The writing for many of the roles was superior, I thought, but Hingle owns this shootemup without drawing a gun. His speech about halfway through, about the difference between lynching and punishment, is so blunt and eloquent. His philosophy of justice is a necessary frontier ideal and it's deadened him. Strong cast all around but Clint, all the women, Begley, Dern, the others are all runners-up in this one.
shareI agree, Hingle was terrific in this movie and the writers gave him superb dialogue. What could have been a one-dimensional, hard-hearted prick became a fully developed character who stated his case bluntly but truthfully. Frontier justice in that era was harsh, and the judge was basically a decent man doing what he could with the resources he had available.
His final speech where he acknowledges making mistakes is magnificent.
yep. great speech.
Where there's smoke, there's barbecue!
Great speech and a great underrated actor, but cannot take this movie away from the great Clint Eastwood.
shareAs far as I'm concerned the best actor in the movie was someone who got only a few minutes time--BEN JOHNSON. Give him a big role and it's a far superior movie.
sharejcappy- Ben Johnson didn't have much of a role in this flick but I love him in just about anything. He has that rugged, cowboy voice and air about him. I always make it a point to watch anything with him in it. His talent was overlooked by too many!
sharePat Hingle had a part in carrying most the movies he was in, a large part.
You don't have to stand tall, but you have to stand up!
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Mr. Hingle should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for this film.
"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae
I think the fact that Eastwood reused Hingle in his own films later on - The Gauntlet and Sudden Impact - shows Eastwood thought highly of his work in 'Hang em High' as well.
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