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Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge, Scott Brady, Ward Bond ... see more see more... , Ernest Borgnine , Ben Cooper , Royal Dano , John Carradine , Paul Fix , Frank Ferguson , Rhys Williams , Ian MacDonald , Trevor Bardette , Clem Harvey , Frank Marlowe , Robert Osterloh , Denver Pyle , Sumner Williams , Sheb Wooley , Will Wright , John Maxwell , Johnny Watson

One of the strangest westerns on record, Johnny Guitar has less in common with Zane Grey than it does with Sigmund Freud and Krafft-Ebbing. The title character, played by Sterling Hayden, is a guitar-... read more read more...strumming drifter who was once the lover of Arizona saloon-owner Vienna (Joan Crawford). Though her establishment doesn't make a dime, Vienna doesn't care because the railroad is going to come in soon, bringing a whole slew of thirsty new customers. This puts her at odds with bulldyke rancher Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge), who doesn't want any new settlers on her land. Hating Vienna with a purple passion, Emma will do anything to drive her out of the territory...and even worse, Emma's got the law and the other ranchers on her side. Hoping to keep Emma at bay, Vienna hires Johnny Guitar, who unbeknownst to everyone else in town is a notorious gunslinger. But Johnny prefers to bide his time, waiting for Emma to strike before he makes his move. As a result, Vienna endures several life-threatening experiences, culminating with a feverish chase through the Arizona wilds with lynch-happy Emma and her minions in hot pursuit. According to most sources, the animosity between Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge was quite real, added several extra dimensions to their scenes together. Director Nicholas Ray and screenwriter Philip Yordan stuff the film with so much sexual symbolism that one wonders why they left out a train going into a tunnel. Ms. Crawford's vivid red-and-blue wardrobe scheme was later appropriated by Ray for James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause--with equally stunning results. In addition to the stars, Johnny Guitar is well stocked with reliable supporting players, including Ernest Borgnine, Ben Cooper, Royal Dano (superb as a consumptive, book-reading hired gun) and Paul Fix. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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84% liked it

3,084 ratings

Critics

96% liked it

26 critics

PG, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: Nicholas Ray

Release Date: January 1, 1954

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DVD Release Date: September 16, 2008

Stats: 236 reviews

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Hayden and Crawford Cooper, Crawford, Hayden and Brady Joanie in Johnny Guitar
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Flixster Reviews (236)

  • fb1341085175
    October 25, 2011
    fb1341085175
    It's quite a weird western with Joan Crawford filling the John Wayne shoes, glossy romantic scenes which could be thrown into a Douglas Sirk film and all painted with dramatic red strokes - from the sunsets, to a dramatic fire to Crawford's iconic lips. And it all ends in a rooti... read moren' tootin' gun shooting between its two female leads - a sort of Western version of a women's catfight. Peppered with great dialogue and a performance by Mercedes McCambridge which leaves no doubt why she was chosen to play the demon in "The Exorcist", there's little not to love.
  • ajv2688
    November 9, 2010
    ajv2688
    I hate westerns, so I rated it lower because of that, but it is a different kind of western than normal. The story is sort of boring, but the characters aren't is another way of putting it. Anyway, it's interesting.
  • bottcorecords1
    February 22, 2010
    bottcorecords1
    Joan Crawford is Vienna, a frontier woman you don't want to mess with, but her arch nemesis, the maniacally evil Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge) is one terrifying broad. The movie may be titled "Johnny Guitar", but it's all about the women duking it out, in a sort of pseudo-fe... read moreminist western (the men are all but dominated by the women). The film opens strongly, with a confrontation in Vienna's casino/bar. It seems the stage coach was robbed and Emma's brother was killed (they bring his body right into the casino and lay it down on the craps table). Emma blames Vienna's club and the men who frequent it, especially "the Dancin' Kid" (Scott Brady). In reality, Emma is in love with the Dancin' Kid and is jealous of his relationship with Vienna (who it's suggested, is sort of a fallen woman). She has another reason to hate Vienna; as the new railroad is being built, more and more outsiders will come to town, spreading their indecency and immorality. She thinks Vienna is the vanguard in an onslaught that will bring about her cherished town's destruction. She forms a posse and seeks to lynch Vienna, the Dancin' Kid and his cohorts. The Dancin' Kid claims he and his pardners are mining silver in a hidden mine, but they're being run out of town anyway. The Kid decides if they're going to be accused of being criminals, they may as well be criminals and they go and rob the bank. Vienna happens to be in the bank at the same time, closing her account. One thing leads to another, and it's Vienna who's accused of aiding the outlaws. In the midst of all this is Johnny Guitar, once Vienna's lover and now just a wandering minstrel. Vienna sends for Johnny to come and perform in her saloon, but really she wants to use him for protection, for you see Johnny is a former gunslinger, and one of the fastest and best gunmen in the west. The plot details don't mean a whole lot, as this is all just an excuse to see Crawford and McCambridge go at it, tooth and nail. All in all, it's good, 1950s, campy fun.
  • mjgildea
    May 1, 2009
    mjgildea
    Johnny Guitar is a decent western that even with the presence of horses, guns and cowboys didn't feel like a western. Nicholas Ray's direction is decent enough and it started off great, but about an hour in it just kind of went dead behind the eyes. I understand Joan Crawford and... read more Mercedes McCambridge hated each others guts and it took a toll on Ray. Despite my not really caring after awhile, the cast makes the movie and if you don't want to dropkick McCambridge off the top of the Grand Canyon you're not alive. Worth the watch but don't trample any puppies to see it.
  • rubystevens
    March 11, 2009
    rubystevens
    campy and highly melodramatic but very entertaining. strong parallels to the mccarthy hearings. and there can't be too many westerns of this era with a shootout between two women! i couldn't help seeing stanwyck in joan's part but the ott performances are a big part of the fun :)
  • kenstachnik
    September 29, 2007
    kenstachnik
    Solid Western Melodrama. Sterling Hayden is awesome as usual
  • McKittrick
    September 25, 2007
    McKittrick
    More than just the camp classic it's held up to be. A truly great and under-valued master-piece. A great western that touches on feminism, masculinity, gender, sexuality, lynch-mob mentality and is still supreme entertainment.
    The big climactic stand off with McCambridge and Cra... read morewford makes me breathless!
  • jjnxn
    March 29, 2007
    jjnxn
    bizarre
  • toejambaseball24
    September 20, 2011
    toejambaseball24
    This definitely seemed quite different than the other westerns that we've seen thus far in my western class. The role of women is interestingly managed here - you won't find a damsel in distress around these parts. And the overall entertainment value of this movie is pretty high.... read more It did feel a little campy at times, but in the kind of way that probably has made it more enjoyable over time. I can almost sense that it had a fair amount of influence on Tarantino's Kill Bill movies. Maybe that's just me, but it has more of that edge than, say, a standard "classic" western like Shane.
  • Dracula787
    December 25, 2009
    Dracula787
    This Nicholas Ray film would appear to be a standard Republic western at first sight, but it has become a staple of film school analysis because it has a number of subversive elements in its subtext. There?s an obvious anti-McCarthy allegory to the story with its sympathy toward... read more people that are being persecuted by the elite of a town that tries to turn the gang against each other. There are also feminist elements to the film with Joan Crawford playing a very strong female protagonist and Mercedes McCambridge playing an equally strong female villain. This is definitely a step above its peers, but there are elements of cheese left over from its modest origins and it also has kind of a weak middle act between its strong beginning and stronger finish.

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Critic Reviews

Bosley Crowther
March 25, 2006
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Let's put it down as a fiasco. Miss Crawford went thataway. Full Review

John Petrakis
July 11, 2002
John Petrakis, Chicago Tribune

One of those classic westerns that has maintained its status by reinventing itself every decade since its release in 1954. Full Review

Dave Kehr
January 1, 2000
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

For all its violence, this is a surpassingly tender, sensitive film, Ray's gentlest statement of his outsider theme. Full Review

Michael E. Grost
January 30, 2012
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television

Rich, creative Western with much to say about politics and gender. Full Review

Sarah Boslaugh
September 15, 2011
Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl

...manages to be both a serious critique of McCarthyism and a camp classic... Full Review

Emanuel Levy
January 9, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

A politically subversive Western, made during the McCarthy era, Nicholas Ray's cult movie offers two strong roles for women, Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge, who may be latently lesbian. Full Review

Kelly Vance
May 5, 2010
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express

This 1954 Freudian Western is one of the all-time left-field wonders of the studio system, a film so subversive it's a wonder it ever got made. Full Review

Chris Cabin
July 30, 2009
Chris Cabin, Filmcritic.com

A pop-culture madhouse dressed up in spurs and a cowboy hat Full Review

Gabe Leibowitz
July 19, 2009
Gabe Leibowitz, Film and Felt

Like the other great American films of the 50's, Johnny Guitar breaks through the mold. Full Review

Steve Crum
March 19, 2009
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com

Bizarre, unforgettable Nicholas Ray western that ends in two women shootout!

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