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A Covenant with Death

A Covenant with Death is a 1967 American legal drama film directed by Lamont Johnson (in his feature directorial debut), with a screenplay by Lawrence B. Marcus and Saul Levitt based on the 1964 Book of the Month novel of the same title by Stephen Becker.[1][2] The film stars George Maharis, Laura Devon, Katy Jurado and Earl Holliman.

A Covenant with Death
Film poster
Directed byLamont Johnson
Written by
Based onA Covenant with Death
1964 novel
by Stephen Becker
Starring
CinematographyRobert Burks
Edited byWilliam Ziegler
Music byLeonard Rosenman
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • February 15, 1967 (1967-02-15)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Spanish

Plot

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Within a small American town on the Mexican border in 1923, a promiscuous, married woman is found dead in her bedroom. Her grieving, jealous and widely disliked husband Bryan Talbot is convicted of her murder and sentenced to hang on purely circumstantial evidence despite his fierce denials. The presiding judge, Hochstadter, departs for a fishing trip, leaving it to the inexperienced Mexican-American judge Ben Morealis Lewis to oversee the execution. Lewis has misgivings about mandatory sentencing and capital punishment in general, as well as about Talbot's guilt.

Talbot unintentionally kills his executioner while trying to avoid being hanged. Before of a replacement hangman arrives, another man confesses to killing Talbot's wife. Judge Lewis must negotiate various personal relationships, provincial attitudes and his faith in justice.

Cast

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Production

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In early 1966, Stephen Becker's novel "A Covenant with Death" was assigned to William Conrad's new production company within Warner Bros. for adaptation to the screen, along with An American Dream by Norman Mailer and Speak Not Evil by Edwin Lanham.[3]

Filming began in May 1966 with six days of shooting on location in New Mexico[4] followed by six weeks of interior filming at the Warner Bros. studios.[5] Most of the New Mexico filming occurred at a historic ranch near the Black Mesa, north of Santa Fe. Approximately 70 local extras were employed as well as more than 50 Indians from the San Ildefonso Pueblo.[4]

Katy Jurado gained 25 pounds for her role and entered a hospital as soon as filming wrapped in order to lose the weight.[6]

Reception

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In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Howard Thompson wrote: "A genuinely original idea for a drama weighing justice, prejudice and the human conscience is studiously frittered away ... [T]he film itself slips in to a devious, figure-eight treatment, siphoning out the action and even the characterizations."[7]

References

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  1. ^ "A Covenant With Death by Stephen Becker". Goodreads. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  2. ^ Becker, Stephen (January 12, 2016). A Covenant with Death: A Novel. Open Road Media. ISBN 978-1504026895. Retrieved January 17, 2021 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Freund, Bob (1966-01-28). "Burton Is A Busy Man As Offers Keep Coming". Fort Lauderdale News. p. 5E.
  4. ^ a b Dohme, Ralph (1966-05-22). "Local "movie stars" complete week's work on "super duper" production". The Santa Fe New Mexican. pp. 6–7.
  5. ^ Bryan, Howard (1966-05-20). "Movie Crew Takes Over Picturesque NM Hacienda". The Albuquerque Tribune. pp. 1, 5.
  6. ^ Wister, Emery (1966-07-16). "Show 'Nuf". The Charlotte News. p. 3C.
  7. ^ Thompson, Howard (1967-02-16). "Screen: Thin Idea in Elaborate Decor". The New York Times. p. 32.
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