The Outcasts of Poker Flat
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Joseph M. Newman
Anne Baxter
Dale Robertson
Miriam Hopkins
Cameron Mitchell
Craig Hill
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In the mid-1800s, in the gold-mining town of Poker Flat, sadistic criminal Ryker and his henchman rob the bank and kill two passersby. While his cohorts are shot down in the street, Ryker gives the loot to his long-suffering wife Cal and orders her to stay in Poker Flat until he sends for her. The next day, the irate citizens decide to rid their town of bad influences and so banish gambler John Oakhurst, lady of the evening "Duchess" Shipton and Jake Watterson, an old drunkard. Cal is also cast out for having been seen with Ryker, although no one knows that she is married to him. Oakhurst strikes out on his own, but the women and Jake, having no one else to turn to, follow him into the mountains. Duchess hurts her ankle when a mountain lion spooks her horse, and Oakhurst, knowing that she cannot travel far in the increasing cold, searches for a cabin he vaguely remembers. Cal, who has been brutalized by her husband throughout their marriage, does not trust Oakhurst, but as they search for the cabin, they meet young Tom Dakin and his fiancée, Piney Wilson, who remember where the cabin is. Once the group is settled in the rundown shelter, Tom, who knew Oakhurst in another city, reveals that Piney is pregnant, and that they were traveling to Poker Flat to get married. A fierce snow storm hits as Cal, impressed by Oakhurst's reluctant dedication to his fellow travelers, apologizes for doubting him. The situation grows more dire when the addled Jake inadvertently scares off all of the horses. Cal's respect for Oakhurst grows when she witnesses his compassion toward the old man, but she still does not divulge the nature of her relationship to Ryker. Cal does tell Oakhurst about the loot, then offers to split it with him if he will take her to a town. After the group spends an uncomfortable night in the cabin, they awaken to discover that the snow storm has worsened, and that Piney is ill. Determined to help her, Tom decides to set out for Poker Flat on foot. Knowing that the callous townsfolk will not come without an incentive, Cal gives Tom $500 of the stolen money. Oakhurst then decides to leave on his own, and despite his attraction to the pleading Cal, refuses to take her with him. Before Oakhurst can leave, however, Cal is horrifed to see Ryker approaching the cabin. Finally admitting to Oakhurst that she is married to Ryker, Cal bitterly states that she must warn him of the possible arrival of the Poker Flat rescue party. Ryker, who was stranded by the death of his horse, is bewildered upon finding Cal in the cabin, and is suspicious of her story about being banished with the other "undesirables." Ryker then eats all of the food and orders Oakhurst to play poker with him until the storm passes. While they are playing, however, Ryker discovers that some of the loot is missing, and Cal reveals that Tom has gone for help. The infuriated Ryker then orders Cal to meet the rescue party at the door so that he can ambush them. After Ryker hustles the others into one of the bedrooms, Cal cautions them not to anger him or try to escape. Oakhurst questions her loyalties but Cal returns to Ryker, who brutally attacks her. Late that night, Oakhurst, who had used his gun to prop open the chimney flue, attempts to retrieve the weapon by digging through the brick wall separating the rooms. A noise awakens Ryker in the morning, although Oakhurst is able to hide his actions. The day drags by as the outcasts await Tom's return, and the tense Ryker beats Jake. Oakhurst taunts Ryker, telling him that he is going to starve to death along with the rest of them, and Cal gains strength from realizing that her husband is as scared as she is. When Jake disappears with a bottle of whiskey, Ryker finds him outside and shoots him, then begins to beat Cal when she snarls at him that she would leave him for Oakhurst if the gambler would have her. Having retrieved his gun, Oakhurst attempts to load it as the cabin fills with smoke. Ryker shoots the gun out of his hand, however, and as the two men fight, Piney spots Tom and a townsman approaching. Hoping to warn them of the danger, Duchess runs out of the cabin, and Ryker breaks free from the fight to shoot her in the back. Using Cal as a hostage, Ryker leaves the cabin, but she refuses to call to Tom and tell him that it is safe to approach. Oakhurst follows the couple and again fights with Ryker, whom he strangles to death. Embracing Cal, a weary Oakhurst then watches as Tom goes into the cabin to get Piney. Later, Piney, Tom and Duchess ride in a wagon to Poker Flat, while Oakhurst and Cal decide to try their luck together in a different town.
Director
Joseph M. Newman
Cast
Anne Baxter
Dale Robertson
Miriam Hopkins
Cameron Mitchell
Craig Hill
Barbara Bates
Billy Lynn
Dick Rich
Tom Greenway
Harry Carter
Russ Conway
Bob Adler
John Ridgely
Harry Shannon
Harry Harvey Sr.
Joe Haworth
Albert Schmidt
Jack Byron
Frosty Royce
Joe P. Smith
Lee Phelps
Kit Carson
Crew
Julian Blaustein
Hugo Friedhofer
Albert Hogsett
Horace Hough
Stan Hough
Dorothy Jeakins
Ray Kellogg
Arthur L. Kirbach
Joseph La Shelle
Charles Lemaire
Harry M. Leonard
Thomas Little
Bruce Macdonald
Bernard Mayes
Lionel Newman
Edmund H. North
Ben Nye
Frank Prehoda
Jerry Pyne
William Reynolds
Lyle Wheeler
Sam Wurtzel
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The opening title card of this film reads: "Twentieth Century-Fox presents Bret Harte's The Outcasts of Poker Flat." Harte's story was included in his collection of short stories entitled Luck of Roaring Camp: And Other Stories (1870). Several reviews noted that the character of "Ryker" does not appear in Harte's original story, and was added by the filmmakers for additional suspense. According to a July 23, 1951 Hollywood Reporter news item, Gregory Peck was originally set to star in the picture. A November 2, 1951 Hollywood Reporter news item includes Drake Smith and Ed Hearn in the cast, but their appearance in the completed picture has not been confirmed. According to a November 7, 1951 Hollywood Reporter news item, a second-camera unit was going to shoot "snow location shots" in Northern California and "the original Bret Harte country." The actual sites of any location filming have not been determined, however.
In November 1949, Variety reported that David O. Selznick and Allied Artists had registered rights to Harte's story but released them to John Ford and Merian C. Cooper's Argosy Productions. That production was not realized, but other adaptations of Harte's story include the 1919 Universal production, directed by Ford and starring Harry Carey (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1911-20) and the 1937 RKO release, directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Preston Foster and Jean Muir (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40).
