MP - Day of the Outlaw

The Day of the Outlaw was created in 1959 when the second wave of feminism had not quite hit America yet. This was a time of turmoil and when the McCarthyism was coming to an end. Women were into expected to act as men did for multiple reasons but the main reason being they were not seen as fit to accompany men in their tasks.

Helen Crane in this movie is Hal Crane’s wife and Blaise’s ex-lover. Although holding no ground over Hal or Blaise, she comes to realize that as seen in many westerns, all she has to offer Blaise is her body. When the men that come into town continually go after the women in order to try and have sex with them, the viewer comes to realize the saloon girl is what the men come to town for and when they leave, she is forgotten. When Helen attempts to offer Blaise her body in return for Hal’s life, she lowers herself to the standard of women in the west. When the outlaws come into town, they ask for women to “borrow” further showing that the saloon girl is a rarity that you do not often find out in the desert. Although seen as an outcast amongst the men by being told what to do and following their orders, Helen keeps trying to break out of the mold she has been cast into. Ignored by the men in terms of her intelligence and joining in conversations, this is the typical way a woman was to be treated in the west during the 1950’s. Although unfair, it speaks to the constantly belittlement that women went through in order to eventually gain more rights.

Ernine who is the daughter of the owner of the general store, plays another significant woman role in this film as well. Although she is very quiet and reserved, she gains the attention of one of the outlaws, Gene who tries to help her. Although Ernine shows the true characteristics of a female, she still holds power over Gene because she is simply that – a female. Although men may not want to admit it, they are often times unable to say no to a woman’s requests, especially when men had to cater to a woman’s needs such as in the 1950’s.