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Blood on the Moon

Play trailer Poster for Blood on the Moon 1948 1h 28m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Down-and-out cowhand Jim Garry (Robert Mitchum) is asked by his old friend Tate Riling (Robert Preston) to help mediate a cattle dispute. When Garry arrives, however, it soon becomes clear that Riling has not been entirely forthright. Garry uncovers Riling's plot to dupe local rancher John Lufton (Tom Tully) out of a fortune. When Lufton's firecracker of a daughter, Amy (Barbara Bel Geddes), gets involved, Garry must choose between his old loyalties and what he knows to be right.
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Blood on the Moon

Critics Reviews

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David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 08/14/2021
1.5/4
...hopelessly convoluted and devoid of interesting, attention-grabbing elements... Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 05/16/2020
2.5/4
A good opening act and a great knockdown fight are pluses. Go to Full Review
Mattie Lucas From the Front Row 05/13/2020
3/4
Mitchum manages to find a sense of moral ambiguity to his amoral gunslinger that elevates the film above your typical western B-movie. Go to Full Review
Nathanael Hood The Retro Set 12/28/2018
6/10
The film carries a striking psychological intensity... Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 09/28/2010
B+
Above average western. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 10/16/2005
4/5
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Audience Reviews

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John G 01/20/2024 I think the audience rating is about right. You shouldn't expect too much of a western from this era. See more 07/09/2020 This is on Criterion in the Western Noir collection. Well, it got the Noir so down in terms of dark and shadows and night that sometimes you can't tell what the hell is going on. Robert Montgomery rides his cleft chin into a hot mess of corruption involving cattlemen, homesteaders, a Reservation Agent, Indians, and of course, a steel- willed rifle-packin' woman. That lady and Mitchum have a rifle shootout in the beginning with a never-ending supply of bullets. Of course, they smooch up in the end. As one reviewer puts it, Mitchum plays a "morally ambiguous character" who double-crosses and triple-crosses until he's almost as confused as this viewer about it all. Along the way, Indians on the reservation collude with his arch-nemesis Riley to kill him for reasons - well, not clear for the Indian part of it, anyway. There's a cool fight where Mitchum inexplicably piles an upside down table on a very-much still alive Riley for reasons - well, again, not clear but it's cool anyway. The scene of Mitchum in a tree watching a cattle stampedw running underneath him on another screen is worth the price of admission. See more john c 11/13/2019 Blood on the Moon is a beautifully shot western Film Noir. Robert Mitchum does an incredible job as Garry. Robert Preston is great as the heavy, Riling. See more ashley h @ashleyhobgood87 07/18/2018 Blood on the Moon is a decent film. It is about an unemployed cowhand who hired by his dishonest friend Tate Riling as muscle in a dispute between homesteaders and cattleman John Lufton. Robert Mitchum and Robert Preston give good performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Robert Wise did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because action and adventure. See more 07/22/2014 one of the better 'psychological western" will make a perfect dbl feature with 'blood on the sun" See more 07/16/2014 A familiar feud storyline for the western genre but it's solid direction and a solid lead performance. See more Read all reviews
Blood on the Moon

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Movie Info

Synopsis Down-and-out cowhand Jim Garry (Robert Mitchum) is asked by his old friend Tate Riling (Robert Preston) to help mediate a cattle dispute. When Garry arrives, however, it soon becomes clear that Riling has not been entirely forthright. Garry uncovers Riling's plot to dupe local rancher John Lufton (Tom Tully) out of a fortune. When Lufton's firecracker of a daughter, Amy (Barbara Bel Geddes), gets involved, Garry must choose between his old loyalties and what he knows to be right.
Director
Robert Wise
Producer
Theron Warth
Screenwriter
Lillie Hayward
Production Co
RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 9, 1948, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 28m
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