Saturday Movie Review: 'Winchester 73'

The 1950 Western is one of Stewart's best performances

Film critic William Thomas called “Winchester 73” a “marvelously scripted story about a man and a gun” and he’s right. But “Winchester 73” is more than a Western film noir.

Following a some flops and struggles after returning from service in WWII, this first collaboration between Jimmy Stewart and director Anthony Mann marked a sea change for Stewart’s career. It was not only the first time an actor opted for a percentage of the profits (now known as points), but helped restore Stewart’s career with a slightly darker tone.