Jubal (1956)

A drifter (Glenn Ford) is found in a weakened condition and nursed back to health at the ranch of a cattleman (Ernest Borgnine), who takes a liking to the the cowboy. He offers him a job and eventually makes him a ranch foreman to the resentment of another worker (Rod Steiger). But matters escalate when the cattleman's much younger wife (Valerie French) makes a play for the new foreman. Based on the novel JUBAL TROOP by Paul Wellman and directed by Delmer Daves (3:10 TO YUMA). The idea of Shakespeare's OTHELLO set in the West is intriguing and this CinemaScope western almost pulls it off. The emphasis shifts from Othello in the play to Cassio's (although important to the plot, he's a lesser character in Shakespeare's play) movie equivalent, the title character played by Ford. In its favor, it's not a traditional western but more of a melodrama (or Shakespearean tragedy, if you will) set in the West. It's hard to put a finger on why it almost succeeds instead of going the distance. Perhaps if OTHELLO's plot weren't so watered down. One aspect that doesn't work however is Rod Steiger's raging ranch hand (Iago's equivalent). Steiger goes all "actors studio" and feels out of place in the western setting and his acting style clashes with everyone else's. I wish Aldo Ray hadn't turned the role down because his low key naturalistic acting would have been perfect. David Raksin did the score. With Felicia Farr, Charles Bronson, Basil Ruysdael and Jack Elam.