The Man from Colorado
Encyclopedia
The Man from Colorado is a 1948 American western
-psychological drama film directed by Henry Levin
and produced by Jules Schermer for Columbia Pictures
. It stars Glenn Ford
as a Union
officer who becomes addicted to killing during the American Civil War
, William Holden
as his best friend, and Ellen Drew
as their common love interest. Robert Andrews and Ben Maddow
based the screenplay on a story by Borden Chase
.
near the end of the American Civil War, Union Colonel Owen Devereaux (Ford) orders his regiment to fire on a detachment of Confederate
soldiers, even though he (and only he) has seen that they are signaling their surrender with a white flag
. Afterward, his best friend and second-in-command, Captain Del Stewart (Holden), finds the flag and buries it as a surviving Confederate officer secretly looks on.
Immediately after the battle, the war ends. As the soldiers celebrate, Sergeant Jericho Howard (James Millican
) gets drunk while on duty and is insubordinate to Devereaux, who has him arrested. At a ball, the mayor announces Devereaux's appointment as the federal judge for the region. Stewart asks Caroline Emmett (Drew) to marry him, but she later marries Devereaux instead.
When the Confederate survivor confronts Devereaux about the white flag, Devereaux shoots him, even though the man has already been subdued. Stewart realizes that Devereaux must have seen the flag and concludes that the war has unhinged Devereaux's mind. He agrees to serve as Devereaux's marshal after Devereaux promises not to participate in arrests.
Many of Devereaux's men owned mines before the war began, but a wealthy businessman named Big Ed Carter (Ray Collins
) claimed the mines for himself. As federal judge, Devereaux upholds Carter's claim based on a legal technicality involving the soldiers' absence during the war.
Meanwhile, Howard escapes and stages a series of gold robberies. Devereaux's uncle, Doc Merriam (Edgar Buchanan
), hopes that the end of the war and marriage to Caroline will restore Devereaux's sanity, but Devereaux hangs Howard's partner after a summary trial, prompting several other men to join Howard. Devereaux also threatens to hang Howard's younger brother Johnny (Jerome Courtland
) based on circumstantial evidence after another robbery, even though Johnny is not part of his brother's gang. After warning Devereaux not to hang Johnny, Stewart finds Howard and persuades him to turn himself in, but Devereaux hangs Johnny despite Stewart's warning. Stewart resigns in disgust and joins Howard's gang.
After Stewart helps to rescue some men from being hanged, Devereaux lures him into town by spreading a rumor that Caroline is in danger, arrests him, and puts him in jail. When Caroline sees this, she breaks into Devereaux's desk and reads his diary, finally realizes that he has lost his mind, and persuades Doc Merriam to rescue Stewart. She begins to put Stewart and Doc Merriam on a carriage to alert the state government of Devereaux's insanity, but Devereaux shoots Stewart, so she joins Stewart and the doctor as they flee to a nearby mining town. Devereaux sets fire to the town. When Carter accuses him of being mad with jealousy over Caroline's loyalty to Stewart, he rides into town, confronts Stewart and Howard, and is killed when a wall from a burning building falls on him. Howard is also killed.
Stewart says goodbye to Caroline and others before traveling to Washington DC to plead on behalf of the dispossessed miners.
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...
-psychological drama film directed by Henry Levin
Henry Levin
Henry Levin began as a stage actor and director but was most notable as an American film director of over fifty feature films. He broke into film in 1943 as a dialogue director for the films Dangerous Blondes and Appointment in Berlin for Columbia Pictures...
and produced by Jules Schermer for Columbia Pictures
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...
. It stars Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford was a Canadian-born American actor from Hollywood's Golden Era with a career that spanned seven decades...
as a Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
officer who becomes addicted to killing during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, William Holden
William Holden
William Holden was an American actor. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1954 and the Emmy Award for Best Actor in 1974...
as his best friend, and Ellen Drew
Ellen Drew
Ellen Drew was an American film actress.Born Esther Loretta Ray in Kansas City, Missouri, Drew worked various jobs and won a number of beauty contests before becoming an actress...
as their common love interest. Robert Andrews and Ben Maddow
Ben Maddow
Ben Maddow was a prolific screenwriter and documentarian from the 1930s through the 70s. Educated at Columbia University, Maddow began his career working within the American documentary movement in the 30s.In 1936 he co-founded the short-lived left-wing newsreel The World Today...
based the screenplay on a story by Borden Chase
Borden Chase
Borden Chase was an American writer.Born Frank Fowler, he went through an assortment of jobs, including driving for gangster Frankie Yale and working as a sandhog on the construction of New York's Holland Tunnel, before turning to writing, first short stories and novels, and later, screenplays...
.
Plot
In ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
near the end of the American Civil War, Union Colonel Owen Devereaux (Ford) orders his regiment to fire on a detachment of Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
soldiers, even though he (and only he) has seen that they are signaling their surrender with a white flag
White flag
White flags have had different meanings throughout history and depending on the locale.-Flag of temporary truce in order to parley :...
. Afterward, his best friend and second-in-command, Captain Del Stewart (Holden), finds the flag and buries it as a surviving Confederate officer secretly looks on.
Immediately after the battle, the war ends. As the soldiers celebrate, Sergeant Jericho Howard (James Millican
James Millican
James Millican was an American actor with over 200 film appearances mostly in western movies.-External links:*...
) gets drunk while on duty and is insubordinate to Devereaux, who has him arrested. At a ball, the mayor announces Devereaux's appointment as the federal judge for the region. Stewart asks Caroline Emmett (Drew) to marry him, but she later marries Devereaux instead.
When the Confederate survivor confronts Devereaux about the white flag, Devereaux shoots him, even though the man has already been subdued. Stewart realizes that Devereaux must have seen the flag and concludes that the war has unhinged Devereaux's mind. He agrees to serve as Devereaux's marshal after Devereaux promises not to participate in arrests.
Many of Devereaux's men owned mines before the war began, but a wealthy businessman named Big Ed Carter (Ray Collins
Ray Collins (actor)
Ray Bidwell Collins was an American actor in film, stage, radio, and television. One of Collins' best remembered roles was that of Lt. Arthur Tragg in the long-running series Perry Mason.- Biography :...
) claimed the mines for himself. As federal judge, Devereaux upholds Carter's claim based on a legal technicality involving the soldiers' absence during the war.
Meanwhile, Howard escapes and stages a series of gold robberies. Devereaux's uncle, Doc Merriam (Edgar Buchanan
Edgar Buchanan
Edgar Buchanan was an American actor with a long career in both film and television, most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies television sitcoms of the 1960s...
), hopes that the end of the war and marriage to Caroline will restore Devereaux's sanity, but Devereaux hangs Howard's partner after a summary trial, prompting several other men to join Howard. Devereaux also threatens to hang Howard's younger brother Johnny (Jerome Courtland
Jerome Courtland
Jerome Courtland is an American actor, director and producer. He acted in films in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and in television in the 1950s and 1960s...
) based on circumstantial evidence after another robbery, even though Johnny is not part of his brother's gang. After warning Devereaux not to hang Johnny, Stewart finds Howard and persuades him to turn himself in, but Devereaux hangs Johnny despite Stewart's warning. Stewart resigns in disgust and joins Howard's gang.
After Stewart helps to rescue some men from being hanged, Devereaux lures him into town by spreading a rumor that Caroline is in danger, arrests him, and puts him in jail. When Caroline sees this, she breaks into Devereaux's desk and reads his diary, finally realizes that he has lost his mind, and persuades Doc Merriam to rescue Stewart. She begins to put Stewart and Doc Merriam on a carriage to alert the state government of Devereaux's insanity, but Devereaux shoots Stewart, so she joins Stewart and the doctor as they flee to a nearby mining town. Devereaux sets fire to the town. When Carter accuses him of being mad with jealousy over Caroline's loyalty to Stewart, he rides into town, confronts Stewart and Howard, and is killed when a wall from a burning building falls on him. Howard is also killed.
Stewart says goodbye to Caroline and others before traveling to Washington DC to plead on behalf of the dispossessed miners.
Cast
- Glenn FordGlenn FordGlenn Ford was a Canadian-born American actor from Hollywood's Golden Era with a career that spanned seven decades...
as Owen Devereaux - William HoldenWilliam HoldenWilliam Holden was an American actor. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1954 and the Emmy Award for Best Actor in 1974...
as Del Stewart - Ellen DrewEllen DrewEllen Drew was an American film actress.Born Esther Loretta Ray in Kansas City, Missouri, Drew worked various jobs and won a number of beauty contests before becoming an actress...
as Caroline Emmett - Ray CollinsRay Collins (actor)Ray Bidwell Collins was an American actor in film, stage, radio, and television. One of Collins' best remembered roles was that of Lt. Arthur Tragg in the long-running series Perry Mason.- Biography :...
as 'Big Ed' Carter - Edgar BuchananEdgar BuchananEdgar Buchanan was an American actor with a long career in both film and television, most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies television sitcoms of the 1960s...
as Doc Merriam - Jerome CourtlandJerome CourtlandJerome Courtland is an American actor, director and producer. He acted in films in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and in television in the 1950s and 1960s...
as Johnny Howard - James MillicanJames MillicanJames Millican was an American actor with over 200 film appearances mostly in western movies.-External links:*...
as Sergeant Jericho Howard - Jim BannonJim BannonJim Bannon was an actor in radio and Hollywood western films during the 1940s and 1950s. He is best remembered as the fourth cinema Red Ryder from 1949 - 1950...
as Nagel - William PhillipsWilliam PhillipsWilliam Phillips may refer to:*William Phillips , artilleryman and general officer in the British Army who served as a major-general in the American Revolutionary War...
as York