The Moonlighter (1953)
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0% of users liked it
(37 ratings)
Disreputable wanderer Wes Anderson (Fred MacMurray) has been thrown in a frontier town calaboose, accused of being a "moonlighter" -- a cowpuncher who herds cattle by day and steals them by night. When Anderson escapes from jail, another man is falsely accused of Wes' crimes and is… More Disreputable wanderer Wes Anderson (Fred MacMurray) has been thrown in a frontier town calaboose, accused of being a "moonlighter" -- a cowpuncher who herds cattle by day and steals them by night. When Anderson escapes from jail, another man is falsely accused of Wes' crimes and is promptly lynched. Driven by guilt and revenge, Wes is determined to punish those responsible for the hanging, and to pay for a decent funeral for the innocent victim. In doing this, however, Wes turns from moonlighting to bank robbing, and it is up to his erstwhile sweetheart, Rela (Barbara Stanwyck) to bring him to justice. Along the way, Wes' criminal tendencies have tragic consequences for his hero-worshipping brother, Tom (William Ching). Originally released in 3-D, The Moonlighter is currently available only in 2-D, its only novelty value being the re-teaming of Double Indemnity stars Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck (who would again work together three years later in the low-key domestic drama There's Always Tomorrow). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Roy Rowland
- Genres
- Western, Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics
- In Theaters
- Sep 19, 1953 Wide
- Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A muddled Western, set in the early part of the 20th century, shot unnecessarily in 3-D and in Black-and-White, that's indifferently helmed by Roy Rowland.
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Cast
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Barbara Stanwyck
as Rela
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Fred MacMurray
as Wes Anderson
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Ward Bond
as Cole
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William Ching
as Tom Anderson
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John Dierkes
as Sheriff Daws
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Morris Ankrum
as Prince
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Jack Elam
as Strawboss
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Charles Halton
as Clem Usquebaugh
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Myra Marsh
as Mrs. Anderson
- David Alpert
- Gregg Barton
- Robert Bice
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Sam Flint
as Mr. Mott
- Joel Fluellen
- Byron Foulger
- Myron Healey
- Ron Kennedy
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Norman Leavitt
as Tidy
- Burt Mustin
- Steve Rowland
- Almira Sessions
- William Hunter
- William Kerwin
