A Time for Dying

source: A Time for Dying

Dismal and sad ending to the career of Audie Murphy. Shoe string budget Z film with a cast of obscure actors and actresses, except for some ancient character actors like Victor Joey. Murphy is only in this film a few minutes; his screen career had hit rock bottom and I really can't figure out why. Always like Murphy and he had a pleasant on screen persona. Skip this film and remember Audie Murphy in his standout role n From Hell And Back.

The plot for "A Time for Dying" is rather directionless. It also tosses in practically every western personality, location and cliche....as well as a super down-beat ending that will leave most viewers cold and disappointed. The story is about a young man and young woman. Oddly, instead of the usual famous actors and actresses in the lead, these two are unknowns and. Richard Lapp, in particular, seems very much unlike leading man material. A variety of adventures occur to them...including Judge Roy Bean marrying them against heir will, a run-in with Jesse James and his band of outlaws as well as a run-in against Billy the Kid and his band of outlaws. And, it all ends very poorly. There wasn't a lot I liked about this film. I did not like the writer tossing in all sorts of characters and places (such as Silver City) instead of focusing on story. I also didn't like the whole showdown on main street at the end. Fist, it didn't make sense. Second, such showdowns never actually occurred out west. I taught American history....and this sort of thing just didn't happen. Overall, a poor western with little to recommend it...no, nothing to recommend it. By the way, you see a lot of saguaro cacti in the film. These are the very tall cacti...usually with branched arms. Well, such cacti only grow in mid-southern Arizona and Mexico. The film was supposedly set in West Texas and Nevada....and saguaro do NOT grow there like they do in the film.

I told my wife that while this wasn't the dumbest movie I've ever seen it definitely was the worst one I've seen today. I can't believe how horrible this thing was. Even Audie Murphy couldn't save it with his 4 minute appearance.

I dont think ive ever seen a worst western. I had a job to stick with it. I nearly turned it off half way through. I cant think of anything positive to say about it so I wont bother.

What a strange little picture. Audie Murphy, like Randolph Scott, has a place in second tier western heroes that is unassailable. By second tier, that's not to denigrate either actor, just that they never attained the heights of movie stardom like James Stewart, John Wayne or later Clint Eastwood did in westerns. Sadly, this marked the final screen appearance of Audie Murphy, and only five minutes of the picture. The leading actor is Richard Lapp. Who? You might wonder why Audie Murphy decided as a producer to invest in this nobody. It's a mystery to everyone who's seen it. He came and went unnoticed. There's one really great performance in the movie with Victor Jory as Judge Roy Bean though, so all is not lost. Not as subtle and menacing as Walter Brennan's portrayal in an earlier film but over the top sort of great, announcing hangings with great glee and his dentures falling out. The director, Budd Boetticher, who made seven fine, even great minor westerns starring Randolph Scott, must have been drunk when he made this. There's no real explanation as to how this film went so badly wrong but I've given it 3 stars, one each for the beautifully clear cinematography, Audie Murphy as Jesse James (all too briefly) and best of all, Victor Jory.

I saw this movie while living at Cumberland MD, at a Drive in Theatre. I went to see it because Audie Murphy was in it as well as one of my old favorite "voices" Victory Jory. It was reported earlier that this movie would not be shown in the United States, but it was in 1972-or 73. I ought to know because that's when I lived in Cumberland. As a child listening to the radio in the 1930s and '40's, I could recognize the voice instantly of Victory Jory, Howard Duff (Sam Spade)and Curly Bradley as Tom Mix. There also was a time when I recognized the voice of Gordon Nance (Wild Bill Elliott)on certain mystery shows. By the time I was going to the movies, I knew all those voices and was so happy to see their faces for the first time.

At first i thought it was a spoof but it kept getting worse until i couldn't stand it anymore...the only thing good about it was anne randall but would have gotten better if she shed her clothes

I'm an Audie Murphy and have been steadily working my way through his movies. I'd heard of this, his last film, and not favorably - low production values, bad acting, Audie looking fat and old. Well I have to agree with the first two criticisms. I can't understand how this film has been given 7 stars, but the part about Audie is wrong, wrong, wrong. When he comes onto the scene,he simply towers over the other actors, the whole movie. He's so good, and it's a real shame that he didn't live longer. It would have been interesting if he had taken some of the other roles he was offered, such as the villain in DIRTY HARRY. It would have been a whole new direction for him, but then contemporary movies were never his thing. His whole style may have been best suited for Westerns.

The Western Is my favourite genre, but how I was disappointed by this movie. Audie Murphy In my opinion was better suited In a supporting role alongside a movie heavyweight such as Burt Lancaster In the Unforgiven. This film Is terrible, low production values and a made for t.v look and feel. You see Audie for all of 5 minutes and that Is the only value to the film. The rest of the actors are useless, my local am-dram club has better hams! I was hoping for a good movie with director Budd Boetticher at the helm but alas It Is a stinker! The worst western I have ever seen! The main character played by You've NEVER HEARD OF HIM BEFORE OR SINCE Richard Lapp gets my vote for the worst haircut ever!