Flesh and the Spur (1957)
Directed by Edward L. Cahn and produced by American International Pictures (AIP), Flesh and the Spur is a low-budget Western revenge tale starring John Agar, Marla English, and Mike Connors (billed as Touch Connors). Though released in 1956, it’s often cataloged as a 1957 film due to its wider distribution that year. The film is best remembered for its sensational marketing, not its storytelling.
Plot Summary
After his twin brother Matthew Random is murdered by an escaped convict, Lucius Random (John Agar) sets out to avenge him. His only clue? A distinctive revolver—one of a matched pair the brothers owned. Lucius tracks the killer through the desert, crossing paths with outlaw gangs, a snake oil salesman, and a mysterious woman named Wild Willow (Marla English). Along the way, he joins forces with Stacy Tanner (Mike Connors), a vengeance-driven drifter with his own score to settle.
Cast Highlights
- John Agar as Lucius Random
- Marla English as Wild Willow
- Mike Connors as Stacy Tanner
- Raymond Hatton as Amos
- Joyce Meadows in her film debut
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- The film was originally titled “Dead Man’s Gun”, referencing the twin revolvers central to the plot
- AIP pre-sold the film using a provocative poster of Marla English tied to an anthill—a scene that wasn’t in the original script
- Producer Alex Gordon had to write the anthill torture scene later to match the poster. During filming, ants kept running away from English, prompting her to quip, “Look, you’ve got six ants there, isn’t that enough?”
- Mike Connors helped raise the film’s $117,000 budget from Armenian friends and also served as executive producer
- Despite the marketing, the film was criticized for wooden performances, drawn-out scenes, and poorly choreographed action
