(Hugo Fregonese, US 1951, 74 min., 35mm)

Gambler Sam Slick (Stephen McNally) is thrown out of a small Western town, but returns to warn its citizens when he learns of an impending Indian attack. Though director Fregonese was a talented storyteller, this flavorful and efficient B-Western’s true auteur is legendary producer Val Lewton, whose last production this was. Then at 8:30 p.m. Across the Wide Missouri

(William Wellman, US 1951, 78 min., 35mm)

Clark Gable stars as a fur trapper in the Montana/Idaho territories of the 1830s who marries a Blackfoot woman. The gorgeous location filming in this MGM production was a trademark of veteran director and adventurer Wellman (Wings, The Ox-Bow Incident). Two films for one admission price.

This film appears as part of the Auteur Showdown series. Click here, To read more about auteur directors working in the western genre.