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Poster for Fargo

1952 | 69 min | Action, Western

Monday Morning Maybeearly rating

Why it’s a Monday Morning Maybe

With a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Aimed squarely at anyone after some adrenaline and western fans. Made for the biggest screen and the loudest speakers you have.
The mood
Exciting.
The pace
Wastes no time getting going, at 1 hr 9 min. Done before bedtime.
What might put you off
  • Made in 1952: an older pace and style.
  • Skip it if you prefer quiet, talky stories.

The brother (House Peters Jr.) of rancher Bill Martin (Bill Elliott) is killed in a stampede started by cattleman. Bill returns to the Fargo country to take his brother's place and is welcomed by law-abiding cattleman MacKenzie (Jack Ingram)) and his daughter Kathy (Phyllis Coates). The leader of the ruthless cattle interests are townsman Austin (Arthur Space) and his henchmen Red (Myron Healey), Link (Robert J. Wilke) and Albord (Terry Frost). Bill has the idea of putting up barbed wire to keep the herds from been driven over the land cultivated by the farmers. He, aided by Tad Sloan (Fuzzy Knight), produces the wire by make-shift methods, but it proves effective. The cattleman charge in court that the wire is dangerous to their herds but lose the case. Austin orders his men to seize Bill, bale him in strands of the wire, and throw him on the stage of the town hall during a fall festival. Bill doesn't take kindly to this and it precipitates open war.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsNot counted

    Not enough reviews on record yet

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerWeak

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 2K people sought it out in the past year

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Cast & crew

Directed by Lewis D. Collins

  • Bill ElliottBill Martin
  • Myron HealeyRed Olsen
  • Phyllis CoatesKathy MacKenzie
  • Fuzzy KnightTad Sloan
  • Arthur SpaceAustin
  • Jack IngramRancher MacKenzie
  • Robert J. WilkeLink - Henchman
  • Terry FrostAlvord - Henchman
  • Robert BrayEd Murdock
  • Denver PyleCarey