Jubal (1956)

57% of users liked it
(1,193 ratings)

Jubal could just as easily have been titled Othello Out West, even though it was officially based on a novel by Paul I. Wellman. The Othello counterpart is likable (and extremely gullible) ranch owner Shep Horgan (Ernest Borgnine). Horgan hires handsome drifter Cassioer, Jubal Troop (Glenn Ford) as… More Jubal could just as easily have been titled Othello Out West, even though it was officially based on a novel by Paul I. Wellman. The Othello counterpart is likable (and extremely gullible) ranch owner Shep Horgan (Ernest Borgnine). Horgan hires handsome drifter Cassioer, Jubal Troop (Glenn Ford) as a cowhand, much to the delight of the film's "Desdemona", Horgan's hedonistic wife Mae (Valerie French). The "Iago" of the proceedings is psychotic ranch hand Pinky (Rod Steiger), who, envious of Jubal and hoping to enjoy Mae's sexual favors, sows the seeds of suspicion in Horgan's mind by falsely accusing Jubal of messing around with Horgan's wife. Amidst all this nastiness, there is at least one wholly virtuous character, pretty Naomi Hoktor (Felicia Farr), so guess who Jubal eventually winds up with? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 41 min.
Directed By: Delmer Daves
Written By: Russell S. Hughes, Paul Wellman, Russell Hughes, Delmer Daves
Genres: Western, Action & Adventure, Classics

In Theaters: Apr 24, 1956 Limited
On DVD: Apr 5, 2005
Studio: Columbia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Sean Axmaker, Turner Classic Movies Online
This is less Shakespeare than Hollywood melodrama in chaps and Daves was a seasoned hand at both genres.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It's an intriguing Western with big-time star appeal.

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Okay western with many familiar faces. Steiger makes a good hissable villian but the ending is anti-climatic.
Henrik S

A solid western which shares more with a Shakespearean tragedy than a gunslinger pulp mag. Set on a cattle farm, thins stir up as new arrival Jubal (Ford) catches the eye of the bosses wife. What unfolds is the timeless dance of jealousy and survival. While very dense in structure,… More
A solid western which shares more with a Shakespearean tragedy than a gunslinger pulp mag. Set on a cattle farm, thins stir up as new arrival Jubal (Ford) catches the eye of the bosses wife. What unfolds is the timeless dance of jealousy and survival. While very dense in structure, the cast makes this movie very enjoyable and lively. Glenn Ford delivers, so does Rod Steiger who plays a delightfully evil nemesis and adds an existential depth to the film, unusual for classic US westerns. Great if youlije Westerns !