The Deadly Companions (1961)

[Scott]

THE DEADLY COMPANIONS (1961) - Sam Peckinpahs first Western and starring Mareen O'Hara and Brian Kieth in the lead roles. The story is different in this film. Some of the film is good and some parts don't work. The music selected dosn't work at all. Filmed in Tucsons Arizona's famous Western studio. Kieths character has an old gunfighting injury in the collar bone. When going for his gun he missfires like when accidently killed the young son of O'Hara or drops his weapon in the process of shooting, but strangely he sure can do other heavy things like fist fighting and lifting heavy things with with that arm.

[Yaddo 42]

I've seen it, but it's been a long time. It came across as a dry run for his later westerns. Worth looking at to see how much he would improve over the years (Ride the High Country, The Wild Bunch, The Ballad of Cable Hogue, etc) despite a few other bumps in the road (Major Dundee, getting fired from "The Cincinnati Kid", co-writing the weak "Villa Rides).

Might make a good double feature with Monte Hellman's "The Shooting" starring Warren Oates, Jack Nicholson, and Millie Perkins.