Day of the Outlaw - Chris Jones

Day of the Outlaw provides us with an interesting view of women in film. When Jack Bruhn rides into town and overpowers the men he takes a rather interesting stance on the women of the town, he promises the townspeople that his men will not touch the women of the town and that they should hide the alcohol from is men. This immediatley strays from the norm of what would happen when a gang of outlaws took over a town because in most Westerns they would pillage the town as well as use the women for sex. This shows a certain respect for the women of the town because Bruhn realizes how important they are to the town even if they generally would not have recognized it. This respect he shows them is a representation of the progress the women's movement had made in showing society that women were just as important as men, if not more. In the time before this movie was made women had made great strides in bringing the positive things they bring to society to the forefront of people's minds. Bruhn's actions play upon this idea that the women are just as important and by showing that he will not hurt them he earns some respect from the town because rather than holding the women for ransom and forcing the town to confirm with what he wants he gives a concession that will prevent the town from doing anything rash without bloodshed.