Decision at Sundown
Decision at Sundown is a 1957 American Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott as Bart Allison, a gunslinger who rides into the town of Sundown seeking revenge against local power broker Tate Kimbrough for the death of his wife three years earlier.[1] The story unfolds on the day of Kimbrough's wedding, where Allison, accompanied by his loyal sidekick Sam, disrupts the festivities and barricades himself in a livery stable, forcing the townspeople to confront their complicity in Kimbrough's corrupt influence.[1] Clocking in at 77 minutes, the color film was produced by Ranown Pictures, with a screenplay by Charles Lang Jr. adapted from a novel by Vernon L. Fluharty, cinematography by Burnett Guffey, and music by Heinz Roemheld.[1] The supporting cast includes John Carroll as the charismatic yet ruthless Tate Kimbrough, Karen Steele as his fiancée Lucy Summerton, Noah Beery Jr. as the steadfast Sam, Valerie French as Kimbrough's former lover Ruby James, and Andrew Duggan as the town's morally conflicted doctor, Dr. John Storrow.[1] Produced by Harry Joe Brown in association with Randolph Scott, Decision at Sundown marks the third collaboration between Boetticher and Scott following Seven Men from Now (1956) and The Tall T (1957), forming part of the acclaimed Ranown cycle of six psychologically nuanced Westerns scripted largely by Burt Kennedy (though this one by Lang).[1] Shot primarily on location in Lone Pine, California, the film employs a claustrophobic setting within the town to heighten tension, emphasizing interpersonal confrontations over expansive action.[1] Renowned for its bleak tone and moral ambiguity, Decision at Sundown subverts traditional Western heroism by portraying Allison's quest for vengeance as a misguided and self-destructive obsession, critiquing themes of societal cowardice, misplaced blame, and the futility of revenge.[1] Critics have praised its stark psychological depth and precise staging of violence, with film scholar Jim Kitses noting its ironic exploration of human frailty as a standout in Boetticher's oeuvre.[1] The film holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 7 critic reviews.[2]Background
Ranown Cycle
The Ranown Cycle consists of six low-budget Western films produced between 1956 and 1960 by Harry Joe Brown, directed by Budd Boetticher, and starring Randolph Scott as the lead actor.[3][4] These films were primarily produced by Scott-Brown Productions in association with Ranown Pictures, a company formed by Scott and Brown, with distribution handled through major studios like Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures.[4][5] The films in the cycle are:- Seven Men from Now (1956)
- The Tall T (1957)
- Decision at Sundown (1957)
- Buchanan Rides Alone (1958)
- Ride Lonesome (1959)
- Comanche Station (1960)