How a joke about a train crash defined the climax of a Western classic
In short: In the 1972 Revisionist Western Joe Kidd, Clint Eastwood plays a disaffected former bounty hunter caught in a New Mexico land dispute. While the film is remembered for its gritty, high-stakes action, its most iconic sequence—a train smashing through a saloon—was born from a producer's offhand, joking suggestion.
Directed by John Sturges and written by novelist Elmore Leonard, Joe Kidd was inspired by the real-life activities of Reies Tijerina, an activist who stormed a New Mexico courthouse in June 1967 to demand land reform. In the film, this figure is reimagined as Luis Chama, an egomaniacal revolutionary played by John Saxon. The plot follows Joe Kidd, a man initially jailed for poaching, who is coerced by a ruthless landowner named Frank Harlan into tracking down Chama’s band of rebels.
The production was marked by unusual circumstances. Clint Eastwood, the film's lead, struggled with a bronchial infection and panic attacks throughout the shoot. Meanwhile, the cast—which included Robert Duvall as the antagonist Harlan—reportedly felt so intimidated by the legendary director John Sturges that they initially surrendered their creative autonomy to him. This dynamic contributed to a slow development in the characters, a point noted by critics who found the protagonist's motivations inconsistent or unclear.
Despite mixed reviews upon its July 1972 release, the film was a commercial success, earning $5.8 million in domestic rentals. Critics like Roger Greenspun and Gene Siskel were skeptical of the film's pacing and narrative logic, yet others, such as Kevin Thomas, praised its craftsmanship. The climax, featuring the train crashing through a saloon, remains a testament to the film's improvisational spirit. What began as a joke by producer Robert Daley was embraced by the crew, fundamentally altering the script and creating one of the most memorable set pieces in the genre.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Joe Kidd
- Also: Wikidata — Joe Kidd · CC0
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