SOMBRE

HOMBRE (1967)
dir: Martin Ritt

SOMBRE
MAD #114, October 1967
w: Lou Silverstone
a: Mort Drucker

Western begins with an opening shot of the man we at first only know as "Hombre" (Paul Newman). Much is made of the fact that Newman plays a Native American but has blue eyes. He is called into town by Henry Mendez (Martin Balsam) and informed his stepfather has died and among the things he has inherited are a local boarding house. While in the bar he beats some white men harassing local Mexicans and Indians, establishing the type of person he is. But now that he owns the boarding house he has to conform to the ways of the white man.

Billy Lee (Peter Lazer) and Doris (Margaret Blye) are a couple staying at the boarding house. Hombre/John Russell comes introducing himself to the housekeeper, Jessie (Diane Cilento) as the new owner. They all decide to leave town and John goes with them since the boarding house is now empty. Grimes (Richard Boone) is another passenger who happens to be taking the same trip.

Mr. Favor (Fredric March) and his wife (Barbara Rush) also join them on the trip. Mendez and Russell are forced to ride on the roof of the coach because Mrs. Favor doesn't want to be in the same coach as a Mexican and an Indian (it was two centuries ago). When they take a rest stop, Grimes holds up the train with two other bad men who had been waiting and holds up the coach, and takes Mrs. Favor hostage.

Paul Newman finally did win an Oscar in 1986 for The Color of Money, though I think one of the bigger Oscars is usually for one's entire career rather than the particular movie.

It ends with Russell and Grimes shooting each other simultaneously. The survivors fighting is for this.