The Broken Star
| The Broken Star | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Lesley Selander |
| Produced by | Howard W. Koch |
| Written by | John C. Higgins |
| Starring |
Howard Duff Lita Baron Bill Williams Douglas Fowley Henry Calvin Addison Richards Joel Ashley John Pickard |
| Music by | Paul Dunlap |
| Cinematography | William Margulies |
| Edited by | John F. Schreyer |
Production company |
Bel-Air Productions |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Broken Star is a 1956 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by John C. Higgins. The film stars Howard Duff, Lita Baron, Bill Williams, Douglas Fowley, Henry Calvin, Addison Richards, Joel Ashley and John Pickard. The film was released in April 1956, by United Artists.[1][2]
Plot
A Deputy Marshall (Smeed) kills a ranch hand and steals a sack of gold. He claims it was a fair fight but the Marshall of Arizona's Southern Territory (Forrester) has his doubts. Unknown to Smeed, there was a witness to the murder (Nachez). While the investigation unfolds, Smeed tries to cover up the evidence and eliminate people who can implicate him. Another Deputy (Gentry), who has always admired Smeed, defends him to his girlfriend (Alvarado) but is astonished when Alvarado translates the written eye-witness account (from the Spanish) by Nachez. Smeed kidnaps Nachez, taking him to a mine, where he kills him and hides the body. Shortly, Gentry shows up at the mine but is over-powered by Smeed, tied up, and left to by buried in a cave-in caused by Smeed setting a charge. Finally, the Marshall arrives with his posse and hunts down Smeed inside the mine, using an alternate entry. In the meantime, Gentry, who survives the cave-in, unties himself and joins the hunt. The posse corners Smeed, who draws first, and is killed by Gentry. In the closing scene, Gentry (with his new bride, Alvarado), is presented with a new badge by Forrester and congratulated for being appointed to the position of Marshall of Arizona's Northern Territory.
Cast
- Howard Duff as Deputy Marshal Frank Smeed
- Lita Baron as Conchita Alvarado
- Bill Williams as Deputy Marshal Bill Gentry
- Douglas Fowley as Hiram Charleton
- Henry Calvin as Thornton Wills
- Addison Richards as Marshal Wayne Forrester
- Joel Ashley as Messendyke
- John Pickard as Van Horn
- William 'Bill' Phillips as Doc Mott
- Joe Dominguez as Nachez
References
- ↑ "The Broken Star". TV Guide. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ↑ "The Broken Star (1956) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 24 October 2014.