Daniel Halliday (Joseph Cotten) the son of Big Dan Halliday (Ward Bond), a powerful rancher and corrupt sheriff, rebels against his father when the older man allows the man who loves his daughter (Betsy Blair) to be lynched for a crime he did not commit.  The spiteful father declares his son to be an outlaw, as the younger man begins a campaign to bring Big Dan Halliday down.

CRITIQUE

This modestly budgeted; black-and-white release is not typical of the program Westerns that passed through movie houses almost weekly during the 1940s-1950s. 

In most Westerns where the son of a powerful rancher rebels against his father (e.g. Duel in the Sun, Gunman’s Walk), it is the scion who is the “bad guy,” not the old man.  Not so in The Halliday Brand (1957).

Ward Bond’s Big Dan Halliday is no kindly “Ben Cartwright” of Bonanza.  He is a cruel, vindictive bully who may have won his vast cattle empire through brutal battles against the Indians and the elements, but he now controls it with an iron fist as sheriff.  The townsfolk do his bidding because they know that, if they defy him, they will pay dearly.

As his eldest son, Joseph Cotton has tried to close the eyes to Bond’s harsh, sometimes lawless ways.  But, after his sister’s lover is hung and Bond, subsequently, goads and then kills, the dead man’s father, Cotton quits the ranch, vowing to end the old man’s tyrannical reign.

Frequent collaborators George W. George and George S. Slavin wrote The Halliday Brand, told primarily in a long flashback.  Joseph H. Lewis chose a rather interesting approach to direct the film, playing almost all of the dialogue scenes in one long Master Shot, rather than inter-cutting with Medium Shots or Close-Ups.

This is a rather bold tactic, particularly for a modestly budgeted film such as this, since if something goes amiss in the Master (e.g. an actor blows a line, a camera problem, etc.), one has to begin the scene anew.  On the other hand, if you have more coverage of the sequence, the editor can always cut to another shot to eliminate the flub.

All things considered, Lewis’ Master Shots work quite well, though I must admit that my awareness of them, along with his accompanying smooth camera movements, was slightly distracting.

Viveca Lindfors, who plays the lynched man’s sister, Cotton’s love interest, is a fine actress, but she does not seem the right fit for this role.  Cotton, Bond and Betsy Blair are excellent in their individual assignments.

The Halliday Brand is a good, “B” Western that will definitely entertain devotes of the genre.

THE VIDEO

As part of MGM’s “Limited Edition Collection,” this is a “burned,” as opposed to a “pressed” DVD, and is manufactured from the best elements available.

The full screen black-and-white picture is a bit soft in spots.

THE AUDIO

The Dolby Digital Mono Sound is crisp and clear.

THE EXTRAS

None.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This adult western features some good performances and an intriguing, unusual plot.