A Man Alone (film)

A Man Alone is a 1955 American Western film directed by Ray Milland (credited as R. Milland) starring Ray Milland, Mary Murphy, Raymond Burr, and Ward Bond. The story involves a man (Milland) who stumbles onto the aftermath of a stagecoach robbery in the Arizona desert in which there were no survivors.

Plot
On foot after the mercy killing of his horse, Wes Steele finds a stagecoach and a number of dead passengers. He takes a horse and rides to Mesa.

A corrupt banker, Stanley, and partner Joiner discuss their stagecoach holdup with Clanton, their hired gun. Joiner, upset over the deaths, begins to leave, but Clanton shoots him in the back.

Stanley tells townspeople the stranger Steele is responsible for the robbery and murder. Steele hides in the cellar of a house. It turns out to belong to the sheriff, Gil Corrigan, who has yellow fever. His daughter Nadine is caring for Gil and the home is quarantined.

Steele nurses the sheriff back to health after Nadine collapses from fatigue. A grateful Nadine says her dad worries about her but has left her well-provided for the future. She and Steele kiss.

He ventures outside, where he confronts and knocks out Stanley, causing a lynch mob to form. Gil gives the wanted Steele a chance to escape. It turns out the sheriff has been on the take from Stanley, so now a noose is tossed around a tree for him. Steele returns to rescue him. He kills Clanton, and then Stanley is placed under arrest. Told he should leave this town, Steele decides to stick around.

Cast

 * Ray Milland as Wes Steele
 * Mary Murphy as Nadine Corrigan
 * Ward Bond as Sheriff Gil Corrigan
 * Raymond Burr as Stanley
 * Arthur Space as Doctor Mason
 * Lee Van Cleef as Clanton
 * Alan Hale as Acting Sheriff Jim Anderson
 * Douglas Spencer as Henry Slocum
 * Thomas B. Henry as Maybanks
 * Grandon Rhodes as Luke Joiner
 * Martin Garralaga as Ortega
 * Kim Spalding as Sam Hall
 * Howard J. Negley as Wilson

Production
In August 1954 it was announced Milland would star in and direct a Western, The Gunman for Republic. It was based on an original script by John Tucker Battle and Talbot Jennings. Milland directed episodes of his 1953–55 sitcom Meet Mr. McNutley/The Ray Milland Show to prepare. He was on a percentage of the profits.

Filming started March 1955. Parts of the film were shot in the sand dunes outside St. George, Utah. In April the unit returned to Los Angeles.

Reception
After A Man Alone Yates hired Milland to direct one film a year for four years.