HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT: Johnny Guitar

Posted on the 08 April 2015 by Shane Slater @filmactually

This week on Hit me with your best shot we looked at an unusual (in a good way) film, "Johnny Guitar". It's a rare Western where two women are given some of the meatiest roles, in the form of Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge. Both gave strong performances - especially the strikingly confident and authoritative Crawford - and I loved how the central conflict boiled down to a showdown between them. Therefore my pick for Best Shot is an image that speaks to this tension, when McCambridge's Emma Small momentarily gets the upper hand. You can sense the satisfaction in the scene as she burns Vienna's saloon to the ground, arms wide open like a sorceress over her cauldron.
Click below for my favorite shot...