The Naked Dawn is a 1955 American Technicolor Western film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer starring Arthur Kennedy and Betta St. John.

The story focuses on a poor but proud farmer named Manuel and his wife Maria. When glib-tongued drifter Santiago tries to get Manuel mixed up in a robbery, the farmer is at first resistant, but is goaded into joining Santiago. Corrupted by the prospect of untold wealth, Manuel begins plotting the murder of Santiago; meanwhile, Maria makes plans to run off with the handsome stranger.

• Arthur Kennedy as Santiago
• Betta St. John as Maria Lopez
• Eugene Iglesias as Manuel Lopez
• Charlita as Tita
• Roy Engel as Guntz
• Tony Martinez as Vicente
• Francis McDonald as Railroad guard

• Shot in ten days.
• François Truffaut cited this film as an inspiration for the characters in Jules and Jim.^[1]

• List of American films of 1955

• The Naked Dawn at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
• The Naked Dawn at IMDb
• The Naked Dawn at the TCM Movie Database