Man of the West is a 1958 American western film directed by Anthony Mann.
Link Jones (Gary Cooper) is traveling in hopes of hiring a schoolteacher for his burgeoning community. During a train ride, he becomes acquainted with gambler and con man Sam Beasley (Arthur O Connell) and saloon singer Billie Ellis (Julie London). The train gets attacked by outlaws and Link, Sam and Billie are forced to seek shelter in an abandoned farm Link used to live in years before. However, they discover the same outlaws who attacked the train are squatting there, and what's more, their leader is Dock Tobin (Lee J. Cobb), Link's uncle and the man who raised him to be a criminal, although Link abandoned that lifestyle long ago. Dock wants Link to participate in a bank robbery he has long been planning, and is willing to threaten Link's friends to force his hand.
Tropes:
- Ghost Town: Dock has long wished to rob the bank in Lassoo, being under the impression that it's a booming town, but when Link actually goes there with the gang, they discover the place has been long abandoned except for a couple of Mexicans (one of which is shot dead by Trout).
- Rape as Drama: The threat of rape constantly looms over Billie's head once she comes face-to-face with Dock's gang. Near the end, Link has to leave her alone with Dock to go help the gang rob the bank in Lassoo; when he comes back, he discovers Dock has raped her, spurring Link to kill him in a duel.
- Retired Outlaw: Link is introduced as an honest man who wants to help his town flourish by hiring a schoolteacher. Then he runs into Dock's gang and it's revealed he used to be part of it, and Dock is only too eager to draw him back in for another job.
- Shameful Strip:
- Billie is forced to strip in front of Dock's gang for their enjoyment, with Coaley threatening to slash Link's throat if she doesn't comply. By the time she's reduced to her underwear, Dock puts a stop to it by ordering Coaley to stand down.
- Link later gets back at Coaley for what he put Billie through by forcefully taking his clothes off after downing him in a fight, with Coaley struggling and protesting the whole while. When Link can't get Coaley's pants off, he rips them.
- Taking the Bullet: Coaley tries to shoot Link after losing a fight against him. Sam throws himself in front of Link, taking the bullet for him and dying shortly after.
- Train Job: Link's mission to go to Fort Worth to hire a schoolteacher is interrupted when some outlaws (which turn out to be his old gang) intercept the train he's on.
