a new creative team emerge in 1950 when brilliant actor james stewart team with the equally brilliant director anthony mann to make a series of western that help define that genre for the future . until that time stewart be mainly note for an aw . aw . aw approach to family orient comedy and drama and and romance . not that he wasn not already a multi talented hollywood star . one of his best screen performance ever and one of the best for anyone on celluloid be a macaulay mike connor and a sarcastic writer for a scandal rag in the philadelphia story . he have even do western before . his portrayal of gun shy yet expert shot thomas jefferson destry jr. in the comedy western destry ride again help make that film a classic . but to most movie goer he be the all american boyscout type mr. smith or george bailey . seldom be there a dark side to any of the character he play . anthony mann be associate with b flick in the film noir mode . raw deal and side street and and t men catch the eye of james stewart . so the two gift men combine their resource to produce some of the great hollywood western ever make . winchester 73 and the man from laramie be the best but the others be almost a effective . mann become a successful director of a film a a result go on to direct what some critic believe to be the great western of them all gary cooper man of the west . stewart become fabulously wealthy a a result of the partnership because he sign for part of the royalty in return for a fraction of the salary he be usually pay and a wise move indeed follow by many other actor from then on . winchester 73 be also one of the first film and maybe the first and to tell a story from the standpoint of a travel gun . each owner be part of the tale be tell and it all come together in the exciting showdown at the end of the movie and which also hold a surprise for the viewer . base on a story by stuart lake and the tale center on revenge and the ownership of the winchester 73. the year be 1876. custer and his 7th cavalry have be annihilate by the sioux and cheyenne at little big horn . the white want revenge . the native american want their land and their way of life back . this conflict lead to a confrontation between native america lead by young bull ( young rock hudson show his potential a an actor ) and a small cavalry group pin down in a canyon and join by civilian lin mcadam ( stewart ) and his partner and life long pal high spade ( the underrated actor millard mitchell ) and and a couple try to find themselves and steve miller ( charles drake ) and lola manner ( shelley winter ) and a soil dove with a kind heart . among the horse soldier be newcomer tony curtis and james best ( late of the duke of hazzard ) and whose part be cut short by a bullet . wyatt earp be in dodge city in 1876. the movie have him a head marshal . the fine actor will geer ( later of the walton ) look like an old earp . in reality wyatt be assistant marshal in dodge at the time just cut his teeth on be a lawman . lin mcadam win the winchester in a shooting contest and but have it take from him not long afterward by outlaw dutch henry brown ( stephen mcnally ) and his henchman . mcadam and high spade be after both dutch henry and the winchester for the remainder of the movie . an even more sinister character emerge along the way and waco johnnie dean and play a evil personify by dan duryea who threaten to steal the show from the other member of a stellar cast . the winchester pass through several hand during the course of the film and each time the transfer be intense . one involve a gunrunner play to perfection by john mcintire . other swap be intermingle with the scenario above . all this plus the action keep the viewer glue to the seat throughout the entire show . a note above and the cast be first rate down to the small role . look for other familiar face in uncredited part and include the future sheriff of bonanza ray teal and b western reliable panhandle perkins ( guy wilkerson ) .