Rancho Notorious

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Rancho Notorious

1952,

1h 29m,

Western

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Watchlist

100%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

69%

1,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Vern Haskell (Arthur Kennedy) is pushed to revenge when his fiancée is killed during a general store robbery. Intent on punishing those responsible, Vern manages to find one of the thieves, who is mortally wounded. In his dying words, the man gives Vern a clue to finding the others. Continuing his quest, Vern travels to the hideout -- a ranch operated by Altar Keane (Marlene Dietrich), a former saloon singer. By fooling an outlaw (Mel Ferrer), Vern makes his way into their inner circle.

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Joshua Polanski

Midwest Film Journal

Jun 6, 2025

The final 15 minutes of Rancho Notorious are spectacular.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 17, 2023

3/4

Director Fritz Lang combines the German Expressionism of his earlier years with the film noir style of his American run to produce this offbeat Western.

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Nathanael Hood

The Retro Set

Dec 28, 2018

7/10

...pure Fritz Lang through and through.

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Richard T. Jameson

Parallax View

Oct 22, 2011

Rancho Notorious is strange. Peculiar. Outrageous. Utterly distinctive.

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Leo Goldsmith

Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Aug 8, 2009

There is a distinct hokeyness about Lang's vision of the West--pancake-flat sets in a generic studio-backlot Western town; giant, abstract crab-colored boulders made out of papier-mache, brazenly unnaturalistic stage-lighting--but it's the ardent phoneyne

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

May 26, 2006

Because the small budget kept Lang sequestered on the studio lot, he found a way to use the sets for their claustrophobic, caged feel.

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Harry S

Dec 20, 2018

Dietrich way past her prime, so as a vehicle for her, it doesn't pass the smell test. The main plot is likewise lame

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Fritz Lang

Director

Marlene Dietrich

Altar Keane

Mel Ferrer

Frenchy Fairmont

Arthur Kennedy

Vern Haskell

Lloyd Gough

Kinch (uncredited)

Gloria Henry

Beth Forbes

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Synopsis

Vern Haskell (Arthur Kennedy) is pushed to revenge when his fiancée is killed during a general store robbery. Intent on punishing those responsible, Vern manages to find one of the thieves, who is mortally wounded. In his dying words, the man gives Vern a clue to finding the others. Continuing his quest, Vern travels to the hideout -- a ranch operated by Altar Keane (Marlene Dietrich), a former saloon singer. By fooling an outlaw (Mel Ferrer), Vern makes his way into their inner circle.

Director: Fritz Lang
Producer: Howard Welsch
Screenwriter: Silvia Richards, Daniel Taradash
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures, Republic Pictures
Production Co: Fidelity Pictures Corporation
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 1, 1952, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 4, 2019
Runtime: 1h 29m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.37:1)

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