Johnny Guitar

1954 110 min ★ 7.4 Western, Drama, Romance

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

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Cast

Joan Crawford

Vienna

Sterling Hayden

Johnny 'Guitar' Logan

Mercedes McCambridge

Emma Small

Scott Brady

Dancin' Kid

Ward Bond

John McIvers

Ben Cooper

Turkey Ralston

Ernest Borgnine

Bart Lonergan

John Carradine

Old Tom

Royal Dano

Corey

Frank Ferguson

Marshal Williams

Details

Director

Nicholas Ray

Screenplay

Philip Yordan

Tagline

"Gun-Queen of the Arizona Frontier! And her kind of men!"

Status

Released

Original Language

EN

Production

Republic Pictures

Reviews

J

John Chard

May 6, 2017

★ 10/10

You're nothing but a railroad tramp who's not fit to live amongst decent people. Johnny Guitar is out of Republic Pictures and is directed by Nicholas Ray. It's written by Phillip Yordan, who adapts from a novel written by Roy Chanslor, and it stars Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge, Ward Bond, Ernest Borgnine & Scott Brady. Victor Young scores the music, with the theme tune ...

W

Wuchak

April 13, 2021

★ 8/10

_**A cult 50’s Western that’s colorful, melodramatic, surreal and mesmerizing**_ The railroad is coming soon to a town in northern Arizona where a tough saloon owner (Joan Crawford) faces off with a power-mad cattle baron (Mercedes McCambridge) over the Dancin’ Kid (Scott Brady) and more. Into this mix Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden) rides into town, a former love of the saloon proprietor. Who ...

C

CinemaSerf

January 11, 2026

★ 7/10

“Vienna” (Joan Crawford) runs her bar on the outskirts of town earning the disdain of just about everyone else. When the stagecoach is robbed, a baying mob turn up accusing her of involvement. They haven’t a shred of evidence, but egged on by “Emma” (Mercedes McCambridge) whose brother had been killed, the sheriff (Frank Ferguson) and local kingpin “McIvers” (Ward Bond) are determined to take her ...