Black Patch


1h 22m 1957
Black Patch

Brief Synopsis

Clay Morgan, a Union veteran who wears a black patch over the eye he lost in battle, never returned home to Iowa after the Civil War, but instead traveled to New Mexico, where he was hired as the marshal of Santa Rita. Clay uses his natural authority, backed with combat-tested shooting skills, to keep the town free of drifters and troublemakers. Two of his loyal supporters are the tequila-loving Pedoline, who uses the jail to sleep off...

Film Details

Genre
Western
Release Date
Sep 14, 1957
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
George Montgomery Productions, Inc.
Distribution Company
Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 22m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White

Synopsis

When the town marshall, a former Civil War veteran, is accused of murdering a former friend turned bank robber for the money, the township is thrown into a moral dilemma

Film Details

Genre
Western
Release Date
Sep 14, 1957
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
George Montgomery Productions, Inc.
Distribution Company
Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 22m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

During the opening title sequence, which is superimposed over the inside of a player piano found in the character "Frenchy De'Vere's" saloon, names appear one at a time in different places on the screen. On the viewed print, many names were illegible; spelling in the above credits was completed using printed contemporary sources. Black Patch marked the first feature film of noted film and television composer Jerry Goldsmith (1929-2004). Although their appearance in the film has not been confirmed, Hollywood Reporter news items add Bill Chaney and Michael Hinn to the cast.
       The Daily Variety review described Black Patch as an "elongated mood piece" that "was supposed to break new trails in the field of the psychological western." The more favorable Hollywood Reporter review, which considered the film "an excellent western," lauded producer-director Allen H. Miner for his "taut, characters-in-depth presentation" concerned with "a subject that has never been adequately explored in the legendary chronicles of the west...how did the young badman go bad?"