Well there's certainly enough hate to go around in this picture, with the theme explored from various vantage points by director Josph Lewis. I've seen Ward Bond in a wide range of roles, mostly Westerns, but this is by far his most compelling performance. He's a character who just won't let go, and in turn, forces his own son to become a virtual mirror image of himself. The Halliday Brand is symbolized by various signposts along the way - the tree stump axe, Daniel's (Joseph Cotten) usurpation of the family trademark in the cattle stampede, and none more searing than the senior Halliday's declaration in my summary line. For he's willing to fight to keep his family blood line untainted by inter-racial marriage which threatens on two fronts. Daughter Martha (Betsy Blair) has sacrificed her entire life to be suffocated by the Halliday Brand, and when her betrothed is murdered by a lynch mob, brother Daniel takes up the cause to vindicate his death. Standing on the sidelines is brother Clay (Bill Williams), unable to prevail in the name of reason on either side. The emotional pitch gets intense as Daniel resorts to lawlessness and violence to confront his father's arrogance. It's not a comfortable picture to watch, made more harrowing by the absence of any breaks in the tension. The story never sets the viewer up for a reconciliation, and on that score it succeeds, as the Hallidays are finally left broken and dispirited by the paths they have chosen.
11 Reviews
"Maybe a few innocent men got killed, but I got things done".
classicsoncall6 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Powerful Performances Dominate This Western!
bsmith555223 December 2013
Warning: Spoilers
"The Halliday Brand" is an excellent western about the conflict between a father and son. Sheriff "Big Dan" Halliday (Ward Bond) is the sheriff/ranch owner in an unnamed town. His elder son Daniel (Joseph Cotten) has been avoiding joining his father in law enforcement.
The picture opens with Daniel's brother Clay (Bill Williams) bringing news of their father's failing health and his wish to patch things up with his son before he dies. we are then told in a lengthy flashback sequence, the story behind their feud. We learn that the old man believes that his way is the only way and that his beliefs are not to be questioned.
A couple of tragic events involving Daniel's sister Martha (Betsy Blair), a half breed named Jivaco (Christopher Dark, who looked too much like Dane Clark) and Jivaco's father Chad Burris (Jay C. Flippen) cause the gap to widen between Daniel and his father. Daniel vows to destroy his father and "Big Dan" vows to capture and hang his rebellious son. Further complicating matters are the relationships formed between Daniel, Clay and Jivaco's sister Aleta (Viveca Lindfors).
Ward Bond rarely received leading roles in the movies. In this film he gets a chance to show what an excellent actor he was. His powerful performance dominates every scene in which he appears. He is matched by Cotton (looking a bit under nourished) as the son. Never mind that both actors were virtually the same age. They make you believe that they could be a father and his son and play well off of each other.
Also in the cast are Jeannette Nolan virtually unrecognizable as the Indian grandmother Nante, and Glenn Strange, I. Stanford Jolley and John Dierkes as various townsmen.
An excellent little western.
The picture opens with Daniel's brother Clay (Bill Williams) bringing news of their father's failing health and his wish to patch things up with his son before he dies. we are then told in a lengthy flashback sequence, the story behind their feud. We learn that the old man believes that his way is the only way and that his beliefs are not to be questioned.
A couple of tragic events involving Daniel's sister Martha (Betsy Blair), a half breed named Jivaco (Christopher Dark, who looked too much like Dane Clark) and Jivaco's father Chad Burris (Jay C. Flippen) cause the gap to widen between Daniel and his father. Daniel vows to destroy his father and "Big Dan" vows to capture and hang his rebellious son. Further complicating matters are the relationships formed between Daniel, Clay and Jivaco's sister Aleta (Viveca Lindfors).
Ward Bond rarely received leading roles in the movies. In this film he gets a chance to show what an excellent actor he was. His powerful performance dominates every scene in which he appears. He is matched by Cotton (looking a bit under nourished) as the son. Never mind that both actors were virtually the same age. They make you believe that they could be a father and his son and play well off of each other.
Also in the cast are Jeannette Nolan virtually unrecognizable as the Indian grandmother Nante, and Glenn Strange, I. Stanford Jolley and John Dierkes as various townsmen.
An excellent little western.
Halliday Family Values
bkoganbing6 April 2015
The same year that Ward Bond embarked on Wagon Train as Major Seth Adams the role that would give him star status at long last he did this rather grim western. The Halliday Brand casts him as both sheriff and local Ponderosa owner and he's one mean and bigoted man. His two sons Joseph Cotten and Bill Williams and daughter Betsy Blair are apples that have fallen far from the tree.
In fact Bond is even concerned about the sex lives of the ranch hands he employs and he and Cotten go to check out who Christopher Dark who is a mixed race person in the Halliday employ is shacking up with. Bond is horrified to learn that it's Blair and they want to get married.
Small wonder that when Dark is arrested on a rustling charge, sheriff Bond lets a lynch mob deal with Dark while he's conveniently out of town. Later on he kills Jay C. Flippen who is the father of Dark and of Viveca Lindfors who Cotten has a thing for.
I'm agreeing with the reviewer that said this film should have had a bigger scope and budget. The Halliday Brand has elements of both Red River and The Big Country and Duel In The Sun and should have gotten that kind of treatment.
Bond is proud, stubborn, and brutal. Joseph Cotten has recycled elements of his and Gregory Peck's character from Duel In The Sun in his relationship with Bond. It's not a totally satisfying welding of those two characters either. Cotten is way too much the classy gentleman to get down and dirty as he does in this film.
Still fans of the other players should like The Halliday Brand.
In fact Bond is even concerned about the sex lives of the ranch hands he employs and he and Cotten go to check out who Christopher Dark who is a mixed race person in the Halliday employ is shacking up with. Bond is horrified to learn that it's Blair and they want to get married.
Small wonder that when Dark is arrested on a rustling charge, sheriff Bond lets a lynch mob deal with Dark while he's conveniently out of town. Later on he kills Jay C. Flippen who is the father of Dark and of Viveca Lindfors who Cotten has a thing for.
I'm agreeing with the reviewer that said this film should have had a bigger scope and budget. The Halliday Brand has elements of both Red River and The Big Country and Duel In The Sun and should have gotten that kind of treatment.
Bond is proud, stubborn, and brutal. Joseph Cotten has recycled elements of his and Gregory Peck's character from Duel In The Sun in his relationship with Bond. It's not a totally satisfying welding of those two characters either. Cotten is way too much the classy gentleman to get down and dirty as he does in this film.
Still fans of the other players should like The Halliday Brand.
Lost in the Gunsmoke
dougdoepke26 April 2009
1957 was just about the peak year for Westerns on TV and the theater screen. In fact, there was almost enough phony gunsmoke floating around to blot out the sun and maybe a few stars. Okay, I exaggerate a bit, but it's small wonder that a worthy little effort like this got lost in the six-gun crowd. Looks to me like a large-scale story done on a small-scale budget with a number of aging yet very skillful players. Never mind that dad Bond is only 3 years older than "son" Cotton or that Lindfors looks about as Indian as I do. When you've got Bond heading up the cast as a stubborn old patriarch and town sheriff, you've got the makings of strong drama. And a strong drama it is with Cotton feuding with Dad over the race mixing going on over at JC Flippen's place. Worse, Bond's daughter has eyes for Flippen's half- breed son, while Cotton's taking a fancy to the half-Indian daughter, Lindfors. At the same time, crusty old patriarch Bond insists on family tradition and, by golly, that doesn't include anyone who was there on the rock to meet the Pilgrims. Now all sorts of trouble are brewing since Bond not only represents family but the law as well.
I suspect that if you dig into the screenplay a little, you can come up with a political allegory that reflects deeper social movements of the time. Be that as it may, the story is big enough and the cast strong enough to warrant much better production values than what we get. Too bad, the filming was limited to the ugly scrublands around LA. This is a package that needs a scale of landscape to match the scale of the story, which apparently was more than the independent producers could afford. It looks like sacrifices had to be made and it was setting more than cast or story that was sacrificed. Anyway, the contest of wills between father and son remains explosive, even though the racial theme has lost cutting edge to the years. In passing—note how we're never shown Cotton actually committing the harassing acts he resorts to, like burning the water tower, or scattering the bank papers. Instead, he's shown skulking around the site. My guess is that was so the audience would not turn against this sympathetic character, even though he commits questionable acts. All in all, it's a good chance to see some fine actors doing their thing, including the often overlooked Betsy Blair.
I suspect that if you dig into the screenplay a little, you can come up with a political allegory that reflects deeper social movements of the time. Be that as it may, the story is big enough and the cast strong enough to warrant much better production values than what we get. Too bad, the filming was limited to the ugly scrublands around LA. This is a package that needs a scale of landscape to match the scale of the story, which apparently was more than the independent producers could afford. It looks like sacrifices had to be made and it was setting more than cast or story that was sacrificed. Anyway, the contest of wills between father and son remains explosive, even though the racial theme has lost cutting edge to the years. In passing—note how we're never shown Cotton actually committing the harassing acts he resorts to, like burning the water tower, or scattering the bank papers. Instead, he's shown skulking around the site. My guess is that was so the audience would not turn against this sympathetic character, even though he commits questionable acts. All in all, it's a good chance to see some fine actors doing their thing, including the often overlooked Betsy Blair.
Getting kinda Oepidally here...
planktonrules1 July 2018
Apart from some of the singing, I enjoyed "The Halliday Brand" quite a bit. While I am not normally a huge western fan, the Oedipal style story is timeless.
When the story begins, Martha (Betsy Blair) is carrying on a covert relationship with a man who is half American Indian. Her father, Big Dan (Ward Bond), is a bigot and so she's been hiding this from him. When he does find out, he's predictably furious...but what happens next shocks everyone. Soon Big Dan stirs up the locals and the boyfriend is murdered. Big Dan's son, Daniel (Joseph Cotten), is furious and naturally blames his father. But Big Dan isn't finished....his infamy seems to know no bounds. Soon, however, he's pushed Daniel so hard that Daniel makes it his life's work to destroy the man.
In many ways, this reminds me of one of the greatest westerns, "The Big Country". This film also is about the father-son relationship as well as two patriarchs who are too proud to bend in any way. Both should be watched...just try to ignore the moaning lady 'singing' some of the music...that "The Halliday Brand" could do without!
When the story begins, Martha (Betsy Blair) is carrying on a covert relationship with a man who is half American Indian. Her father, Big Dan (Ward Bond), is a bigot and so she's been hiding this from him. When he does find out, he's predictably furious...but what happens next shocks everyone. Soon Big Dan stirs up the locals and the boyfriend is murdered. Big Dan's son, Daniel (Joseph Cotten), is furious and naturally blames his father. But Big Dan isn't finished....his infamy seems to know no bounds. Soon, however, he's pushed Daniel so hard that Daniel makes it his life's work to destroy the man.
In many ways, this reminds me of one of the greatest westerns, "The Big Country". This film also is about the father-son relationship as well as two patriarchs who are too proud to bend in any way. Both should be watched...just try to ignore the moaning lady 'singing' some of the music...that "The Halliday Brand" could do without!
Overwrought film with some daft casting
35541m27 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
It is not clear to me why this film is so highly rated on the board. I saw it recently and it was incredible overwrought and full of bizarre casting decisions. Plus the central premise suffers from a critical design flaw.
Firstly, we're in the wild west circa 1870 or 1880 (I guess) so what is a rich landowner doing with 3 unmarried children well over the age of 30? It simply wouldn't happen back then. Halliday keeps ranting on about wanting to keep his 'brand' pure but he's not going to have a brand because his kids are all childless. Maybe this is intended to be an irony of the script but if so everyone keeps very quiet about it.
Secondly, how old is Joesph Cotten's character supposed to be? 25-30? Cotten doesn't look as old as 51 (his real age) but does look at least 40. A bit old to have a rebellion and certainly it's not really plausible that he goes from mild mannered sop to a virtually superhuman avenger whom no posse can catch.
A Swedish Indian? That's original at least.
Janette Nolan caked up in some ridiculous make-up and overacting like mad as usual.
Bond pulls a gun on Cotten - which he presumably got from somewhere and hadn't hidden in his bed for several months - and is disarmed by Blair. Rather than take the gun away and put it somewhere safe, she then sticks it in the drawer next to his bed within easy reach! Dumb or what? I tried to like this one but it just had some many ridiculous characters and situations I couldn't. Director Lewis tries with what he has but the money obviously went on the stars here since make of the scene are filmed in a single take with obviously no time to reshoot even if Betsy Blair cannot act.
Firstly, we're in the wild west circa 1870 or 1880 (I guess) so what is a rich landowner doing with 3 unmarried children well over the age of 30? It simply wouldn't happen back then. Halliday keeps ranting on about wanting to keep his 'brand' pure but he's not going to have a brand because his kids are all childless. Maybe this is intended to be an irony of the script but if so everyone keeps very quiet about it.
Secondly, how old is Joesph Cotten's character supposed to be? 25-30? Cotten doesn't look as old as 51 (his real age) but does look at least 40. A bit old to have a rebellion and certainly it's not really plausible that he goes from mild mannered sop to a virtually superhuman avenger whom no posse can catch.
A Swedish Indian? That's original at least.
Janette Nolan caked up in some ridiculous make-up and overacting like mad as usual.
Bond pulls a gun on Cotten - which he presumably got from somewhere and hadn't hidden in his bed for several months - and is disarmed by Blair. Rather than take the gun away and put it somewhere safe, she then sticks it in the drawer next to his bed within easy reach! Dumb or what? I tried to like this one but it just had some many ridiculous characters and situations I couldn't. Director Lewis tries with what he has but the money obviously went on the stars here since make of the scene are filmed in a single take with obviously no time to reshoot even if Betsy Blair cannot act.
High Octane Western
gordonl568 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
THE HALLIDAY BRAND 1957
This high-octane, emotion packed 1957 American western, stars, Joseph Cotten, Ward Bond, Betsy Blair, Bill Williams, Jay C. Flippen, Christopher Dark and the gorgeous Viveca Lindfors.
The film, which is told in a long flashback, revolves around the family of a powerful rancher played by Ward Bond. The man has carved out one of the biggest ranches in the area. He is also the local town's Sheriff. When Bond's daughter, Betsy Blair, takes up with a local half breed, Bond breaks up the relationship.
The lad, Christopher Dark, is then arrested on suspected murder and rustling charges. Bond's son, Cotten does not believe a word of it and accuses Bond of bigotry. Bond's other son Bill Williams, is the town deputy. He fails to protect Dark when a lynch mob comes for the lad. The mob strings up the boy.
Cotten rides to town to talk with Dark's father, Jay C. Flippen and sister, Viveca Lindfors. Flippen soon grabs up his rifle and goes looking for Bond. This does not end well for Flippen. The handy with a gun Bond plants Flippen with several well placed rounds.
Now there is a big falling out between Bond and son Cotten. Cotten starts a campaign of destruction against Bond and the other ranchers. He tells all that his father, Bond, must end his reign as the only law around. Bond rustles up a posse and pursues his son into the brush country. Cotton however manages to stay one step ahead. Cotton and the pretty Lindfors also manage to work in a little tongue wrestling time into the chase.
Matters come to a head when Bond gets sick and is on his deathbed. Or so everyone thinks. It is a play by the old arse to lure his son back. How does it end? You need to watch it, but rest assured it will be worth your time.
This top flight potboiler was directed by the under-rated, Joseph H. Lewis. Lewis knocked out several excellent b film noir and westerns during his big screen years. These include, SO DARK THE NIGHT, MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS, GUN CRAZY and THE BIG COMBO. His westerns include A LAWLESS STREET, 7th CAVALRY and 60 or so episodes of series like, THE RIFLEMAN, THE BIG VALLEY, A MAN CALLED SHENANDOAH and BONANZA.
The sharp look of the film is supplied by 7 time Oscar nominated and 2 time winning cinematographer, Ray Rennahan. His film work includes, FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, DUEL IN THE SUN, 7th CAVALRY, A LAWLESS STREET, WHISPERING SMITH, (the film) STREETS OF LAREDO and THE PALEFACE.
This high-octane, emotion packed 1957 American western, stars, Joseph Cotten, Ward Bond, Betsy Blair, Bill Williams, Jay C. Flippen, Christopher Dark and the gorgeous Viveca Lindfors.
The film, which is told in a long flashback, revolves around the family of a powerful rancher played by Ward Bond. The man has carved out one of the biggest ranches in the area. He is also the local town's Sheriff. When Bond's daughter, Betsy Blair, takes up with a local half breed, Bond breaks up the relationship.
The lad, Christopher Dark, is then arrested on suspected murder and rustling charges. Bond's son, Cotten does not believe a word of it and accuses Bond of bigotry. Bond's other son Bill Williams, is the town deputy. He fails to protect Dark when a lynch mob comes for the lad. The mob strings up the boy.
Cotten rides to town to talk with Dark's father, Jay C. Flippen and sister, Viveca Lindfors. Flippen soon grabs up his rifle and goes looking for Bond. This does not end well for Flippen. The handy with a gun Bond plants Flippen with several well placed rounds.
Now there is a big falling out between Bond and son Cotten. Cotten starts a campaign of destruction against Bond and the other ranchers. He tells all that his father, Bond, must end his reign as the only law around. Bond rustles up a posse and pursues his son into the brush country. Cotton however manages to stay one step ahead. Cotton and the pretty Lindfors also manage to work in a little tongue wrestling time into the chase.
Matters come to a head when Bond gets sick and is on his deathbed. Or so everyone thinks. It is a play by the old arse to lure his son back. How does it end? You need to watch it, but rest assured it will be worth your time.
This top flight potboiler was directed by the under-rated, Joseph H. Lewis. Lewis knocked out several excellent b film noir and westerns during his big screen years. These include, SO DARK THE NIGHT, MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS, GUN CRAZY and THE BIG COMBO. His westerns include A LAWLESS STREET, 7th CAVALRY and 60 or so episodes of series like, THE RIFLEMAN, THE BIG VALLEY, A MAN CALLED SHENANDOAH and BONANZA.
The sharp look of the film is supplied by 7 time Oscar nominated and 2 time winning cinematographer, Ray Rennahan. His film work includes, FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, DUEL IN THE SUN, 7th CAVALRY, A LAWLESS STREET, WHISPERING SMITH, (the film) STREETS OF LAREDO and THE PALEFACE.
Incredibly low budget
HotToastyRag25 January 2022
If you want to hate the western genre forever, go ahead and rent The Halliday Brand. Otherwise, do everyone a favor (especially Joseph Cotten and Ward Bond) and forget it was ever made. I don't know what was wrong with the director, but this might be the worst filmed old movie I've ever seen. Joseph H. Lewis, famous for turning low-budget pictures into palatable ones, didn't give his magic touch to this drama. Perhaps he only had $5,000 in the entire budget, and he didn't have any money to film close-ups or medium shots. Perhaps he did film the variety, but there was a terrible fire and all the footage was lost. Or perhaps he accidentally recorded the rehearsals while the camera was poised for the wide shot, and by the time he realized the error, they were out of time and money.
If you've ever wondered whether close-ups were necessary to a movie, they certainly are. Joseph Cotten, Ward Bond, Betsy Blair, and Viveca Lindfors had clenched fists, long pauses after each line (which actors sometimes provide in long shots to make it easier on the editor), and often turned their backs on the camera because they assumed the subsequent close-up would make up the difference. I felt so sorry for these actors.
The story itself was also difficult to root for. Ward plays the powerful patriarch in the western town, and his daughter Betsy Blair falls for a half-Indian hired hand. They sneak around and kiss each other while hiding in the man's house - unacceptable behavior no matter what color her boyfriend's skin is. Also, this was a period piece, during a time when a woman's reputation mattered. Also, her father's a sheriff. And yet we're supposed to be on Betsy's side when Ward forbids the match. As a loving, responsible father, is he supposed to encourage his daughter to be ostracized from the entire town, raising mixed children who are ridiculed by their peers? Her husband could easily be lynched, for daring to marry such a prominent white man's daughter.
I sat through this entire movie for love of Ward Bond. He died two years later, and I certainly missed his energy in the 1960s. Thankfully, George Kennedy quickly stepped up the plate and served as a replacement. But I treasure Ward while I can - just not in this movie.
If you've ever wondered whether close-ups were necessary to a movie, they certainly are. Joseph Cotten, Ward Bond, Betsy Blair, and Viveca Lindfors had clenched fists, long pauses after each line (which actors sometimes provide in long shots to make it easier on the editor), and often turned their backs on the camera because they assumed the subsequent close-up would make up the difference. I felt so sorry for these actors.
The story itself was also difficult to root for. Ward plays the powerful patriarch in the western town, and his daughter Betsy Blair falls for a half-Indian hired hand. They sneak around and kiss each other while hiding in the man's house - unacceptable behavior no matter what color her boyfriend's skin is. Also, this was a period piece, during a time when a woman's reputation mattered. Also, her father's a sheriff. And yet we're supposed to be on Betsy's side when Ward forbids the match. As a loving, responsible father, is he supposed to encourage his daughter to be ostracized from the entire town, raising mixed children who are ridiculed by their peers? Her husband could easily be lynched, for daring to marry such a prominent white man's daughter.
I sat through this entire movie for love of Ward Bond. He died two years later, and I certainly missed his energy in the 1960s. Thankfully, George Kennedy quickly stepped up the plate and served as a replacement. But I treasure Ward while I can - just not in this movie.
Powerful and intense Western
lorenellroy29 May 2002
The Halliday Brand is a short movie clocking in at less than 80 minutes but it packs a powerful punch for all that, being a passionate,moody and brooding movie without an optimistic bone in its body
Ward Bond is the patriarch of the Halliday clan-rancher,lawman and bigot who controls his family with an unflinching will and brooks no opposition to his domestic and governmental tyranny.When his daughter (Betsy Blair)falls in love with a mixed race man(part Native American/part white)he orders him off the family ranch and railroads him into gaol on a false rustling charge and shortly thereafter the man is lynched.This is too much for his equally strong willed son (Joseph Cotten)who abandons family and home to set himself up in opposition to his father The tale unfolds via flashback when he returns to the bedside of his ailing father but there is to be no cosy reconciliation,and blinkered hatred rules Directed by Lewis in an intense almost manic style this is generally well acted,although Lindfors is simply
The look is minimalist with stylised studio interiors being put to good use and adding to the sense of oppression generated by the movie.There is no room for compromise in Bond's world view and Cotten is the mirror image leaving tragedy as the ultimate outcome Lindfors is miscast but other performance are strong and using performers not always readily associated with the genre aids involvement
Ward Bond is the patriarch of the Halliday clan-rancher,lawman and bigot who controls his family with an unflinching will and brooks no opposition to his domestic and governmental tyranny.When his daughter (Betsy Blair)falls in love with a mixed race man(part Native American/part white)he orders him off the family ranch and railroads him into gaol on a false rustling charge and shortly thereafter the man is lynched.This is too much for his equally strong willed son (Joseph Cotten)who abandons family and home to set himself up in opposition to his father The tale unfolds via flashback when he returns to the bedside of his ailing father but there is to be no cosy reconciliation,and blinkered hatred rules Directed by Lewis in an intense almost manic style this is generally well acted,although Lindfors is simply
The look is minimalist with stylised studio interiors being put to good use and adding to the sense of oppression generated by the movie.There is no room for compromise in Bond's world view and Cotten is the mirror image leaving tragedy as the ultimate outcome Lindfors is miscast but other performance are strong and using performers not always readily associated with the genre aids involvement
Neglected, stylish Lewis Western worth seeing
FilmFlaneur16 March 2002
Warning: Spoilers
'The Halliday Brand' is the penultimate film by cult B-movie meister Joseph H Lewis. He began his career with some anonymous oaters, before first arousing attention with the taut thriller 'My Name is Julia Ross'. He then progressed to the heights of 'Gun Crazy', and 'The Big Combo', and aptly concluded his career with some more Westerns including the bizarre, final 'Terror in a Texas Town'. Since it was 'rediscovered' in the 80's, his work has been admired by luminaries such as Godard and Bogdanovich.
'The Halliday Brand', is among the best of his Westerns, displaying many of the hallmarks of Lewis' most successful work. Even so, it remains less well known than his more celebrated noirs. Perhaps this is because while they test the boundaries of genre with formal experiments - the robbery shot from the back of the car in 'Gun Crazy', or the deaf-aid death scene in 'The Big Combo' for instance, 'Halliday' remains intense but more conventional, less dynamic. (Having said that, the use of a flashback in a Western still seems a novelty.) In addition, its social concerns seem less urgent than they once might have done.
At the centre of the present film is Big Dan Halliday, played by Ford veteran Ward Bond. At its heart, the touchy issue of miscegenation, and familial/racial pride. In the decade or so after the film's appearance, the issue of racial segregation was to become a key note of the burgeoning civil rights movement. The marriage of blacks to whites was still illegal in several states. The fact that Lewis' film tackles such bigotry head on is a testament to its bravery and, in some respects, to Lewis' integrity as a film maker. The impact of the film is made the greater by the fatherly presence of Bond/Big Dan. A close friend of John Wayne, Bond's well known real life political conservatism gives his role significantly more impact. In fact this may be Bond's best film in a major part, although his blustering sensibilities had been familiar and effective down the years as supporting actor or heavy.
As the estranged son Daniel, Joseph Cotton gives an effective account of himself, although the urbane persona of the actor seems slightly jarring on the open range. He is perceptibly more at ease as a failed Western writer (Holly Martins in 'The Third Man' (1949)), than Western hero per se. (Cotton was used to much better effect in the genre by Corbucci a few years later, in the spaghetti 'The Hellbenders/Il Crudeli (1966)). Daniel's search for justice is a little too civilised, less wrathful than vexed. A comparison with the wronged, vengeful Glenn Ford in a film like 'The Violent Men', Maté's 1955 Western, illustrates the point. Ford's character is bitter, sacrificing, calculating and cold; Cotton's is almost apologetic as he sets to work robbing and burning to bring his proud father to his knees. But Cotton has undoubted elan and class as an actor, partly due to his association with Orson Welles (in fact his next role was as the doctor in 'Touch of Evil'). Bond and he make for a fascinating pairing, never uninteresting as they play off each other.
Daniel's romance with the indian Aleta is an ironic one; her brother and father have been killed directly or indirectly by Halliday senior. She is naturally drawn to the kindly son who takes issue with the crimes vested upon her family, until she "can't take her eyes off him". The earlier, doomed, dalliance between Jivaro and Martha thus proves the soil in which a new love can sprout. Although there is no doubt that the earlier match would have been a secure one, one feels that Daniel and Aleta's union, born in adversity, will prove the strongest.
The Halliday 'brand' of course has more than one meaning. Literally, it refers to the mark on the hide of cattle, or the distinctive (and phallic) axe-in-the-log symbol, prominent twice within shots: at the start of the film, then at the end. (Daniel uses his own form of this brand to indicate his rebelliousness.) But, especially for Big Dan, the 'brand' has a more profound significance: that of personal honour, reputation, and specifically the undiluted nature of the family blood. "The Halliday Brand stands for a lot of things" he declares at one point; ironically his own bigotry and aversion to inter-racial marriage in the family means the brand is something unpleasant and continuously narrowing. For Daniel, of course, the 'brand' is that of shame. That of his father's dubious law enforcement methods in general, and his racist injustice in particular.
Lewis' film is distinguished by several long, one-take scenes. The opening camp side interview between Daniel and his bother Bill; the extended love scene between Jivaro and Martha (which recalls the 'wedding fantasy' scene of Ray's 'Johnny Guitar' (1953)), or the relaxed bedroom scene between Daniel and his father. Through this lack of cutting the intensity of events, as in the climactic confrontation at the feet of the newly hanged and cut down Jivaro, is heightened. Long, or continuous, takes can be very liberating for viewer and actor. Characters are free to move around the view plane, the audience's eye choosing to follow them or not, without the 'artificial' emphases of close up or reaction shots. It's a uncluttered style, involving some planning, open to more risks in shooting. The economy and expressiveness which results is very characteristic of the director - as is the awareness of fore- and background space, and expressive camera movements.
As a B-film, 'The Halliday Brand' betrays its origins. Apart from the old stagers Bond and Cotton (and the ever reliable C Jay Flippen in a small part) the acting never really rises above adequate, and an over-emphatic musical score (a wordless soprano whenever Dan and Aleta meet, for instance) is sometimes intrusive. But it is a taut, intelligent film, and one which can be recommended to admirers of this director.
'The Halliday Brand', is among the best of his Westerns, displaying many of the hallmarks of Lewis' most successful work. Even so, it remains less well known than his more celebrated noirs. Perhaps this is because while they test the boundaries of genre with formal experiments - the robbery shot from the back of the car in 'Gun Crazy', or the deaf-aid death scene in 'The Big Combo' for instance, 'Halliday' remains intense but more conventional, less dynamic. (Having said that, the use of a flashback in a Western still seems a novelty.) In addition, its social concerns seem less urgent than they once might have done.
At the centre of the present film is Big Dan Halliday, played by Ford veteran Ward Bond. At its heart, the touchy issue of miscegenation, and familial/racial pride. In the decade or so after the film's appearance, the issue of racial segregation was to become a key note of the burgeoning civil rights movement. The marriage of blacks to whites was still illegal in several states. The fact that Lewis' film tackles such bigotry head on is a testament to its bravery and, in some respects, to Lewis' integrity as a film maker. The impact of the film is made the greater by the fatherly presence of Bond/Big Dan. A close friend of John Wayne, Bond's well known real life political conservatism gives his role significantly more impact. In fact this may be Bond's best film in a major part, although his blustering sensibilities had been familiar and effective down the years as supporting actor or heavy.
As the estranged son Daniel, Joseph Cotton gives an effective account of himself, although the urbane persona of the actor seems slightly jarring on the open range. He is perceptibly more at ease as a failed Western writer (Holly Martins in 'The Third Man' (1949)), than Western hero per se. (Cotton was used to much better effect in the genre by Corbucci a few years later, in the spaghetti 'The Hellbenders/Il Crudeli (1966)). Daniel's search for justice is a little too civilised, less wrathful than vexed. A comparison with the wronged, vengeful Glenn Ford in a film like 'The Violent Men', Maté's 1955 Western, illustrates the point. Ford's character is bitter, sacrificing, calculating and cold; Cotton's is almost apologetic as he sets to work robbing and burning to bring his proud father to his knees. But Cotton has undoubted elan and class as an actor, partly due to his association with Orson Welles (in fact his next role was as the doctor in 'Touch of Evil'). Bond and he make for a fascinating pairing, never uninteresting as they play off each other.
Daniel's romance with the indian Aleta is an ironic one; her brother and father have been killed directly or indirectly by Halliday senior. She is naturally drawn to the kindly son who takes issue with the crimes vested upon her family, until she "can't take her eyes off him". The earlier, doomed, dalliance between Jivaro and Martha thus proves the soil in which a new love can sprout. Although there is no doubt that the earlier match would have been a secure one, one feels that Daniel and Aleta's union, born in adversity, will prove the strongest.
The Halliday 'brand' of course has more than one meaning. Literally, it refers to the mark on the hide of cattle, or the distinctive (and phallic) axe-in-the-log symbol, prominent twice within shots: at the start of the film, then at the end. (Daniel uses his own form of this brand to indicate his rebelliousness.) But, especially for Big Dan, the 'brand' has a more profound significance: that of personal honour, reputation, and specifically the undiluted nature of the family blood. "The Halliday Brand stands for a lot of things" he declares at one point; ironically his own bigotry and aversion to inter-racial marriage in the family means the brand is something unpleasant and continuously narrowing. For Daniel, of course, the 'brand' is that of shame. That of his father's dubious law enforcement methods in general, and his racist injustice in particular.
Lewis' film is distinguished by several long, one-take scenes. The opening camp side interview between Daniel and his bother Bill; the extended love scene between Jivaro and Martha (which recalls the 'wedding fantasy' scene of Ray's 'Johnny Guitar' (1953)), or the relaxed bedroom scene between Daniel and his father. Through this lack of cutting the intensity of events, as in the climactic confrontation at the feet of the newly hanged and cut down Jivaro, is heightened. Long, or continuous, takes can be very liberating for viewer and actor. Characters are free to move around the view plane, the audience's eye choosing to follow them or not, without the 'artificial' emphases of close up or reaction shots. It's a uncluttered style, involving some planning, open to more risks in shooting. The economy and expressiveness which results is very characteristic of the director - as is the awareness of fore- and background space, and expressive camera movements.
As a B-film, 'The Halliday Brand' betrays its origins. Apart from the old stagers Bond and Cotton (and the ever reliable C Jay Flippen in a small part) the acting never really rises above adequate, and an over-emphatic musical score (a wordless soprano whenever Dan and Aleta meet, for instance) is sometimes intrusive. But it is a taut, intelligent film, and one which can be recommended to admirers of this director.
Joseph Lewis' brand
searchanddestroy-15 November 2023
The specialist of cheap golden gems was without any discussion Joseph H Lewis, and not only for GUN CRAZY and TERROR IN A TEXAS TOWN - and several other pictures - but for this very one too. With so few dollars, he had the ability to offer us something amazingly powerful, inventive, surprising. And more, he gives here a wondeful character to play for Ward Bond; the character symphony between him and Joseph Cotten is so riveting, far from clichés. This is not the most widely known film, or even western, known from this so unfairly neglected director, but it deserves to be watched for western buffs.
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