Johnny Guitar

Johnny Guitar (1954)

Timing: 1:50 (110 min)

7.4/10
405

6.957/10
1527

7.6/10
21000

All about film

Video 2

Photo 25

Actors and characters

Release date

1954-05-26

Country

United States

Production

Republic Pictures

Genre

Western, Drama, Romance

Budget

$0

Revenue

$2 500 000

Website

Director

Nicholas Ray

Actors

Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge, Ernest Borgnine, John Carradine, Scott Brady, Ward Bond, Royal Dano, Frank Ferguson, Paul Fix
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Nicholas Ray, Ben Maddow

Producer

Nicholas Ray

Operator

Harry Stradling Sr.

Composer

Victor Young

Artist

Audition

Editing

Richard L. Van Enger
All team (19)

• In the scenes where the film's heroes ride horses through the waterfall, the horses are wearing bits. The animals were so afraid of the waterfall that they “refused” to film those scenes without bits.
• Joan Crawford allowed herself to be filmed in close-up exclusively in a studio where the lighting could be properly and advantageously adjusted. There is not a single close-up of Joan in this film that was shot on location, outside of a studio.
• Although Philip Jordan is officially credited as the screenwriter, Ben Maddow actually wrote it. The fact is that at that time, during the so-called “McCarthy era,” there was a “blacklist” of prohibited writers, and Ben Maddow was on it. Philip Jordan received a small fee for his “authorship.”
• Joan Crawford, after buying the rights to Roy Chanslor's story “Johnny Guitar,” on which the film is based, sold them to “Republic Pictures” with the mandatory condition that she would play the role of Vienna. Initially, she insisted that Claire Trevor, only 3 years younger than Joan, play the role of Emma, fearing the “competitiveness” of the younger Mercedes McCambridge (who was 10 years younger than Joan).
• Joan Crawford allowed herself to be filmed in close-up exclusively in a studio where it was possible to properly and advantageously set up the lighting. There is not a single close-up of Joan in this film that was shot outdoors.
• Although Philip Jordan is officially credited as the screenwriter, it was actually written by Ben Maddow. The fact is that at that time, during the so-called "McCartney era," there was a "blacklist" of banned writers, and Ben Maddow was on it. Philip Jordan received a small fee for his "authorship."
• Joan Crawford, having bought the rights to the novella "Johnny Guitar" on which the film is based, sold them to "Republic Pictures" with the mandatory condition that she would play the role of Vienna. Initially, she insisted that Claire Trevor play the role of Emma, fearing the "competitiveness" of the young Mercedes McCambridge.
• Although Philip Jordan is officially credited as the screenwriter, Ben Maddow actually wrote it. The reason was that at that time, during the so-called “McCarthy era,” there was a “blacklist” of prohibited writers, and Ben Maddow was on it. Philip Jordan received a small fee for his “authorship”.
• Joan Crawford, having purchased the rights to the novella “Johnny Guitar” on which the film is based, sold them to “Republic Pictures” with the mandatory condition that she would play the lead role of Vienna. Initially, she insisted that Claire Trevor play the role of Emma, fearing the “competitiveness” of the young Mercedes McCambridge.