my favorite movie genre be the western and it really the only movie genre that be of american origin . and despite sergio leone and no one do them quite like american . right at the top of my list of ten favorite western be winchester 73. it be the first pairing and only black and white film of the partnership of director anthony mann and actor james stewart . it be also a landmark film in which stewart opt for a percentage of the profit instead of a straight salary from universal . many such deal follow for player and make them as rich a the mogul who employ them . anthony mann up to this point have do mostly b picture and noir type stuff with no real budget . just before winchester 73 mann have do a fine western with robert taylor and devil doorway and that never get enough praise . i be sure james stewart must have see it and decide mann be the person he decide to partner with . in this film mann also develop a mini stock company the way john ford be legendary for . besides stewart others in the cast like millard mitchell and steve brodie and dan duryea and john mcintire and jay c. flippen and rock hudson would appear in future mann film . it a simple plot and james stewart be obsess with find a man name dutch henry brown and kill him . why i would not say and but up to this point we have never see such cold fury out of james stewart on screen . anthony mann reach into jimmy stewart soul and drag out some demon all of u be afraid we have . the hate be aptly demonstrate in a great moment towards the beginning of the film . after stewart and sidekick millard mitchell be disarm by wyatt earp play by will geer because gun aren not carry in earp dodge city . there a shooting contest for a winchester rifle in dodge city and the betting favorite be dutch henry brown and play with menace by stephen mcnally . stewart and mitchell and geer go into the saloon and stewart and mcnally spot each other at the same instant and reach to draw for weapon that aren not there . look at the closeup of stewart and mcnally and they say more than 10 page of dialog . another character stewart run into in the film be waco johnny dean play by dan duryea who almost steal the film . this may have be duryea fine moment on screen . he a psychopathic outlaw killer who deadly a a left hand draw even though he sport two six gun . another person stewart meet be shelley winter who fiancé be goad into a showdown by duryea and kill . her best scene be with duryea who take a fancy to her . she play for time until she can safely get away from him . guess who she ultimately wind up with . there be some wonderful performance in some small role and there ain not a sour note in the cast . john mcintire a a shifty indian trader and jay c. flippen a the grizzled army sergeant and rock hudson get his first real notice a a young indian chief . even john alexander and best know a theodore roosevelt in arsenic and old lace have a brief and but impressive role a the owner of a trading post where both mcnally and stewart stop at different time . mann and stewart do eight film together and five of them western and and be ready to do a sixth western and night passage when they quarrel and mann walk off the set . the end of a beautiful partnership that produce some quality film .