Review: 'Showdown' is a Surprisingly Queer Take on the Western

As a Dean Martin fan, a western aficionado, and, to a lesser degree, a George Seaton and Rock Hudson admirer, I had strangely never heard of "Showdown." So I was excited to see it, but also wary since its obscurity might reflect on the quality of the film.

The movie feels like it was made in late '50s, not the early '70s. There is no new ground broken in this uber-traditional story, and the script (by Theodore Taylor, his only feature credit) is fairly facile. Also, a more apt title might have been "Slowdown," since both lead actors appear rather lethargic, especially Martin (who was going through some personal turmoil at the time, it turns out).

But "Showdown" is also an interesting film to watch, with stunning camerawork by Oscar-winner Ernest Laszlo ("Stalag 17," "Judgment at Nuremberg," "Ship of Fools," "Airport"), an excellent score by Oscar-winner David Shire ("All the President's Men," "Norma Rae," "The Promise"), and period perfect costumes by 7-time Academy Award winner Edith Head ("Roman Holiday," "Sabrina," "Airport," "The Sting").

The structure is fascinating, with these jarring flashbacks peppering the narrative and an unexpected and poignant ending. Add some definite chemistry between Martin and Hudson, as well as a sassy Susan Clark, and the end result is a film that has fallen by the wayside but deserves a revisit. Thanks to Kino Lorber and a terrific Blu-ray release, we can do just that.

Two childhood BFFs, now all grown up, against one another. Chuck Jarvis (Hudson) is now a lawman and Billy Massey (Martin) is a thief who has just helped pull off a train robbery. Chuck goes after Billy, who ends up at their old ranch where Chuck's wife Kate (Clark) harbors him.

There are more than hints of an almost romance between Billy and Kate. There are also hints of romance between the two men. This is never overt, of course, but it's palpable to anyone who wishes to see the homoerotic tension between Martin (then 56) and Hudson (48). There are also several references to Damon and Pythias – a Greek legend that some interpret as a gay love story.

This would be Seaton's last film, Martin and Hudson's final western, and Martin's penultimate starring role in motion pictures (I do not count the "Cannonball Run" movies).

Seaton was coming off his biggest hit with Universal's blockbuster, "Airport," which scored a Best Picture nomination and a win for Helen Hayes for Best Supporting Actress. Oddly, he chose this slim and old-fashioned western as his follow-up.

Hudson and Martin and were both considered box office gold in the '50s and '60s, but by the '70s had moved on to television, Martin with "The Dean Martin Variety Hour" and Hudson starring opposite Susan St. James in "MacMillan and Wife."

On an initial read of the film, Martin might be seen as strictly playing out his Lothario persona (one that he and Billy Wilder brilliantly parodied in the highly underrated film "Kiss Me, Stupid" in 1964). But there is more to his performances than that. He's a tired cowboy who lost his love (the man or the woman), and is going through motions to keep relevant. Martin does his best with screenwriter Taylor's sadly misguided attempts at one-liners. ("You're still as pretty to look at as four aces.") But it's in the quiet scenes, the close-ups, that we can see Martin going much deeper.

Hudson also has some surprisingly revealing moments, especially at the very (punch-packed) end of the film - again with no dialogue, just Hudson and the camera.

The visual transfer of the 2.25:1 aspect ratio is first rate, as is the audio.

Extras feature the theatrical trailer and a neat commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell, who do a good job of analyzing the careers of Martin, Hudson and Seaton.

We all now know the truth about Rock Hudson's sexual orientation, how he had to hide it in order to continue playing the lead roles, and how it was a thinly-veiled secret to almost everyone in Hollywood and in the press.

As for Martin, there were rumors throughout his career that he may have been gay or, at least bi (there is speculation that Jerry Lewis was his lover). Some of these notions come directly from an FBI report on Martin, as well as accounts that Martin fought his true nature. Atom Egoyan's film "Where the Truth Lies" is a thinly-veiled fictionalization of Martin & Lewis, where the Martin character (Colin Firth) has repressed his homosexuality. I bring this up not to speculate on Dino's sexual orientation (okay, maybe a little) as much as to comment on the gay subtext in "Showdown" and how having two men in the lead who actually loved (or may have loved) men makes for a fascinating, and less obvious, love triangle.

Pick up "Showdown" for a surprisingly queer take on the western genre, if you can look past the surface nonsense.

"Showdown" is available now on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.