Janet Leigh, Mr. Stewart's co-star in "The Naked Spur" (1953), credited him with teaching her "the true meaning of professionalism."

The Naked Spur (1953)

I am the sort of person who has the poster for "The Naked Spur," an Anthony Mann western, over my couch.

In 1953, he was cast as a misfit ex-cavalryman in the classic western The Naked Spur directed by Anthony Mann.

The Naked Spur is a 1953 American western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Janet Leigh, and Robert Ryan.

The Naked Spur was filmed on location in Durango and the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, and Lone Pine, California.

Leonard Maltin has lauded The Naked Spur as "one of the best westerns ever made."

In 1997, The Naked Spur was added to the United States National Film Registry, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

He was a struggling writer, but right after we met he sold a screenplay called "The Naked Spur" for $25,000.

He also contributed to several Anthony Mann westerns, including The Naked Spur in 1953, and a number of MGM musicals.