Directed By: Delmer Daves
Starring: Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Rod Steiger
Tag line: "THE SOMETIMES VIOLENT STORY OF A DRIFTIN' COWHAND!"
Trivia: Very loosely inspired by William Shakespeare's "Othello"
Delmer Daves isn’t the most recognizable filmmaker from Hollywood’s Golden Age, and there are plenty of people out there (myself included) who aren't familiar with his work. As a writer, he penned the script for The Petrified Forest, as well as the Busby Berkeley musical Dames. When he first sat in the director's chair, Daves made films like Destination Tokyo and Dark Passage, one of four pictures to feature both Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
It was after signing with 20th Century Fox in 1950 that Daves jumped head-first into the western genre, turning out 3:10 to Yuma (1957) and Cowboy (1958), both of which are still held in high regard. Before today, I had never seen Jubal, his 1956 film starring Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, and Rod Steiger.
Now, I can't wait to check out some of Daves' other westerns!
While out riding, rancher Shep Horgan (Ernest Borgnine) spots an unconscious man lying in the middle of the road. The man’s name is Jubal Troop (Glenn Ford), a sheep herder who claims to also be a pretty good cowboy.
In need of an extra hand, Shep hires Jubal, and some time later even names him his new foreman, which pisses off Pinky (Rod Steiger), a longtime employee of Shep's, who wanted that job.
Unfortunately for Jubal, he's also caught the eye of Shep’s flirtatious wife Mae (Valerie French). Out of respect for Shep, Jubal refuses to get involved with Mae, and instead romances Naomi (Felicia Farr), the daughter of a religious leader who, along with a group of other settlers, is heading west.
Despite his efforts to avoid her, Mae continues to pursue Jubal, which doesn’t sit well with Pinky (who, apparently, had a “relationship” of his own with Mae years earlier).
Though anxious to discredit Jubal, Pinky decides not to tell Shep about what's going on behind his back. But will he stay quiet forever?
Jubal is a beautiful motion picture. Right out of the gate, Daves wows us with spectacular panoramas (it was filmed on-location in Wyoming), and there are instances throughout the movie where he utilizes wide shots to show off his extraordinary backdrop.
Of course, there’s more to Jubal than just pretty scenery. Glenn Ford delivers an outstanding performance as Jubal, who, despite the mystery surrounding him (where did he come from? Is he running from somebody?), is, at all times, an upstanding guy. Equally good are Ernest Borgnine as the friendly yet naïve Shep, who is better at handling his employees than his own wife; and Rod Steiger as the ornery Pinky, who doesn’t like anyone or anything (he and Jubal remain at odds through much of the movie). Each of these actors, as well as the supporting cast (also worth noting is Valerie French as the bored housewife looking for some excitement), keep Jubal interesting.
The story itself may not be new (it was loosely based on Shakespeare's Othello), but the strong characters, as well as Daves’ keen eye, do their part to make it all seem fresh.
Delmer Daves appears to have been lost in the shuffle, taking a backseat to filmmakers like Howard Hawks, George Stevens, John Ford, and even Anthony Mann, all of whom made a name for themselves in the western genre. But if Jubal is any indication, Daves had the talent to shine just as brightly as any of his contemporaries, and deserves to rank alongside them as one of Hollywood's best and brightest.
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