The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) (Fox pool title)

1. THE OX-BOW INCIDENT (1943) – INTRO
ESSENTIALS 2016
LANSKY

HI EVERYBODY, AND WELCOME TO TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES. I’M YOUR HOST, KEITH
CARRADINE. THIS MONTH WE WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING WESTERNS AND TONIGHT’S
TOPIC OF DISCUSSION: BARROOMS BRAWLS. OUR NEXT BARROOM BRAWL IS A
LITTLE BIT MORE SOMBER. FROM 1943, IT’S “THE OX-BOW INCIDENT.” THE FILM WAS
BASED OFF THE WALTER CLARK ANTI-LYNCHING NOVEL WITH THE SAME TITLE. THE
NOVEL, WHICH WAS RELEASED IN 1940, IS A POWERFUL TALE CENTERED ON THE
SMALL WEATHERING TOWN OF BRIDGER’S WELLS, NEVADA. NEWCOMERS HENRY
FONDA AND HARRY MORGAN ARRIVE IN TOWN AND HEAD FOR THE LOCAL SALOON
WHERE SHORTLY THEREAFTER A LOCAL COWBOY ARRIVES AT THE SALOON TO
ANNOUNCE THAT RANCHER LARRY KINKAID HAS BEEN KILLER BY RUSTLERS. THE
TOWNFOLK QUICKLY MOUNT THEIR HORSES AND RIDE AFTER THE RUSTLERS. THE
FILM ALLUDES TO THE DANGERS OF RUSHING TO JUDGEMENT AND THE ETHOS OF A
MOB MENTALITY, WHICH, IN THIS FILM, TURNS AVERAGE CITIZENS INTO BLOOD
THIRSTY, FEAR MONGERING CRIMINALS. THE STORY IS THOUGHT PROVOKING AND
POWERFUL, DRAMATIC AND BLUNT, AND HAS A CLEAR AND EXPLICIT MESSAGE.
DIRECTOR WILLIAM WELLMAN, FOR SOME TIME, HAD BEEN LOOKING TO DIRECT A
FILM WITH A SOCIAL MESSAGE . UPON READING THE NOVEL, WE LLMAN WAS
THOROUGHLY IMPRESSED. BUT STUDIO EXECUTIVES FELT THAT THE SUBJECT
MATTER WOULD BE TOO DEPRESSING FOR AUDIENCES, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE
HARDPRESSED TO TURN A PROFIT. WELLMAN DID EVENTUALLY FIND A PRODUCER
TO GREENLIGHT HIS FILM, PRODUCER DARRYL ZANUCK WHO, SIMILARLY, ENJOYED
THE NOVEL BUT HE TOO WAS CONVINCED THE FILM WOULD MAKE NO MONEY.
ZANUCK TOLD WELLMAN, “YOU CAN DO IT, BUT IT WON’T MAKE A CENT.” BEFORE
AGREEING TO PRODUCE THE FILM ZANUCK HAD WELLMAN AGREE TO SIGN A FIVE
YEAR CONTRACT WITH 20
TH
CENTURY FOX IN WHICH WELLMAN WOULD BE
CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO DIRECT ONE FILM PER YEAR FOR THE FOLLOWING
FIVE YEARS, BUT TO WELLMAN IT WAS ALL WORTH IT. HE LATER CLAIMED HE’D DO
ANYTHING FOR “THE OX -BOW INCIDENT.” WHEN THE FILM WAS FINALLY RELEASED
IN 1943, AS PREDICTED BY ZANUCK AND OTHER STUDIOHEADS THE FILM WAS A BOX
OFFICE FAILURE. HOWEVER, AS PREDICTED BY WILLIAM WELLMAN THE CRITICS
LOVED IT. THE FILM WAS NOMINATED FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE
AND WAS NARROWLY BEAT EN OUT BY CASABLANCA (WHO MANY BELIEVE IN THE
GREATEST FILM OF ALL TIME) . FROM DIRECTOR WILLIAM WELLMAN FEATURING
HENRY FONDA, DANA ANDREWS, ANTHONY QUINN, AND MARY BETH HUGHES, HERE’S
“THE OX-BOW INCIDENT” ******

THE OX-BOW INCIDENT (1943) – OUTRO
HENRY FONDA’S CHARACTERIZATION OF GIL CARTER IN “THE OX-BOW INCIDENT” IS
POWERFUL AND HEARTFELT, COMMANDING AND SINCERE. FONDA, HIMSELF, HAD
ONCE WITNESSED A LYNCHING AS A CHILD WHICH HE LATER SAID EFFECTED HIM
DEEPLY. IN AN INTERVIEW YEARS LATER FONDA REFLECTED BACK ON HIS ROLE IN
“THE OX-BOW INCIDENT” AS ONE OF THE FEW FILMS HE DID AT FOX IN WHICH HE
TOOK GREAT PRIDE IN, SIMILAR TO THE MORE POPULAR “12 ANGRY MEN.” BUT IT
MIGHT SURPRISE PEOPLE TO HEAR WHAT FONDA DID AFTER MAKING “THE OX-BOW
INCIDENT. FONDA WAS A PROUD AND HONORABLE MAN. AND AFTER PEARL
HARBOUR, MANY OF FONDA’S FRIENDS AND PEERS BEGAN ENLISTING IN THE
SERVICE. THERE WAS TYRONE POWER WHO JOINED THE MARINES, CLARK GABLE
AND JIMMY STEWART WHO JOINED THE AIR CORPS, AND FONDA (DESPITE AGING
PAST THE CUT-OFF DATE ) FELT AS THOUGH HE HAD TO ENLIST. THE DAY AFTER

2. FONDA FINISHED UP WITH “THE OX -BOW INCIDENT” HE PACKED UP HIS CAR AND
HEADED FOR BOOT CAMP IN SAN DIEGO. THE THIRTY -EIGHT YEAR OLD HENRY
FONDA HAD JUST ENLISTED IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY. COMING UP, ANOTHER
WESTERN AND ANOTHER BARROOM BRAWL: STARRING MARLENE DIETRICH, JAMES
STEWART, AND MISCHA AUER IT’S “DESTRY RIDES AGAIN ,”