Jubal

16.00 Cinema Arlecchino, Bologna, 28 June 2010
JUBAL / Peloton mies / Främlingen från vidderna (Vento di terre lontane). USA (c) 1956 Columbia Pictures Corporation. D: Delmer Daves. SC: Russell S. Hughes, Delmer Daves. DP: Charles Lawton, Jr. - CinemaScope 2,55:1. M: David Raksin. With Glenn Ford (Jubal Troop), Ernest Borgnine (Shep Horgan), Rod Steiger (Pinky Pinkum), Valerie French (Mae Horgan), Felicia Farr (Naomi Hoktor), Charles Bronson (Reb Haisplipp), Jack Elam (McCoy, Bar 8 Rider). 101 min
From: Sony Columbia - restored in 4K in the original 2,55:1 aspect ratio - digital intermediate from difficult source materials
Presenta Grover Crisp (Sony Columbia)
E-subtitles in Italian by Sub-Ti

Delmer Daves was a Hollywood veteran who started to direct Westerns in the 1950s and made a remarkable series of eight Westerns during that decade. I was very grateful for Jubal which I had never seen before.

A cattle farm tragedy. Jubal (Glenn Ford) is a wanderer who for the first time in his life gets appreciation - from Shep Horgan (Ernest Borgnine) who becomes like a surrogate father to him. Jubal meets Naomi of the Mormon wagon train and defends their peaceful camping on Horgan's land. But Mrs. Mae Horgan has set her eyes on the virile Jubal, and "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"... Pinky (Rod Steiger) has been Mae's lover, and now Jubal has replaced him as the favourite of both Shep and Mae. Perhaps this is not a Western Othello, but Pinky acts like Iago in invoking Shep's jealousy, which leads to tragedy: Jubal kills his best friend in self-defense, and the jealous Pinky rapes Mae hurting her lethally. This being a Hollywood movie, after the tragedy there is yet the happy end. The characters are convincing, the cattle farm atmosphere is realistic, and Delmer Daves has a strong grip on the drama.

The restoration has been made by top talent from difficult sources, and although the restoration has taken place in 4K, there is a digital intermediate look (but I have never seen this on film).