Johnny Guitar

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Johnny Guitar

Released May 27, 1954

1h 50m

Western

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Popcornmeter

94%

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52 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

On the outskirts of town, the hard-nosed Vienna (Joan Crawford) owns a saloon frequented by the undesirables of the region, including Dancin' Kid (Scott Brady) and his gang. Another patron of Vienna's establishment is Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden), a former gunslinger and her lover. When a heist is pulled in town that results in a man's death, Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge), Vienna's rival, rallies the townsfolk to take revenge on Vienna's saloon -- even without proof of her wrongdoing.

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Critics Consensus

Johnny Guitar confidently strides through genre conventions, emerging with a brilliant statement that transcends its period setting -- and left an indelible mark.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

There’s a reason that, seven decades after its original release, audiences and filmmakers alike are still wowed by Johnny Guitar and all its colorfully ambitious histrionics.

Rated: 4/4

Sep 25, 2024

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

Ray's film is a western, but it is also an amplified melodrama, with a rich seam of deviant psychology just waiting to be disinterred from its dusty surface. Its time has come.

Sep 20, 2021

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Roger Ebert

RogerEbert.com

A cheap Western from Republic Pictures, yes. And also one of the boldest and most stylized films of its time, quirky, political, twisted.

Rated: 4/4

Jan 24, 2018

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Ray Pride

Newcity

Nicholas Ray’s gaudy masterpiece the almost “too modern for me” psychological wowser... a stylized, poetic Western like no other... Want to talk hot, burning Trucolor? Want to talk blurred gender roles? Let’s talk Joan Crawford and Sterling Hayden.

Rated: 10/10

Jul 4, 2024

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Johnny Guitar is a classic, and god knows it has camp value, but it’s not exactly a “camp classic.” Its excesses are all very deliberate, not some accident of ineptitude or bad taste.

Sep 20, 2023

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Zita Short

InSession Film

Johnny Guitar has the benefit of featuring a performance from the greatest movie star of all time. Whenever Joan Crawford shows up in a film, you know that she is going to command your attention and Nicholas Ray seems to be aware of the fact.

Feb 1, 2023

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Emilio S.

Great movie from my childhood! Never will forget it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/20/25

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Jeff S

A good Western with some fabulous dialogue made into an excellent film by a mesmerizing Joan Crawford.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/11/24

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Steve D

Great western with a cast equal to the story.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/24

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Bill B

An estrogen western where opposing forces are led by women. Stagey, soapy, and too many tough guys posturing all over the place, with the action mostly at the end. Overrated.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/15/23

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Jared Z

It's easily about 20 minutes longer than it needs to be and the ending is a bit too abrupt, but Johnny Guitar is still a memorable film, driven more by its female leads than its male leads, quite unusual for the genre, especially during the 1950s.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Audience Member

The first few moments of the movie give a glimpse of what's to come. This is an action-packed Western drama with a revolutionary plot as well as great direction by Nicholas Ray. Joan Crawford's eye-catching appearance could be enough by itself, especially with her great performance in a movie of this genre, but then again who better to give the melodrama its appeal. Still, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge, and the others give no less-compelling performances, adding even more essence to Crawford's input.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

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Nicholas Ray

Director

Joan Crawford

Vienna

Sterling Hayden

Johnny "Guitar" Logan

Mercedes McCambridge

Emma Small

Scott Brady

Dancin' Kid

Ward Bond

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Synopsis

On the outskirts of town, the hard-nosed Vienna (Joan Crawford) owns a saloon frequented by the undesirables of the region, including Dancin' Kid (Scott Brady) and his gang. Another patron of Vienna's establishment is Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden), a former gunslinger and her lover. When a heist is pulled in town that results in a man's death, Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge), Vienna's rival, rallies the townsfolk to take revenge on Vienna's saloon -- even without proof of her wrongdoing.

Director: Nicholas Ray
Producer: Nicholas Ray
Screenwriter: Roy Chanslor, Philip Yordan
Distributor: Republic Pictures
Production Co: Republic Pictures Corporation
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 27, 1954, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 6, 2014
Runtime: 1h 50m

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