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Poster for Thunder Over the Plains

Thunder Over the Plains

1953 · 82 min

A taut, morally tangled Western where duty and loyalty collide under Reconstruction-era tension, with a stoic hero caught between uniforms and neighbors.

Tagline
THUNDER IN HIS HEART...LIGHTNING IN HIS HOLSTERS...
Overview
Set in 1869, after the Civil War, Texas had not yet been readmitted to the Union and carpetbaggers, hiding behind the legal protection of the Union Army of occupation, had taken over the state. Federal Captain Porter, a Texan, has to carry out orders against his own people. He brings in the rebel leader Ben Westman whom he knows is innocent of a murder that he is accused of. In trying to prove his innocence, Porter himself becomes a wanted man.

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • justice
  • loyalty
  • power
  • corruption
  • identity
Places
  • small town
  • countryside
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action6
Horror1
Humour2
Realism7
Romance2
Tension6
Darkness5
Complexity5
Emotional weight5

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
western
Directed by
André de Toth
Written by
Russell S. Hughes
Starring
Randolph Scott, Lex Barker, Phyllis Kirk, Charles McGraw, Henry Hull, Elisha Cook Jr., Hugh Sanders, Lane Chandler
Music
David Buttolph
Cinematography
Bert Glennon
Runtime
82 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

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