The Hanging Tree (1959)

Information from IMDb

Plot Summary
Character study of a Doctor who saves a local criminal from a mob
who are trying to hang him, but then tries to control the life of the young man,
realising that he can exploit his secret.
Written by David Gibson

Full Cast
Gary Cooper ... Dr. Joseph 'Doc' Frail
Maria Schell ... Elizabeth Mahler
Karl Malden ... Frenchy Plante
George C. Scott ... Dr. George Grubb
Karl Swenson ... Tom Flaunce
Virginia Gregg ... Edna Flaunce
John Dierkes ... Society Red
King Donovan ... Wonder
Ben Piazza ... Rune, Frail's Bond Servant
Fern Barry ... Mother (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict ... Trapper (uncredited)
Danny Borzage ... Dan (uncredited)
Annette Claudier ... Dance Hall Girl (uncredited)
Martin Eric ... Father (uncredited)
Frank Hagney ... Townsman (uncredited)
Dick Hudkins ... Townsman (uncredited)
John Hudkins ... Townsman (uncredited)
Dorothy Klewer ... Duck Girl (uncredited)
Baron James Lichter ... Tim, Piano Player (uncredited)
Cactus Mack ... Player (uncredited)
Fred Marlow ... Townsman (uncredited)
Harold Millen ... Sourdough (uncredited)
Bob Morgan ... Townsman (uncredited)
Karen Norris ... Duck Girl (uncredited)
Bud Osborne ... Horseman (uncredited)
Boyd Stockman ... Townsman (uncredited)
Clarence Straight ... Dealer (uncredited)
Slim Talbot ... Stage Driver (uncredited)
Don Turner ... Townsman (uncredited)
Sailor Vincent ... Townsman (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson ... Sourdough (uncredited)

Writing Credits
Wendell Mayes (screenplay) and
Halsted Welles (screenplay)
Dorothy M. Johnson (novel)

Original Music
Max Steiner

Cinematography
Ted D. McCord

Trivia
Takes place in Montana, 1873.

Film debut of George C. Scott.

Director Delmer Daves fell ill during filming and Karl Malden took over for several days until Daves recovered.

Filming Location
Yakima, Washington, USA

[extendedmedia]

The Hanging Tree is a 1959 movie directed by Delmer Daves.
Karl Malden took over directing duties for several days when Daves fell ill.
The film stars Gary Cooper, Maria Schell, George C. Scott
and Karl Malden
and is set in the gold fields of Montana during the gold rush
of the 1860s and 1870s.

Principal photography was done on location in the Oak Creek Wildlife Area;
it is located in the mountains west of Yakima, Washington.
The story follows a doctor who saves a criminal from a lynch mob,
then learns of the man's past and tries to manipulate him.

This marked the first film of Scott. He and Malden later teamed for 1970's Patton,
for which Scott won an Academy Award.
Also the film has in its soundtrack the western ballad "Hanging Tree".
It was scored by Max Steiner and written by Mack David and Jerry Livingston
who received nominations for the Laurel Awards and the Academy Awards in 1960.
The text is a short reference to the film's story.
It was also released on the reissue of the album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (1959)
by Marty Robbins who performed this song in the opening credits of this film.
A known cover-version is by Frankie Laine who performed this song at the 32nd Academy Awards.

Look out for a couple of Duke's 'Pals'
Karl Swenson ... Tom Flaunce
Danny Borzage ... Dan (uncredited)

User Review

Quote

"Give me a Kiss"
18 November 2004 | by Brian Pelton (Whidbey Island, Washington)

The Hanging Tree (1959) is one of my favorite Westerns. Like the other great movies of the genre, it has more to do with human relationships than sagebrush, cattle, and shootouts. This isn't to say that there aren't plenty of action scenes in The Hanging Tree; We have a fistfight, a beating, a shooting, and a mining town set ablaze, but all of this is a backdrop to love, deceit, greed, jealousy, and intolerance.

Gary Cooper, ill during filming, brings his sinister character, Doc Joe Frail, to life with a leathery, wise, and weary portrayal. This is HIS movie.

Much of the movie was filmed in the hills above Yakima, Washington. The sets were located up a old logging road that the Washington State Patrol had barricaded in order to keep onlookers away. George C. Scott (in his debut movie) told how Gary Cooper, ill with lung cancer, would make the mile-long walk down that logging road, and back again, just to sign autographs for his fans. What a man!

There is one scene out of many that I particularly like. In it, a poor miner and his wife have brought their daughter in to see Doc Frail because she "is doin' poorly".

Doc looks at the girl, turns to her parents and tells them that the child is malnourished. And he, realizing that they are struggling, suggests that they take a cow that he he has tied-up outside and to "fatten this child up on some milk".

The mom and dad look very embarrassed; They don't have money for a cow. "We don't know how we can pay you for it, Doc", the father says, stepping forward.

This killer-turned-doctor, looks at the girl and says, "Give me a kiss".

After the girl obeys (and she's an adorable Beanie Baby-type) he smiles and says, "I've been paid".

--- and so have we.

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Larry Thanks for adding these great photos to this new thread