Monday, C5, 11:00pm
Clint Eastwood’s 1968 neo-Western Hang 'Em High isn’t just a film—it’s a barbed-wire morality tale wrapped in a poncho of vengeance. Directed by Ted Post, the story follows Jed Cooper (Eastwood), a man wrongly lynched by a vigilante mob, only to survive and become a lawman with a personal vendetta. It’s a gritty exploration of justice in the Old West, replete with dusty towns, crooked cattle rustlers, and a gallows that seems to get more screen time than some of the supporting cast.
But what really ropes you in—aside from Eastwood’s piercing squint—is the thunderous score by Dominic Frontiere. A veteran TV composer, Frontiere injects the film with a robust orchestral soundtrack that feels both cinematic and raw. The main theme is a high-drama affair, with driving strings and brass evoking the ominous weight of frontier justice. The music shifts between haunting melodies and rollicking Western bravado, perfectly matching the film’s moral ambiguity. In an era when Ennio Morricone was redefining the sound of the Western, Frontiere carved out a niche that leaned more traditional but no less impactful.
For soundtrack collectors, the original LP release is a fine artifact, though not exactly a common sight in charity shop bins. The reissue on CD in later years included additional cues, expanding on the rich tapestry of Frontiere’s compositions. While it never reached the iconic status of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Hang 'Em High’s score remains a treasure for fans of Western soundtracks. So, if you fancy a bit of old-school frontier justice with a side of symphonic drama, you’d do well to give this one a spin. Just be sure to steer clear of lynch mobs—Jed Cooper would approve.
- Paul Allen