old Testament
.
Until 2008, only Seven Men From Now
had received a special edition DVD release, and the remainder of Boetticher's most acclaimed films, including Ride Lonesome
, The Tall T
, Comanche Station
, Decision at Sundown
, and Buchanan Rides Alone
, which were once unavailable, had a DVD release on November 4, 2008 as the Budd Boetticher Box Set.
. After college he traveled to Mexico, where he learned the art of bullfighting
. A chance encounter with Rouben Mamoulian
landed him his first film job, as the technical advisor on Blood and Sand
(1941).
Soon Boetticher began a career as a journeyman director of B movies on the backlot at Monogram
, Columbia
, and other small studios, making pictures he later disparaged. He got his first big break when he was asked to direct the film The Bullfighter and the Lady
for John Wayne's
production company, Batjac, based loosely on his own adventures studying to be a matador in Mexico. The film was edited drastically without Boetticher's consent, and his career again seemed on hold. The film has since been restored by the UCLA Film Archive and the restored print is sometimes referred to by its working title, Torero.
and screenwriter
Burt Kennedy
to produce the seven films (last in 1960) that came to be known as the Ranown Cycle. Even though his films were hailed at the time by some critics, including French critic André Bazin
, who praised Seven Men from Now
(1956) as an "exemplary Western", they were largely forgotten until a new generation of scholars and critics championed them in the 1970s.
Boetticher's other most important films include The Tall T
(1957), Buchanan Rides Alone
(1958), Ride Lonesome
(1959), and Comanche Station
(1960).
, turning down profitable Hollywood offers and suffering humiliation and despair to stay with the project, including sickness, bankruptcy and confinement in both jail and asylum (all of which is detailed in his autobiography
When in Disgrace). It was finally released in the USA as "Arruza" in 1971.
In 1960, the director made a departure from Western films for The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond, the story of a high-rolling gambler, starring David Janssen
, loosely based on the lives of Jack Diamond and Arnold Rothstein
.
The rest of Boetticher's output since 1960 consists of the rarely seen A Time for Dying (a collaboration with Audie Murphy
released in 1971), the story for Don Siegel
's Two Mules for Sister Sara
(1970), the documentary
My Kingdom For... (1985) and his appearance as a judge in Robert Towne
's Tequila Sunrise
(1988), and he was still actively attempting to get his screenplay "A Horse for Mr. Barnum" made, before his death in 2001.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
– November 29, 2001 in Ramona
Ramona, California
Ramona is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. The population was 20,292 at the 2010 census.The term Ramona also refers to an unincorporated community that includes both the Ramona CDP and the adjacent CDP of San Diego Country Estates CDP...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) was a film director during the classical period in Hollywood most famous for the series of low-budget Westerns he made in the late 1950s starring Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott was an American film actor whose career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of genres, including social dramas, crime dramas, comedies, musicals , adventure tales, war films, and even a few...
.
Known for their sparse style, dramatic rocky locations near Lone Pine, California
Lone Pine, California
Lone Pine is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California, United States. Lone Pine is located south-southeast of Independence, at an elevation of 3727 feet . The population was 2,035 at the 2010 census, up from 1,655 at the 2000 census. The town is located in the Owens Valley, near the...
, and recurring stories of a lone man seeking vengeance amidst a brutal and abstract landscape, the films have, decades after their release, come to be known as some of the most important Westerns ever made, often compared to the works of existential writers or to narratives from the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
.
Until 2008, only Seven Men From Now
Seven Men from Now
Seven Men from Now is a 1956 Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and produced by John Wayne's Batjac Productions.-Plot summary:Ben Stride walks into an encampment in the desert at night during a rainstorm. He encounters two men taking shelter next to a fire and asks to join them...
had received a special edition DVD release, and the remainder of Boetticher's most acclaimed films, including Ride Lonesome
Ride Lonesome
Ride Lonesome is a a 1959 Eastmancolor film; one of Budd Boetticher's "Ranown" westerns starring Randolph Scott and part of a series of films that began with Seven Men from Now...
, The Tall T
The Tall T
The Tall T is a 1957 western film directed by Budd Boetticher. It stars Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Maureen O'Sullivan and Henry Silva. The film was adapted by Burt Kennedy from an Elmore Leonard short story, "The Captives."...
, Comanche Station
Comanche Station
Comanche Station is a 1960 American CinemaScope western film. This was the last of Budd Boetticher's late 1950s Ranown Cycle western films starring Randolph Scott.-Plot:...
, Decision at Sundown
Decision at Sundown
Decision at Sundown is a 1957 western directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott.One of seven Boetticher/Scott western collaborations that also includes Seven Men from Now, The Tall T, Buchanan Rides Alone, Westbound, Ride Lonesome and Comanche Station.-Plot synopsis:Bart Allison ...
, and Buchanan Rides Alone
Buchanan Rides Alone
Buchanan Rides Again is a 1958 western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott. It is based on the 1956 William Ard novel The Name's Buchanan.-Plot:...
, which were once unavailable, had a DVD release on November 4, 2008 as the Budd Boetticher Box Set.
Early life
Boetticher was raised in Evansville in southwest Indiana, born in Chicago, and was a star athlete at Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. After college he traveled to Mexico, where he learned the art of bullfighting
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
. A chance encounter with Rouben Mamoulian
Rouben Mamoulian
Rouben Mamoulian was an Armenian-American film and theatre director.-Biography:Born in Tbilisi, Georgia to an Armenian family, Rouben relocated to England and started directing plays in London in 1922...
landed him his first film job, as the technical advisor on Blood and Sand
Blood and Sand (1941 film)
Blood and Sand is a Technicolor film produced by 20th Century Fox, directed by Rouben Mamoulian and starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Rita Hayworth, and Alla Nazimova...
(1941).
Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation is a Hollywood studio that produced and released films, most on low budgets, between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram is considered a leader among the smaller studios sometimes referred to...
, Columbia
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, and other small studios, making pictures he later disparaged. He got his first big break when he was asked to direct the film The Bullfighter and the Lady
The Bullfighter and the Lady
Bullfighter and the Lady is a 1951 drama film directed and written by Budd Boetticher. Filmed on location in Mexico, the film focused on the realities of the dangerous sport of bullfighting. During production, one stunt man died...
for John Wayne's
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
production company, Batjac, based loosely on his own adventures studying to be a matador in Mexico. The film was edited drastically without Boetticher's consent, and his career again seemed on hold. The film has since been restored by the UCLA Film Archive and the restored print is sometimes referred to by its working title, Torero.
Rise to fame
Boetticher finally achieved his major breakthrough when he teamed up with producer Harry Joe BrownHarry Joe Brown
Harry Joe Brown was a movie producer and supervisor who was also a theatre and film director...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
Burt Kennedy
Burt Kennedy
Burt Kennedy was an American screenwriter and director known for mainly directing film Westerns.After World War II service in the 1st Cavalry Division, Muskegon, Michigan-born Kennedy found work writing for radio, then used his training as a cavalry officer to secure a job as a fencing trainer and...
to produce the seven films (last in 1960) that came to be known as the Ranown Cycle. Even though his films were hailed at the time by some critics, including French critic André Bazin
André Bazin
André Bazin was a renowned and influential French film critic and film theorist.-Life:Bazin was born in Angers, France, in 1918...
, who praised Seven Men from Now
Seven Men from Now
Seven Men from Now is a 1956 Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and produced by John Wayne's Batjac Productions.-Plot summary:Ben Stride walks into an encampment in the desert at night during a rainstorm. He encounters two men taking shelter next to a fire and asks to join them...
(1956) as an "exemplary Western", they were largely forgotten until a new generation of scholars and critics championed them in the 1970s.
Boetticher's other most important films include The Tall T
The Tall T
The Tall T is a 1957 western film directed by Budd Boetticher. It stars Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Maureen O'Sullivan and Henry Silva. The film was adapted by Burt Kennedy from an Elmore Leonard short story, "The Captives."...
(1957), Buchanan Rides Alone
Buchanan Rides Alone
Buchanan Rides Again is a 1958 western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott. It is based on the 1956 William Ard novel The Name's Buchanan.-Plot:...
(1958), Ride Lonesome
Ride Lonesome
Ride Lonesome is a a 1959 Eastmancolor film; one of Budd Boetticher's "Ranown" westerns starring Randolph Scott and part of a series of films that began with Seven Men from Now...
(1959), and Comanche Station
Comanche Station
Comanche Station is a 1960 American CinemaScope western film. This was the last of Budd Boetticher's late 1950s Ranown Cycle western films starring Randolph Scott.-Plot:...
(1960).
Later career
Boetticher spent most of the 60s south of the border pursuing his obsession, the documentary of his friend, the bullfighter Carlos ArruzaCarlos Arruza
Carlos Arruza , born Carlos Ruiz Camino, was one of the most prominent bullfighters of the 20th century. He was known as "El Ciclón" ....
, turning down profitable Hollywood offers and suffering humiliation and despair to stay with the project, including sickness, bankruptcy and confinement in both jail and asylum (all of which is detailed in his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
When in Disgrace). It was finally released in the USA as "Arruza" in 1971.
In 1960, the director made a departure from Western films for The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond, the story of a high-rolling gambler, starring David Janssen
David Janssen
David Janssen was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Kimble in the television series The Fugitive , the starring role in the 1950s hit detective series Richard Diamond, Private Detective , and as Harry Orwell on Harry O.In 1996 TV Guide...
, loosely based on the lives of Jack Diamond and Arnold Rothstein
Arnold Rothstein
Arnold Rothstein , nicknamed "The Brain", was a New York businessman and gambler who became a famous kingpin of the Jewish mafia. Rothstein was also widely reputed to have been behind baseball's Black Sox Scandal, in which the 1919 World Series was fixed...
.
The rest of Boetticher's output since 1960 consists of the rarely seen A Time for Dying (a collaboration with Audie Murphy
Audie Murphy
Audie Leon Murphy was a highly decorated and famous soldier. Through LIFE magazine's July 16, 1945 issue , he became one the most famous soldiers of World War II and widely regarded as the most decorated American soldier of the war...
released in 1971), the story for Don Siegel
Don Siegel
Donald Siegel was an influential American film director and producer. His name variously appeared in the credits of his films as both Don Siegel and Donald Siegel.-Early life:...
's Two Mules for Sister Sara
Two Mules for Sister Sara
Two Mules for Sister Sara is an American-Mexican western film starring Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine set during the French intervention in Mexico. The film was released in 1970 and directed by Don Siegel. It was to have been the first in a five-year exclusive association between Universal...
(1970), the documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
My Kingdom For... (1985) and his appearance as a judge in Robert Towne
Robert Towne
Robert Towne is an American screenwriter and director. His most notable work may be his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown .-Film:...
's Tequila Sunrise
Tequila Sunrise (film)
Tequila Sunrise is an American crime thriller film written and directed by Robert Towne, and starring Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell, with support from Raúl Juliá, J. T...
(1988), and he was still actively attempting to get his screenplay "A Horse for Mr. Barnum" made, before his death in 2001.
Selected filmography
- The Bullfighter and the LadyThe Bullfighter and the LadyBullfighter and the Lady is a 1951 drama film directed and written by Budd Boetticher. Filmed on location in Mexico, the film focused on the realities of the dangerous sport of bullfighting. During production, one stunt man died...
(1951) - Seven Men from NowSeven Men from NowSeven Men from Now is a 1956 Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and produced by John Wayne's Batjac Productions.-Plot summary:Ben Stride walks into an encampment in the desert at night during a rainstorm. He encounters two men taking shelter next to a fire and asks to join them...
(1956) - The Killer Is LooseThe Killer Is LooseThe Killer Is Loose is a 1956 crime film noir directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Joseph Cotten, Rhonda Fleming and Wendell Corey.-Plot:An employee for a savings and loan desperate for cash plans and successfully robs a bank as an inside job...
(1956) - Decision at SundownDecision at SundownDecision at Sundown is a 1957 western directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott.One of seven Boetticher/Scott western collaborations that also includes Seven Men from Now, The Tall T, Buchanan Rides Alone, Westbound, Ride Lonesome and Comanche Station.-Plot synopsis:Bart Allison ...
(1957) - The Tall TThe Tall TThe Tall T is a 1957 western film directed by Budd Boetticher. It stars Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Maureen O'Sullivan and Henry Silva. The film was adapted by Burt Kennedy from an Elmore Leonard short story, "The Captives."...
(1957) - Buchanan Rides AloneBuchanan Rides AloneBuchanan Rides Again is a 1958 western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott. It is based on the 1956 William Ard novel The Name's Buchanan.-Plot:...
(1958) - Ride LonesomeRide LonesomeRide Lonesome is a a 1959 Eastmancolor film; one of Budd Boetticher's "Ranown" westerns starring Randolph Scott and part of a series of films that began with Seven Men from Now...
(1959) - Westbound (1959)
- Comanche StationComanche StationComanche Station is a 1960 American CinemaScope western film. This was the last of Budd Boetticher's late 1950s Ranown Cycle western films starring Randolph Scott.-Plot:...
(1960) - The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960)
- "Arruza" (1971)
- A Time for Dying (1971)
- My Kingdom For... (1985)