Winchester '73

Play trailer

Winchester '73

1950

1h 32m

Western

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

33 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Lin McAdam (James Stewart) pursues notorious outlaw Henry Dutch Brown (Millard Mitchell) into Dodge City, Kansas. There, in an effort to flush out the criminal, McAdam enters a sharp-shooting contest and wins the top prize: the eponymous Winchester rifle. Brown, desiring the rifle for himself, sneaks into McAdam's room and makes off with it. After finding the rifle missing, McAdam chases Brown across the state and toward an epic confrontation.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

Anthony Mann and James Stewart’s first collaboration is a touchstone of the western genre.

Jan 10, 2025

Full Review

William Thomas

Empire Magazine

With such a strong cast, the film almost turns into an ensemble film instead of a star vehicle for Stewart in his first of many collaborations with Mann.

Rated: 5/5

Mar 17, 2015

Full Review

TIME Staff

TIME Magazine

Strikingly photographed in black & white, the film is directed with an eye to realistic detail, an ear for the script's frequently natural dialogue and a knack for building suspense.

Mar 17, 2015

Full Review

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

James Stewart's generally affable screen persona melded with the tougher sensibility required of his character, thus helping to forge a new kind of Western protagonist, one who could inflict violence while also reflecting vulnerability

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 1, 2025

Full Review

Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

"Winchester ’73" plays the Wild West motif like a myth.

Rated: 5/5

Jan 28, 2025

Full Review

Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

Winchester '73 stands out from your typical western by taking your basic revenge plot and doing something a little different with it through its fascinating concept of tying its characters together through the titular rifle.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 27, 2025

Full Review

Read all reviews

Kyle M

Fantasizing a gunslinger’s pursuit to be the best in the wild west over a layered macguffin is only distinguished by James Stewart’s palpably exemplar performance, venturing as the genre’s classic staple on frequent saddled tropes. (B)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/24/25

Full Review

Keith M

OMG!!! This movie is SOOOOOOO over-rated. Watched it based on the reviews on here and was utterly disappointed. Bad script and other than Jimmy Stewart, bad acting. No wonder I had NEVER heard of it. Not worth talking about.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/05/25

Full Review

acsdoug D

Jimmy Stewart proves he can play a tough gunman in this decent Western.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/20/24

Full Review

Alec B

At a certain point it stops being about the titular gun and becomes a family tragedy which is exactly when the movie gets interesting.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/24

Full Review

Franky L

This is one of my favorite westerns! If you have not watched it, and you are a western film lover, put this on your watch list now. The cast is superb, starring a young Shelly Winters. We remember her from the Poseiden Adventure as Mrs. Rosen, but she was such an awesome actress in her youth. And this is a far cry from Jummy Stewart in his later films where he's the "nice guy."

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/18/24

Full Review

Isaiah Y

Essential viewing for any fans of westerns, partly due to Jimmy Stewart's performance.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/05/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Anthony Mann

Director

James Stewart

Lin McAdam

Shelley Winters

Lola Manners

Dan Duryea

Waco Johnnie Dean

Stephen McNally

Dutch Henry Brown

Millard Mitchell

High Spade Frankie Wilson

Bend of the River

100%

80%

Bend of the River

Watchlist

Night Passage

50%

52%

Night Passage

Watchlist

Walk the Proud Land

0%

60%

Walk the Proud Land

Watchlist

The Naked Spur

100%

76%

The Naked Spur

Watchlist

The Cimarron Kid

60%

53%

The Cimarron Kid

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Lin McAdam (James Stewart) pursues notorious outlaw Henry Dutch Brown (Millard Mitchell) into Dodge City, Kansas. There, in an effort to flush out the criminal, McAdam enters a sharp-shooting contest and wins the top prize: the eponymous Winchester rifle. Brown, desiring the rifle for himself, sneaks into McAdam's room and makes off with it. After finding the rifle missing, McAdam chases Brown across the state and toward an epic confrontation.

Director: Anthony Mann
Producer: Aaron Rosenberg
Screenwriter: Borden Chase, Robert L. Richards
Production Co: Universal International Pictures
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 12, 1950, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2014
Runtime: 1h 32m

Most Popular at Home Now