Frank Patch - Your hours are numbered
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Frank Patch - Your hours are numbered |
| Original title | Death of a Gunfighter |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1969 |
| length | 94 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 18 |
| Rod | |
| Director |
Alan Smithee (pseudonym for Don Siegel and Robert Totten ) |
| script | Joseph Calvelli |
| production | Richard E. Lyons |
| music | Oliver Nelson |
| camera | Andrew Jackson |
| cut | Robert F. Shugrue |
| occupation | |
| |
Frank Patch - Your Hours Are Counted is an American western from 1969. The screenplay is based on the novel of the same name by Lewis B. Patten, which was published in 1968. The film was first shown in Europe, in Germany it was released on April 25, 1969 in cinemas.
action
The film takes place at the end of the 19th century. Marshal Frank Patch maintained law and order in the town of Cottonwood Springs for 20 years. Now the progressive thinking has seized the inhabitants of the city. You see a relic of times past in the marshal. His friend Claire Quintana, who owns a brothel, and young Dan Joslin respect him.
When Patch shoots the drunken Luke Mills in self-defense, the local council tries to get him to resign. The owner of the local newspaper, Andrew Oxley, is supposed to publish an article asking about the official duties. But Patch not only refuses to give up his office, he makes Oxley ridiculous in front of his son. Oxley then commits suicide out of shame. His son Will swears revenge.
Sheriff Lou Trinidad, an old friend of the Marshal, tries to persuade him to resign. He sees the danger that Patch will be killed. But Patch continues to refuse. Patch proposes to Claire. After the wedding ceremony, Will shoots Patch and hits him in the shoulder. Patch returns fire and shoots Will. Under the pretext of preventing further bloodshed, the saloon owner and his assistants attack the marshal. Badly injured, Patch goes to Luke Mills' funeral. When he left the church, he was shot dead by members of the ward council.
Reviews
The lexicon of international films describes the production as a "lengthy, strangely maudlin western."
For Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" the film is an "extraordinary western." It shows a "loving portrait of a western town in transition" into the 20th century.
Howard Thompson of the New York Times praises the cast of the film "The Well-Made West." But it is primarily thanks to Richard Widmark's "brilliant achievement" that questions arise (why does a marshal hold on to his office despite the danger of his life ?) not let the work become a farce.
The “TV Guide” emphasizes the strange mixture of directing styles by Totten and Siegel, whereby Totten's way of working is described as “groping” , while Siegel's way of working is described as “raging” .
The "TimeOut Film Guide" praises the story of the film as "sufficiently interesting."
particularities
Director Totten and main actor Widmark got into an argument, Totten was replaced by Don Siegel. Siegel didn't want to be named because Totten had done more work. Since Widmark did not want to have Totten's name in the credits, the compromise was made to use the pseudonym Alan Smithee . Thus, the film is the first cinema production in which this name was used as a director.
Web links
- Frank patch - your hours are numbered in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Frank Patch - Your hours are numbered. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/investigation-of-a-citizen-above-suspicion-1971
- ↑ http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A04E7DA123AEE34BC4852DFB3668382679EDE&partner=Rotten%20Tomatoes
- ↑ http://movies.tvguide.com/death-gunfighter/review/112566
- ↑ http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/65154/Death_of_a_Gunfighter.html ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
