Budd Boetticher

Directing

Budd Boetticher

Born — Died

1916-07-29 — 2001-11-29

Place of birth

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Known for

Directing

Credits

55 titles

Oscar "Budd" Boetticher, Jr. (July 29, 1916 in Chicago – November 29, 2001 in Ramona, California) was a film director during the classical period in Hollywood. He is best remembered for the series of low-budget Westerns he made in the late 1950s, starring Randolph Scott. Known for their sparse style, dramatic rocky locations near Lone Pine, California, and recurring stories of a lone man seeking vengeance amidst a brutal and abstract landscape, the films have, decades after their release, come to be known as some of the most significant Westerns ever made, often compared to the works of existential writers or to narratives from the Old Testament.

Known for

7 Men from Now poster
6.8

Former sheriff Ben Stride, haunted by the loss of his wife in a Wells Fargo robbery, hunts for the seven men responsible for her death – along the way, encountering a couple heading west for California, and an outlaw he once arrested.

7 Men from Now

1956

Tequila Sunrise poster
6.1

In a seaside California town, best friends Mac and Nick are on opposite sides of the law. Mac is a former drug dealer trying to clean up his act, while Nick is a high-profile detective trying to take down a Mexican drug lord named Carlos. Soon Nick's loyalties are put to the test when he begins an affair with restaurateur Jo Ann -- a love interest of Mac's -- unwittingly leading his friend into a police-orchestrated trap.

Tequila Sunrise

1988

American Cinema poster
8.3

13 episode series created by PBS to commemorate 100 years of movie-going. The history of Hollywood and filmmaking comes alive in this spectacular celebration of movie magic. It's a mesmerizing, epic analysis that combines rare archival film, key scenes from immortal movies, interviews with leading filmmakers and commentary from noted film scholars and critics. As seen on PBS, this series is the definitive chronicle of the American cinema, from its beginning to today. Includes interviews with Robert Altman, Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Spike Lee, George Lucas, Sidney Lumet, Julia Roberts, Martin Scorsese, Gene Siskel, Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarantino, and many more.

American Cinema

1994

The Man from the Alamo poster
6.6

During the war for Texas independence, one man leaves the Alamo before the end (chosen to help others' families) but is too late to accomplish his mission, and is branded a coward. Unable to expose a gang of turncoats, he infiltrates them instead.

The Man from the Alamo

1953

City Beneath the Sea poster
5.1

Divers Brad and Tony arrive in Jamaica to attempt salvage of the Lady Luck, sunk with all hands and a million in gold. They charter the American Beauty, skippered by attractive Terry, but cannot find the ship. But there's more to the Lady Luck than meets the eye, and undersea skullduggery forms a counterpoint to Brad's romance with Terry, and Tony's with cabaret singer Venita.

City Beneath the Sea

1953

Ride Lonesome poster
6.7

On the way to pick up the bounty on a wanted murderer, a bounty hunter stops at a staging post where he is forced to continue his journey with two outlaws who want the murderer for their own reasons and a recently-widowed woman, with the murderer's brother and his men in hot pursuit.

Ride Lonesome

1959

Film credits

1980s · 3 titles

Series credits

Behind the camera

7 Men from Now poster
6.8

Former sheriff Ben Stride, haunted by the loss of his wife in a Wells Fargo robbery, hunts for the seven men responsible for her death – along the way, encountering a couple heading west for California, and an outlaw he once arrested.

7 Men from Now

1956

The Man from the Alamo poster
6.6

During the war for Texas independence, one man leaves the Alamo before the end (chosen to help others' families) but is too late to accomplish his mission, and is branded a coward. Unable to expose a gang of turncoats, he infiltrates them instead.

The Man from the Alamo

1953

City Beneath the Sea poster
5.1

Divers Brad and Tony arrive in Jamaica to attempt salvage of the Lady Luck, sunk with all hands and a million in gold. They charter the American Beauty, skippered by attractive Terry, but cannot find the ship. But there's more to the Lady Luck than meets the eye, and undersea skullduggery forms a counterpoint to Brad's romance with Terry, and Tony's with cabaret singer Venita.

City Beneath the Sea

1953

Ride Lonesome poster
6.7

On the way to pick up the bounty on a wanted murderer, a bounty hunter stops at a staging post where he is forced to continue his journey with two outlaws who want the murderer for their own reasons and a recently-widowed woman, with the murderer's brother and his men in hot pursuit.

Ride Lonesome

1959

Ride Lonesome poster
6.7

On the way to pick up the bounty on a wanted murderer, a bounty hunter stops at a staging post where he is forced to continue his journey with two outlaws who want the murderer for their own reasons and a recently-widowed woman, with the murderer's brother and his men in hot pursuit.

Ride Lonesome

1959

Comanche Station poster
6.7

A white man trades with the Comanche for the release of a female stranger and the pair cross paths with three outlaws who have their eyes on the handsome reward for bringing her home and Comanche on the warpath.

Comanche Station

1960

Comanche Station poster
6.7

A white man trades with the Comanche for the release of a female stranger and the pair cross paths with three outlaws who have their eyes on the handsome reward for bringing her home and Comanche on the warpath.

Comanche Station

1960

Decision at Sundown poster
6.3

A man and his partner arrive at a small Western town to kill its most powerful man because the former blames him for his wife's death.

Decision at Sundown

1957

The Killer Is Loose poster
6.7

A savings-and-loan bank is robbed; later, a police wiretap identifies meek bank teller Leon Poole as the inside man. In capturing him, detective Sam Wagner accidentally kills Poole's young wife, and at his trial Poole swears vengeance against Wagner. Poole begins his plans to get revenge when he escapes his captors.

The Killer Is Loose

1956

The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond poster
6.1

Jack Diamond and his sickly brother arrive in prohibition New York as jewelry thieves. After a spell in jail, the coldly ambitious Diamond hits on the idea of stealing from thieves himself and sets about getting close to gangster boss Arnold Rothstein to move in on his booze, girls, gambling, and drugs operations.

The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond

1960

A Time for Dying poster
6.3

Passing through a town, a farm boy aspiring to be a bounty hunter rescues a woman who has been tricked into working in its brothel and the two travel towards his father's ranch.

A Time for Dying

1969

A Time for Dying poster
6.3

Passing through a town, a farm boy aspiring to be a bounty hunter rescues a woman who has been tricked into working in its brothel and the two travel towards his father's ranch.

A Time for Dying

1969

The Tall T poster
7.0

Pat Brennan's luck is about to go from bad to worse; after gambling his horse away, he gets a ride from Willard and Doretta Mims. However, their stagecoach is hijacked by a trio of merciless bandits, led by ruthless Frank Usher. As Usher holds the passengers hostage, Brennan falls in love with Doretta and develops a risky plan to free himself and the Mimses, leading to a bloody final standoff.

The Tall T

1957

The Cimarron Kid poster
6.1

After being falsely accused of a payroll heist, The Kid heads for the high country where he joins a gang of outlaws slaughtered during a daylight bank robbery. Hiding out in a local ranch, he falls in love with the rancher's daughter, who tries to rehabilitate the cowboy.

The Cimarron Kid

1952

Arruza poster
6.8

Eight years in the making, Boetticher’s portrait of his longtime friend, the famous bullfighter Carlos Arruza, was a labor of love that the renowned director of westerns pursued despite contending with illnesses, bankruptcy, jail time, and lucrative offers from Hollywood. The result is an astonishing work of poetry, immediacy, and violence that fearlessly wrestles with the filmmaker’s own ambivalence about the titular matador’s triumphs prior to his death by automobile accident at the age of 46.

Arruza

1972

Arruza poster
6.8

Eight years in the making, Boetticher’s portrait of his longtime friend, the famous bullfighter Carlos Arruza, was a labor of love that the renowned director of westerns pursued despite contending with illnesses, bankruptcy, jail time, and lucrative offers from Hollywood. The result is an astonishing work of poetry, immediacy, and violence that fearlessly wrestles with the filmmaker’s own ambivalence about the titular matador’s triumphs prior to his death by automobile accident at the age of 46.

Arruza

1972

The Red Ball Express poster
6.0

August 1944: proceeding with the invasion of France, Patton's Third Army has advanced so far toward Paris that it cannot be supplied. To keep up the momentum, Allied HQ establishes an elite military truck route.

The Red Ball Express

1952

Escape in the Fog poster
5.4

A military nurse recovering from a nervous breakdown at an inn keeps having dreams where she witnesses two men trying to murder a third. When she meets a federal agent, she's astounded to discover that he is the victim from her visions.

Escape in the Fog

1945

Horizons West poster
6.3

Following the Civil War, brothers Dan and Neil Hammond return to Texas, where ambitious Dan turns to rustling and then shady land deals to build an empire. Being held for a murder, he's rescued from a lynch mob by Neil, now the Marshal, but they have an inevitable falling-out.

Horizons West

1952

Seminole poster
5.6

Lance Caldwell, a cavalry lieutenant, recounts his efforts to make peace with the Seminole Indian tribe, under an evil major.

Seminole

1953

Buchanan Rides Alone poster
6.6

Passing through a border town, a man is caught up in a Mexican's murder of a member of the town's most powerful family.

Buchanan Rides Alone

1958

The Magnificent Matador poster
6.0

Karen Harrison is a spoiled, rich, American predator who falls head-over-heels for the brooding, tormented, about-to-retire matador, Luis Santos who has inexplicably run away prior to a corrida that was to occasion the "alternativa" of a young, up-and-coming bullfighter.

The Magnificent Matador

1955

Wings of the Hawk poster
5.8

Gringo miner Gallager is caught up in the Mexican revolution of 1910-11 when corrupt administrator Ruiz appropriates his mine. Gallager saves the life of guerilla leader Raquel, then finds there's a price on his head; he becomes romantically involved with her in the course of a series of rescues and ambushes, leading up to Orozco's march on Ciudad Juarez.

Wings of the Hawk

1953

East of Sumatra poster
5.8

Duke Mullane, manager of a Malayan tin mine, goes to a little-known island to open a new mine in the jungle. Initially, the natives there are friendly, especially dancer Minyora...who proves to be affianced to local ruler King Kiang. Alas, a series of unfortunate incidents changes Kiang's attitude to hostility, and Duke is stranded with his crew, Minyora, and his old flame Lory...who's now engaged to his boss!

East of Sumatra

1953

Westbound poster
6.4

As the Civil War spills our nation’s blood, Capt. John Hayes fights on a vital but little-known battlefront. He aims to ship gold to Union banks through a small Colorado town, defying Southern sympathizers who aim to stop him at any cost.

Westbound

1959

Bullfighter and the Lady poster
6.1

Adventuresome Johnny Regan attends a bullfight while vacationing in Mexico City. Enthralled by the crowd and the inherent risk in the sport, Johnny seeks out Manolo, the star bullfighter who performed at the event. The two strike a bargain for Manolo to teach Johnny bullfighting, but Johnny's risky behavior in the ring raises concern as his first fight approaches.

Bullfighter and the Lady

1951

Bronco Buster poster
6.0

A veteran rodeo rider takes on a young apprentice in order to 'teach him the ropes', and winds up competing against him.

Bronco Buster

1952

The Missing Juror poster
6.3

In a major murder case, an innocent man is convicted. Though saved at the last moment, his sanity is gone and he kills himself. Soon, the jurors on his case begin to be picked off, one by one, leading newspaperman Joe Keats to investigate.

The Missing Juror

1944

Blades of the Musketeers poster
8.0

In 1625 France, D'Artagnan joins the king's musketeers, meets three new friends - Athos, Porthos and Aramis - among them and, together, the four quickly find themselves embroiled in court intrigue with Prime Minister Richelieu attempting to sabotage the congenial relationship existing between France and England. Originally produced as a 60-minute episode of THE MAGNAVOX THEATER on CBS as THE THREE MUSKETEERS. This has the distinction of being the first movie specifically made for TV. Later retitled and released theatrically.

Blades of the Musketeers

1950

Assigned to Danger poster
4.7

Insurance investigator Dan Sullivan registers at a lodge, posing as a doctor, in hopes of catching a group of bank robbers who have pulled off a huge payroll heist.

Assigned to Danger

1948

One Mysterious Night poster
6.2

After a rare gem is stolen from an exhibition at a posh hotel, Inspector Farraday recruits former thief Boston Blackie to retrieve the stone. Along with his assistant, 'The Runt', Blackie focuses his investigation on the hotel manager, George Daley, and his sister, Eileen. Through disguises and ruses, Blackie and the Runt trick their way to discovering the perpetrators.

One Mysterious Night

1944

A Guy, a Gal and a Pal poster
9.0

A young woman devises a clever scheme to secure a train reservation by pretending to be married to a stranger.

A Guy, a Gal and a Pal

1945

Behind Locked Doors poster
6.3

Behind the locked doors of a mental institution resides crooked politico Judge Drake, free from prosecution so long as he acts crazy. To get the goods on Drake, private detective Ross Stewart has himself committed as a patient. Meanwhile, reporter Kathy Lawrence, posing as Stewart's wife, acts as his liaison to the outside world.

Behind Locked Doors

1948

Killer Shark poster
6.4

A college student takes a break and goes out to sea with his father, the captain of a shark-hunting boat. When his inexperience results in an accident in which his father and a crewman are badly injured, he tries to make up for it by rounding up another crew and going back out on the hunt. However, things don't turn out quite the way he planned.

Killer Shark

1950

Return of the Dead poster
5.0

A teenage girl is charged with the attempted murder of a gangland figure. Her mother has also been shot. To further complicate matters, the girl's father, who went missing in action in WW2 fifteen years ago, has suddenly reappeared.

Return of the Dead

1954

Black Midnight poster
6.5

A young man with a love of horses, Scott Jordan, lives on the family ranch with his uncle Bill. When he buys a wild stallion from his cousin, Scott names the horse Midnight and does his best to tame him. But when the sheriff suspects the stallion was stolen and his cousin's plan to get rid of the horse ends with a man being trampled, Scott must prove Midnight acted in self-defense before his uncle destroys him.

Black Midnight

1949

No artwork available
7.0

When Robert and Rosemarie Stack (Robert starred in Boetticher's "The Bullfighter and the Lady") visit Mary and Budd Boetticher to attend the Boettichers' showing of their exquisite Portuguese Lusitano and Spanish Andalusian horses, Budd Boetticher takes the opportunity to narrate the proud history of these outstanding horses and their centrality to the development of the "rejoneador" (a bullfighter on horseback) and the kind of demanding training necessary to bring both horses and riders to performance perfection.

My Kingdom For...

1985

The Wolf Hunters poster
6.5

After four fur trappers are slain and their furs stolen, Corporal Rod Webb of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police sets out for their village. En route, he and his German Shepherd, Chinook, encounter another trapper, Henri, unconscious on the trail, and the furs he was delivering to the factor, McTavish, stolen. Chinook trails the would-be-killer and bites a piece of cloth from his coat before he escapes. Webb leaves Henri with Greta while he investigates, aided by an Indian servant and the, wife of the superintendent of the trading company that employs McTavish.

The Wolf Hunters

1949

The Fleet That Came to Stay poster
8.0

A propaganda short film produced by the US Navy in 1945 about the naval engagements of the invasion of Okinawa.

The Fleet That Came to Stay

1945

Youth on Trial poster
4.0

A female juvenile court judge learns that her own daughter is one of the town delinquents in this minor low-budget potboiler.

Youth on Trial

1945