The final western from one of the genre’s greatest directors, Budd Boetticher (Ride Lonesome), and the last screen appearance of war hero-turned-movie star Audie Murphy (To Hell and Back), A Time for Dying is an offbeat, elegiac look at the Old West, prefiguring Don Siegel’s classic western, and John Wayne’s final picture, The Shootist.
Richard Lapp stars as a young man with fine shooting skills who crosses paths with real-life figures, such as Jesse James (played by Murphy) and Judge Roy Bean (Victor Jory), only to discover the true violence of the West.
Beset by post-production and distribution problems, A Time for Dying is overdue the recognition it deserves. This world Blu-ray debut, featuring an all-new restoration and a host of insightful extras, will finally enable the film to find its rightful audience.
Streaming Options
Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Supplements
- Two presentations of the film: in its original 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio; and 1.37:1 open matte shooting ratio
- Audio commentary with screenwriter and novelist C. Courtney Joyner and film historian Henry Parke (2022)
- A Sense of Poetry (2022, 14 mins): filmmaker and novelist Christopher Petit discusses his fascination with A Time for Dying and his reasons for selecting it for the Sight & Sound Greatest Films of All Time poll
- The Men Who Shot Jesse James (2022, 20 mins): Kim Newman, critic and author of Wild West Movies, explores the many film portrayals of the infamous outlaw
- Limited edition exclusive 36-page booklet with a new essay by Paul Duane, archival interviews with director Budd Boetticher and actor Audie Murphy, and film credits