Red Headed Stranger (1986)

October 31, 1986 (US) • Western • 105m

Overview

Reverend Julian Shay (Willie Nelson) strode into the saloon, pulled out his six-shooter, and killed his adulterous wife (Morgan Fairchild) and the man she had left him for. It was the beginning of his violent transformation from God-Loving preacher to ruthless outlaw.

Director

William D. Wittliff

Writer

William D. Wittliff

Top Billed

Willie Nelson

Keywords

sheriff murder revisionist

Where to watch

Free / Included

Amazon Prime Video

fuboTV

Philo

Amazon Prime Video with Ads

Shout! Factory Amazon Channel

Rent

Amazon Video

Buy

Amazon Video

Top Billed Cast

Willie Nelson

Rev. Julian Shay

Morgan Fairchild

Raysha Shay

R.G. Armstrong

Sheriff Reese Scoby

Royal Dano

Larn Claver

Katharine Ross

Laurie

Sonny Carl Davis

Odie Claver

Ted J. Crum

Cauley Felps

Marinell Madden

Cindy Logan

Bryan Fowler

Nathan - Laurie's Son

Paul English

Avery Claver

Bee Spears

Eugene Claver

Dennis Hill

Calvin Claver

Mark Jenkins

Victor Claver

Berkley Garrett

Rev. Longley

Elberta Hunter

Mrs. Longley

Mark Voges

First Horse Thief

John Dodson

Second Horse Thief

John Browning

Farmer in Gunfight

Julius Tennon

Messenger

Lana Nelson

Wanda's Girl

Ralph Willard

Drunk

Joanne Russell

Bob Boothe

Wycoff - Saloon Bartender

Bill Richardson

Robert Kuhn

Bradley Ward

Ralph Ware

Joe K. Longley

Steve Uzzell

Jubal Clark

James Wong Jim

Martha Fowler

Amy McMichael

Allison Wittliff

Ada Harden

Ken Thomas

Jody Fischer

Carolyn Mugar

Peggy Watson

Larry Beard

Bob Gilfillan

Billy Cooper

Bo Franks

Ralph Franzetti

Bill Russell

Russ Russell

Ralph Willard

Dorcas Baumgartner

Morris Chamberlain

Rachel Chamberlain

Jerry Crain

Irene Gónzalez

George Leon Haynes

Jill Parker-Jones

Sheri Routh

Linda B. Stone

Gwen Wunneburger

Joe Wunneburger

Priscilla Dougherty

Pam Hale

Sandra Hale

Lana Nelson

Janna Phillips

Jo Carroll Pierce

Lauren Stone

Linette Themer

Mary Vance

Claudette Walters

Robert Barnstone

Anne Barnstone

Charles Betts

Sylvia Betts

Terry Boothe

Gary Bullin

Mary Bullin

Jessica Coats

Charles Dent

John Gillies

Bob Greene

Wayne Gronquist

Al Grossman

Jennifer Haley

Tim Herman

Mary Herman

Matthew Herman

Robert Hunter

Don Kennard

Kathryn Longley

Claudette Lowe

Shelly Lowe

Zachary Lowe

Carol McMichael

Myrtle A. Melli

Julie Michaeux

Bill Norman

Ann Norman

John Pleuthner

Bill Raby

Wanda Raby

Rattlesnake Annie

Frank B. Ray

Cappy Ritter

Tim Ritter

Sara Shirley

Ernest Smith

Paula Benard

Dan Watson

Lisa Watson

Lee White

Rex White

Scotty Wilkinson

Paige Williams

Reid Wittliff

Sally Wittliff

Arlie Young

Crew

Willie Nelson

Producer

William D. Wittliff

Producer

Willie Nelson

Music

Neil Roach

Director of Photography

Stephen Purvis

Editor

Eric A. Williams

Editor

Cary White

Production Design

William D. Wittliff

Director

William D. Wittliff

Writer

Bucky Meadows

Music

Ronald W. Moore

Art Department Assistant

David Anderson

Associate Producer

Connie Todd

Casting

Lana Nelson

Costume Designer

Barry Fey

Associate Producer

Dick Gallegly

Unit Production Manager

Tommy Thompson

First Assistant Director

William Cosentino

Second Assistant Director

Cate Hardman

Script Supervisor

James Etheridge

Camera Operator

Gary Jay

First Assistant Camera

Kevin Boyle

Second Assistant Camera

Robert Driskell

Gaffer

Tony Poston

Key Grip

Art Rochester

Production Sound Mixer

Wayne Bell

Boom Operator

Eric A. Williams

Property Master

Tom Bartholomew

Construction Coordinator

Gale Anderson

Construction Coordinator

Ken York

Set Decoration

Janna Phillips

Key Makeup Artist

Carolyn Ferguson

Key Hair Stylist

Sharon Ray Ely

Wardrobe Assistant

Dwight Cary

Best Boy Electric

James 'Buz' Maloy

Best Boy Grip

Robert Lewallen

Dolly Grip

Jon Maloy

Grip

Mary C. Nelson

Grip

Tom Barry

Electrician

George Bedard

Electrician

Rod Root

Electrician

Stephen H. Purvis

Post Production Supervisor

Robert Fong

First Assistant Editor

Byron Thomas

Assistant Editor

Marlena Villers

Assistant Editor

Gary Krivacek

Supervising Sound Editor

Ron Horwitz

Sound Editor

Denise Horta

Sound Editor

Kevin Spears

Sound Editor

Stephen Janisz

Sound Editor

Russ Hill

Sound Editor

Constance A. Kazmer

Sound Editor

Randy Newman

Foley Recordist

Eileen Horta

Foley Artist

Michael Salvetta

Foley Artist

Sharon Michaels

Foley Artist

Randal S. Thomas

Foley Editor

Doug Hemphill

Sound Recordist

Doug Hemphill

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Michael Minkler

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Nick Alphin

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Larry Greenhill

Sound Mixer

Jerry McKnight

Transportation Coordinator

Vince Jourdan

Transportation Co-Captain

Jack Bennett

Special Effects

Jeff Schwan

Stunts

Mary Ley

Production Office Coordinator

Candi Duke

Assistant Makeup Artist

Nita Fajardo

Assistant Hairstylist

Gregg Stouffer

Assistant Property Master

Ralph Willard

Craft Service

Ben Dorsey

Craft Service

Zahid Ali

Negative Cutter

Robert E. Rogers

Negative Cutter

Gary Ganote

Negative Cutter

Gary Wallace

Color Timer

Bucky Meadows

Original Music Composer

Willie Nelson

Original Music Composer

Reviews

Wuchak

⭐ 8/10

March 26, 2026

**_A minister moves West with his beautiful wife to pastor a church in Montana_**

This is a surprisingly good Western based on the storyline of Willie Nelson’s 1975 album. I say “surprisingly” because (1) Nelson is a musician not an actor and (2) I assumed this was a TV production like Nelson’s other Westerns from the 80s, “Stagecoach” and “Once Upon a Texas Train,” not to mention Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler.” Turns out, it had a limited theatr… read the rest.

Loading…

Red Headed Stranger (1986)

Where to watch

Top Billed Cast

Crew