Johnny Guitar
Gun-Queen of the Arizona Frontier! And her kind of men!
1954 • 110 min • Western
Synopsis
On the outskirts of town, the hard-nosed Vienna owns a saloon frequented by the undesirables of the region, including Dancin' Kid and his gang. Another patron of Vienna's establishment is Johnny Guitar, a former gunslinger and her lover. When a heist is pulled in town that results in a man's death, Emma Small, Vienna's rival, rallies the townsfolk to take revenge on Vienna's saloon – even without proof of her wrongdoing.
Our family guide
Best from age 12- 100 Reviewers · 3 · 53%
- 74 Audience · 483 · 47%
Vienna, a tough saloon owner, faces off against a rival when she's falsely accused of a crime. Her former lover, Johnny Guitar, returns to help, leading to a tense showdown and a fight for justice in the Old West.
- Violence & peril
- 5/10
- Language
- 2/10
- Drinking, drugs & smoking
- 4/10
- Romance & sensuality
- 2/10
- Scary moments
- 3/10
Heads up
- Gunfights and shootouts are frequent
- Characters smoke and drink in the saloon
- Themes of revenge and injustice
What it models well
- Standing up for justice
- Courage in the face of adversity
- Loyalty
Talk about it after
- Prejudice and false accusations
- The role of women in the Old West
- Consequences of mob mentality
Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Johnny Guitar. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.
Where to watch
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Top billed cast
Director: Nicholas Ray • Crew: Ben Maddow, Philip Yordan, Nicholas Ray
Trailers & clips
Michael Lehmann on JOHNNY GUITAR
Johnny Guitar - Trailer
Martin Scorsese introduces Johnny Guitar (USA, 1954) dir. Nicholas Ray
Reviewer notes
Recommended“Vienna” (Joan Crawford) runs her bar on the outskirts of town earning the disdain of just about everyone else. When the stagecoach is robbed, a baying mob turn up accusing her of involvement. They haven’t a shred of evidence, but egged on by “Emma” (Mercedes McCambridge) whose brother had been killed, the sheriff (Frank Ferguson) and local kingpin “McIvers” (Ward Bond) are determined to take her in.…
RecommendedTrusted family reviewers_**A cult 50’s Western that’s colorful, melodramatic, surreal and mesmerizing**_ The railroad is coming soon to a town in northern Arizona where a tough saloon owner (Joan Crawford) faces off with a power-mad cattle baron (Mercedes McCambridge) over the Dancin’ Kid (Scott Brady) and more. Into this mix Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden) rides into town, a former love of the saloon proprietor.…
RecommendedTrusted family reviewersYou're nothing but a railroad tramp who's not fit to live amongst decent people. Johnny Guitar is out of Republic Pictures and is directed by Nicholas Ray. It's written by Phillip Yordan, who adapts from a novel written by Roy Chanslor, and it stars Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge, Ward Bond, Ernest Borgnine & Scott Brady.…
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Details
- TMDB audience
- 7.4/10 (483)
- Age rating
- NR
- Status
- Released
- IMDb
- tt0047136
Keywords
