Ride in the Whirlwind
Three cowhands, in between jobs, have the unfortunate misfortune of pitching a night camp in the same valley as a cabin full of guys who just robbed a stagecoach and killed the guard. A posse arrives in the morning, forms up along the ridge, and assumes that everyone down below is guilty—fit for either being shot to bits or hanging from a tree, whichever comes first. Exactly half of Ride in the Whirlwind's 82-minute runtime is devoted to capturing the situation's matter-of-fact, absurdist horror. In the second half, the two remaining cowpokes (Jack Nicholson and Cameron Mitchell) seek refuge at a farmhouse, where they reluctantly threaten the farmer, accept breakfast from his wife, flirt with his daughter (Millie Perkins), play checkers, and hope to go undetected until nightfall.
Released: 1966-10-23
Genre:
Western