 Stewart ended up earning about $600,000 for "Winchester '73", significantly more than his usual fee, and other stars quickly capitalized on this new way of doing business, which further undermined the decaying studio system.Stewart chose Mann to direct, and the film gave him the idea of redefining his screen persona through the Western genre.In the film, Stewart is a tough, vengeful sharpshooter, the winner of a prized rifle which is stolen and passes through many hands, until the showdown between him and his brother.