Andrew Goodman Day of the Outlaw

Set in Wyoming, Day of the Outlaw (1959) is an odd Western film as it pertains to women being portrayed as the “other.” This is so as Blaise Starrett, the film’s white alpha male cowboy, goes to town under the guise of telling Hal Crane to remove wire fencing from his property so as to allow Starrett’s cattle to move unimpeded. Starrett is in love with Crane’s wife, Helen, and hopes that he can use this quarrel as an excuse to kill Crane so as to claim Helen for himself. However, while in town, Starrett speaks with Helen. They commiserate and come to the conclusion that although they love each other, Helen must remain with Hal. Before Starrett and Crane can resolve their quarrel, Captain Bruhn and his men arrive to take control of the town. Containing only twenty people, four of whom are women, the town is isolated and powerless to defend itself from this predicament. Bruhn’s men wish to drink and “borrow” the four women in order to “pleasure” themselves. However, Bruhn forbids his men from doing this. Before arriving in town, Bruhn had been shot. Both he and Starrett know that he hasn’t much time before he dies, leaving his men to destroy the town and thus, harm the women. Starrett agrees to lead the men out of town so as to ensure that the townspeople, especially the women, will be safe.
As the four women in town are valued by the men in town, the women are not actually portrayed as the “other.” Rather, they are portrayed as useful members of society who need to be protected from the criminals who have invaded the town. Yes, the women are regarded as mere objects by Bruhn’s men, however, the alpha male cowboy in the form of Starrett, is willing to sacrifice himself so as to ensure the safety of the women. Were the women meaningless and categorized as the “other,” it is unlikely that Starrett would be willing to do this.
From a cultural studies point of view, the film takes up the issues of (1) objectifying women and (2) women’s rights in general. In terms of objectifying women, 1959 marked the release of the Barbie Doll, which portrays women as nothing more than desirable toys. In the film, the women are forced to dance with the men. Although this is preferable to rape, it is an undesirable experience. During the dance, the men pass the women around amongst themselves and attempt to kiss them. Clearly, Bruhn’s men, with the exception of Gene, consider women to be inconsequential. In terms of women’s rights, 1959 marked the proposal of the birth control pill. At this time, many women were dying during the process of receiving illegal abortions. The availability of legal birth control was a proposal to aid in the elimination of this problem. Thus, the film does shed some light on the struggles of American women in 1959. Additionally, as Day of the Outlaw is released during the Cold War, the idea of an outside force, in the form of Bruhn and his men, taking control of the town is noteworthy. The Cold War was marked by a fear of outsiders (communists and especially Russians) taking over America, which is symbolized by the town. Thus, Day of the Outlaw contains clear references to important aspects of American culture in 1959.