Joan Crawford Movie Recommendation #3

Johnny Guitar (1954; in color) - 1 hr 51 mins

Vienna (Joan Crawford) is a commanding saloon owner who has just bought her own place in an unsettled region outside the main town. While this may not seem like a shrewd business move, Vienna knows that come next year the railroad will be finished and thousands will be flocking to the unsettled part of the region. However, the townspeople, led BY Emma Small (Mercedes Cambridge), are determined to run Vienna and the railroad- which could mean losing their power as the dominant land owners IN the area- off the land. But perhaps for Emma, it’s more than just business.

A stage coach hold up offers the perfect pretext for getting rid of Vienna and her saloon, a hangout for undesirables like Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden), her former lover and a guitarist with a hidden past.

This groundbreaking western boasts a strong supporting cast with great performances in a tale that reflects the period in which it was made- the “Red Scare.” Only, in this story, the women are calling the shots!

Availability: Youtube, Amazon video, Googleplay, DVD, and Blu-ray.