Sierra (film)

Sierra
Sierra
	Film poster
Directed by	Alfred E. Green
Written by	Milton Gunzberg (additional dialogue)
Screenplay by	Edna Anhalt
Based on	The Mountains Are My Kingdom; 1937 novel; by Stuart Hardy
Produced by	Michael Kraike
Starring	Audie Murphy; Wanda Hendrix; Burl Ives; Dean Jagger
Cinematography	Russell Metty
Edited by	Ted J. Kent
Music by	Walter Scharf
Color process	Technicolor
Production; company	Universal Pictures
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	June 1, 1950;
Running time	83 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$620,000-$850,000 (est).

Sierra is a 1950 American Western film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Wanda Hendrix, Audie Murphy and Burl Ives.^[2] The film was based on the 1937 novel The Mountains Are My Kingdom by Stuart Hardy.

Plot[edit]

Jeff Hassard (Dean Jagger) and his son Ring (Audie Murphy) lead an isolated existence in the mountains breaking horses, because Jeff is wanted for a murder he did not commit. Their lives are interrupted when they stumble upon a young woman, Riley (Wanda Hendrix). When Jeff is injured, Ring has to go into town to get help.

Cast[edit]

Wanda Hendrix as Riley Martin
Audie Murphy as Ring Hassard
Burl Ives as Lonesome
Dean Jagger as Jeff Hassard
Richard Rober as Big Matt
Tony Curtis as Brent Coulter (as Anthony Curtis)
Houseley Stevenson as Sam Coulter
Elliott Reid as Duke Lafferty
Griff Barnett as Dr. Robbins
Elisabeth Risdon as Aunt Susan
Roy Roberts as Sheriff Knudson
Gregg Martell as Hogan
Sara Allgood as Mrs. Jonas
Erskine Sanford as Judge Prentiss
John Doucette as Jed Coulter
James Arness as Little Sam (as Jim Arness)
Ted Jordan as Jim Coulter
I. Stanford Jolley as Snake Willens
Jack Ingram as Al

Production[edit]

Wanda Hendrix was billed over Audie Murphy in the credits. They were married when the film was made, however their marriage was short and tumultuous, and the two were separated before the film was even released. According to various interviews and articles on the film, Murphy was suffering from what would eventually come to be known as post-traumatic stress disorder, which resulted in his often erratic and unpredictable behavior.

Parts of the film were shot in Kanab Canyon, Aspen Mirror Lake, Duck Creek, Cascade Falls, and Cedar Breaks in Utah.^[3]^: 288

References[edit]

^ "U's $1,470,000 Average Prod Cost Pared to 740G Per Pic in 49". Variety. April 27, 1949. p. 6.
^ Sierra at Audie Murphy Memorial Site
^ D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: A history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.

External links[edit]

Sierra at IMDb
Sierra at the American Film Institute Catalog
Sierra at the TCM Movie Database
Sierra at Letterboxd

This 1950s Western film–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "U's $1,470,000 Average Prod Cost Pared to 740G Per Pic in 49". Variety. April 27, 1949. p. 6.

[2] Sierra at Audie Murphy Memorial Site

[3] D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: A history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.

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