{{Short description|1956 film by Edward L. Cahn}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = Flesh and the Spur | caption = Theatrical release poster by Albert Kallis | image = Flesh and the Spur FilmPoster.jpeg | director = [[Edward L. Cahn]] | producer = [[Alex Gordon]]<br>''executive''<br>[[Mike Connors|Touch Connors]]<br>Charles John Lyons, Jr. | writer = [[Charles B. Griffith]]<br>[[Mark Hanna]]<br>''additional dialogue''<br>[[Lou Rusoff]]<br>[[Edward L. Cahn]] | based_on = story by [[Charles B. Griffith]]<br>[[Mark Hanna]] | starring = [[John Agar]]<br />[[Marla English]]<br />[[Mike Connors|Touch Connors]] | music = [[Ronald Stein]] | cinematography = Frederick E. West | editing = Robert S. Eisen | studio = Hy Productions | distributor = [[American International Pictures]] | released = {{Film date|1956|09|25|United States}} | runtime = 78 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $117,000<ref name="tom"/> }}
'''''Flesh and the Spur''''' is a 1956 American [[Western film]] directed by [[Edward L. Cahn]]. The film stars [[John Agar]] as Lucius Random, [[Marla English]] as Wild Willow, and [[Mike Connors]] (billed here as Touch Connors) as Stacy Tanner. The film was released by [[American International Pictures]] as a [[double feature]] with ''[[Naked Paradise]]''. The plot is about a young cowboy who searches for the killer of his twin brother.
==Plot== Tanner is a desperate prisoner who escapes from jail and promptly murders an innocent farmer named Matthew Random. Stealing Random's horse and gun, the outlaw promptly makes his escape. Finding his twin brother murdered, Lucius Random (Agar) vows revenge and sets off to find the killer.
Although he does not know the identity of the killer, Random knows that he is part of the nefarious "Checker Gang" and can be identified by the gun he stole from Matthew, which is one of a unique set of two that the brothers Matthew and Lucius owned between them.
==Cast== *[[John Agar]] as Luke Random/Matthew Random *[[Marla English]] as Willow *[[Touch Connors]] as Stacey Doggett *[[Raymond Hatton]] as Windy * Maria Monay as Lola *[[Joyce Meadows]] as Rena *[[Kenne Duncan]] as Cale Tanner *[[Frank Lackteen]] as Indian chief * Mel Gaines as Blackie *Michael Harris as Deputy marshal *Eddie Kafafian as Bud *[[Kermit Maynard]] as Outlaw
==Production== The film was originally titled ''Dead Man's Gun''.<ref name="AIP">Mark McGee, ''Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures'', McFarland, 1996 p71-72</ref>
Mike Connors also acted as [[executive producer]] and raised the money with Charles Lyons from Armenian friends for the film's $117,000 budget. He recalled being called in to a meeting with AIP's [[James H. Nicholson]], [[Samuel Z. Arkoff]], and [[Alex Gordon]]. They showed him a poster of leading lady Marla English tied to a stake with fire ants crawling on her. Connors remarked that no such scene was in the script. The AIP heads replied that the movie had been presold on the basis of Albert Kallis' artwork, and that the anthill torture scene would be written in later.<ref name="tom">p.29 Weaver, Tom ''Mike Connors Interview'' in ''Eye on Science Fiction'' 2003 McFarland</ref> (This was a marketing ploy frequently used by AIP to promote films during preproduction, often before the screenplay had been written.) Alex Gordon recalled dropping ants on the bound and gagged Marla. However, the ants would promptly run away from her. The ungagged Marla finally asked Gordon, "Look, you've got six ants there, isn't that enough??"<ref>p.130 Weaver, Tom ''Alex Gordon Interview'' in ''Science Fiction Confidential'' 2003 McFarland</ref>
==Release== The film was released on a double bill with ''Naked Paradise''. Although popular, it was the last Western made by [[American International Pictures|AIP]], which preferred to concentrate on genres more specifically targeted at the teenaged audience.<ref name="AIP"/> [[Marla English]] retired soon after making the film.
==Reception== A contemporary review of the film in ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reported that the film "is an unexciting Western, burdened with trite dialog and drawn-out situations," noting further that "Cahn's direction is unable to hurdle the dull aspects of the script, with the result that none of the players shows to advantage...Agar is lifeless."<ref>{{cite web |title=Flesh and the Spur (Color) |url=https://archive.org/details/variety205-1957-02/page/n173/mode/1up?q=%28%22Charles+B+Griffith%22%29+AND+creator%3A%28variety%29 |website=Internet Archive | date=February 1957 |access-date=2023-07-07}}</ref> A review in [[TV Guide]] described the film as an "empty western" with an "uneventful plot."<ref>{{cite web |title=Flesh and the Spur Reviews |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/flesh-and-the-spur/review/2000116281/ |website=TV Guide |access-date=2023-07-07}}</ref> Critic Mark Franklin wrote that "the film is marked by snappy dialogue, an outlaw gang as inept as they come, and poorly conceived and choreographed action scenes," adding that "Connors steals the show as the devil-may-care vengeance seeker. Which isn't difficult considering Agar's wooden performance."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Franklin |first1=Mark |title=Flesh and the Spur (1957) |url=https://onceuponatimeinawestern.com/flesh-and-the-spur-1957/ |website=Once Upon a Time in a Western |access-date=2023-07-07}}</ref>
==Home media== On October 27, 2009, [[Alpha Video]] released ''Flesh and the Spur'' on [[Region 0]] DVD.<ref>{{cite web |title=''BFlesh and the Spur'' DVD info, Oldies.com |url=http://www.oldies.com/product-view/5929D.html | access-date=23 October 2009}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb title|0049216}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120825235634/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/75149/Flesh-and-the-Spur/ ''The Flesh and the Spur''] at [[TCMDB]] * {{Internet Archive film|id=flesh_and_the_spur}} *[https://archive.org/details/variety205-1957-02/page/n173/mode/1up/search/%22Charles+B+Griffith%22?q=%28%22Charles+B+Griffith%22%29+AND+creator%3A%28variety%29 Review of film] at Variety {{Charles B. Griffith}} {{Edward L. Cahn}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flesh And The Spur}} [[Category:1956 films]] [[Category:1956 English-language films]] [[Category:Films directed by Edward L. Cahn]] [[Category:1956 Western (genre) films]] [[Category:American International Pictures films]] [[Category:Films with screenplays by Charles B. Griffith]] [[Category:Films scored by Ronald Stein]] [[Category:American Western (genre) films]] [[Category:1956 American films]] [[Category:English-language Western (genre) films]]