April 13 - Heaven's Gate

Today’s movie is a western with a scene that happens on April 13. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

HEAVEN’S GATE

Jim Averill and Billy Irvine graduate from Harvard together in 1870. Twenty years later in Casper, Wyoming, Irvine is a rancher and Averill the new sheriff of Johnson County. There is conflict between settler and cattle barons over land and rustling. The cattle owners hire Nate Champion as their enforcer and plan to kill 125 of their opponents. Irvine opposes these plans and tells Averill.  The cattlemen’s posse comes to Johnson County, but Champion distances himself from their actions after they rape Ella Watson, a madam who is attracted to both Champion and Averill. The posse then kills Champion. The settlers led by John Bridges attack, surround the posse and are about to wipe them out. However on April 13, 1892  [3:14:49 to 3:27:27] the US cavalry is ordered to, and does rescue the bad guys, saving the cattlemen’s posse.  Bridges, Ella and Averill prepare to leave the area, but the posse kills Bridges and Ella before Averill kills their attackers. Averill returns east and becomes a very wealthy man over the next thirteen years. 

The American Heritage Book of Great Adventures of the Old West (American Heritage Press, New York, 1969) at pages 374-375 gives the date of the army’s attack

Director - Michael Cimino
Producer - Joann Carelli
Screenwriter - Michael Cimino
Released – November 19, 1980
Runtime – 3 hours 36 minutes        

Starring –

Kris Kristofferson as James "Jim" Averill

Christopher Walken as Nate Champion

John Hurt as William C. "Billy" Irvine

Sam Waterston as Frank M. Canton

Brad Dourif as Mr. Eggleston

Isabelle Huppert as Ella Watson

Joseph Cotten as The Reverend Doctor

Jeff Bridges as John L. Bridges

Geoffrey Lewis as Trapper Fred

Paul Koslo as Mayor Charlie Lezak

Richard Masur as Cully

Ronnie Hawkins as Major Wolcott

Terry O'Quinn as Captain Minardi

Tom Noonan as Jake

Mickey Rourke as Nick Ray

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.