The missing link in many a collection of Sam Peckinpah movies, "Noon Wine" presents a rare television adaptation from the director that carves out new thematic territory for a man who made his mark with action-oriented westerns. Too short a piece to be compelling on its own, "Noon Wine" nevertheless engages you and gives you food for thought.The film opens on the dairy farm of Royal Earle Thompson (Jason Robards), lazy but amiable. Out of the blue appears a man named Helton (Per Oscarsson), looking for work. Helton doesn't say much more than "that's alright," and seems to have a temper where his precious harmonicas are concerned, but he's a hard worker. Thompson and his family come to like the guy. Inevitably, however, Helton's mysterious past comes back to haunt them all."Noon Wine" is a short film of two leisurely-developed halves, broken up by a ten-minute interlude of violence and suspense. The first 20 minutes present a comedic take on Thompson, who explains his laziness as a matter of conviction. "I don't change the diapers on my kids so why should I try to wean a calf?" he asks reasonably.Peckinpah sets up well the drama of Helton settling in as Thompson's nervous but sincere wife Ellie (Olivia de Havilland) looks on and helps out where she can. Helton's so close-mouthed he provokes a viewer's suspicions, but you root for him anyway because of the way both Oscarsson and director-writer Peckinpah set up the situation.The film's second half comes off as sudden and rushed, mostly because it was made to fill 50 minutes of television time but also because the original story, by Katherine Anne Porter, is designed to suck you in only to break your heart. Porter liked misery more than I do, and perhaps that's why "Noon Wine" leaves me a bit cold, but I also think if you are going to make a sad film you need more time than this for it to play out right.Still, this is a solid dramatic piece highlighting powerful feelings of alienation and isolation, with a texture and feeling all its own. Peckinpah was a great director but even better editor and "Noon Wine" makes this point well. He doesn't have room here for long, drawn-out scenes, so instead he finds ways to economize, both with brief but effective montage sequences and with short dialogue exchanges that take place just on the heels of bigger scenes we never see.Though tinged with the same note of sadness as Peckinpah classics like "The Wild Bunch" and "Ride The High Country," "Noon Wine" doesn't play like typical Peckinpah. Its violence is more emotional than physical. The relationship between Royal and his wife suggests some of the issues Peckinpah had with women on and off-screen, her very rightness being something of a turn-off; but there's a playfulness between the couple, too, like when Royal complains about Ellie's mouthy grandmother:"She'd just say the first thing that popped into her head and call it God's wisdom," he teases. "Suppose you'd be in church, thinking about a hen and a rooster?"The best thing to be said about "Noon Wine" is you wish it took longer to develop, even if you know it's only going to run you up short at the end. As it is, it marks a unique if minor signpost in the development of a great artist.

There are three clinching proofs of Peckinpah's genius as dramatist and director, RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY, THE WILD BUNCH and this made for television adaptation of Katherine Ann Porter's tragic novella (with her collaborating with the director on the teleplay). It is, arguably, the most emotionally convulsive short story (along with "Bartleby The Scrivener") ever written by an American and Peckinpah achieves in this TV version something akin to Faulkner's AS I LAY DYING as if directed by Bergman. The ending is unforgettably shattering. This was one of the entries of the unfortunately short-lived ABC omnibus series, 'Stage '67, that ran for exactly one year. This series also included the Sondheim-Anthony Perkins musical whose name escapes me at the moment but more importantly, an absolutely marvelous version of a John Le Carre story entitled DARE I WEEP, DARE I MOURN, starring Jill Bennett and, in the role of the protagonist, James Mason in a performance as cathartic as Jason Robards' is in NOON WINE. I refreshed my memory of both of these highpoints in the history of American television about fifteen years ago at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City. I believe this is the only way one can see them today which is a dreadful fact in the face of their extraordinary merits. (The copy of NOON WINE was a personal one of Robards donated to the museum posthumously.)

For some reason "Noon Wine" isn't out on DVD yet.I hope that, given Peckinpah's popularity, it is only a matter of time until this is released, because it really is one of the best things he ever did both as a writer and director. Adapted from Katherine Anne Porter's short story, this is a dark, bleak tragedy set in 1890 Texas. The outcome of the simple story (which I won't describe) is predictable but still has a strong impact on the viewer thanks to the strength of the script, actors, and direction. It's especially surprising that "Noon Wine" doesn't have an official release since it was a major part of Peckinpah's career. He was viewed as an outcast following the troubled production of "Major Dundee" and was luckily hired by producer Daniel Melnick, a fan of Peckinpah's, to direct and write this adaptation for ABC. Peckinpah was nominated for directing and writing rewards by the respective guilds, and the critical success of "Noon Wine" led to Peckinpah being hired for his most famous and appreciated film- "The Wild Bunch". It would be simplistic to say that "Noon Wine" saved his career, but it wouldn't be (entirely) incorrect.Peckinpah's work here as a writer is particularly good, achieving a rare level of artistic depth, but his work as director is equally impressive, mute as his style is here in comparison to some of his other work. The film, which clocks in at 48 minutes in length, is immensely satisfying, more than most features are, in fact, partially thanks to Jason Robards. He considered it one of his most satisfying professional experiences, and I think it really is one of his finest performances, making this a must-see for all Robards fans as well as all Peckinpah fans. The short novel this is based on is definitely worth reading, but I can see why Porter enthusiastically endorsed Peckinpah's script for "Noon Wine", because it efficiently captures the essence of the story without ever being too stringently faithful, allowing for just enough flexibility for the film to work on its own terms. If you can find "Noon Wine" you simply must see it. 9/10

I saw NOON WINE when it originally aired in 1966 and haven't seen it since, so my memory of it has dulled over the years.But I do recall that I was not as impressed overall by the bleak story as some of the viewers seem to indicate--nor was I pleased with the screen version of Katherine Anne Porter's SHIP OF FOOLS which in no way lived up to the novel.I do recall that JASON ROBARDS, JR. seemed to have the principal role which, of course, was given the most footage whereas OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND, THEODORE BIKEL and PER OSCARSSON had more peripheral roles as the unfortunate people caught up in the tragedy. Olivia, as a farmer's wife, had another one of her less glamorous roles, just two years after appearing as Cousin Miriam in HUSH...HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE, and it was the sort of role that required her to appear more like she did in THE PROUD REBEL.Other than that, while it may have appealed to fans of the Katherine Anne Porter short story, it was a bit heavy-handed to qualify as entertainment for the masses although the acting was good. Too bad it is not available for viewing by the general public today, but it was no masterpiece.