"Heritage of the Desert" was a first for two of it's principals; it was Henry Hathaway's first directing effort, and for Randolph Scott his first starring role. Both went on to bigger and better things of course, and though interesting from that standpoint, the film itself is a rather run of the mill oater whose theme would be done over and over again.
Based on a Zane Gray novel, the story features Scott as surveyor Jack Hare, who gets caught up simultaneously in a range war and a love triangle. The romantic interest is portrayed by the disarmingly pretty Sally Blane, a ward of Adam Naab (J. Farrell MacDonald) whose own son 'Snap' (Gordon Westcott) grew up with Judy after her father died. The marriage between Judy and Snap has been pre-ordained for twenty years, until Jack's presence causes Judy to reevaluate her feelings, and lack thereof for Snap. For his part, and unknown to his father, Snap is beholden to the villain of the piece, Judd Holderness (David Landau), owner of the White Sage Saloon, and holder of Snap's gambling debts.
One welcome addition to the cast is Guinn Williams as Holderness henchman Lefty. His part here as in many of his other films, calls for something of a dimwit, and it's too bad he wasn't able to win out over his boss's machinations in this one. For me, Williams' persona was best rendered as Roy Rogers' sidekick Teddy Bear in the 1944 film "The Cowboy and the Senorita", and as Alan Hale's drinking buddy in two successful Errol Flynn Westerns, "Dodge City" and "Santa Fe Trail". When this picture was made, he wasn't credited with the nickname 'Big Boy'.
In one of the film's anomalies, bad guy Holderness telegraphs his guilt over the murder of Snap Naab by pinning a message to his victim - "I've dropped my offer to $5,000" - and leaving the body at Naab's doorstep. How was he planning on getting away with that one? It doesn't really matter though, as the Naab patriarch makes the save by the end of the film in an awkward shootout between the principals. Even more awkward is Jack and Judy riding off into the sunset holding hands, with Naab riding on horseback closely behind - what were they thinking?
As an early Western, 'Heritage' is no "True Grit", one of Henry Hathaway's final directorial efforts. But it's not terrible either, and worth a viewing for reasons mentioned earlier. At only sixty minutes it breezes by fairly quickly, with quick scene changes that maintain one's interest level.
Based on a Zane Gray novel, the story features Scott as surveyor Jack Hare, who gets caught up simultaneously in a range war and a love triangle. The romantic interest is portrayed by the disarmingly pretty Sally Blane, a ward of Adam Naab (J. Farrell MacDonald) whose own son 'Snap' (Gordon Westcott) grew up with Judy after her father died. The marriage between Judy and Snap has been pre-ordained for twenty years, until Jack's presence causes Judy to reevaluate her feelings, and lack thereof for Snap. For his part, and unknown to his father, Snap is beholden to the villain of the piece, Judd Holderness (David Landau), owner of the White Sage Saloon, and holder of Snap's gambling debts.
One welcome addition to the cast is Guinn Williams as Holderness henchman Lefty. His part here as in many of his other films, calls for something of a dimwit, and it's too bad he wasn't able to win out over his boss's machinations in this one. For me, Williams' persona was best rendered as Roy Rogers' sidekick Teddy Bear in the 1944 film "The Cowboy and the Senorita", and as Alan Hale's drinking buddy in two successful Errol Flynn Westerns, "Dodge City" and "Santa Fe Trail". When this picture was made, he wasn't credited with the nickname 'Big Boy'.
In one of the film's anomalies, bad guy Holderness telegraphs his guilt over the murder of Snap Naab by pinning a message to his victim - "I've dropped my offer to $5,000" - and leaving the body at Naab's doorstep. How was he planning on getting away with that one? It doesn't really matter though, as the Naab patriarch makes the save by the end of the film in an awkward shootout between the principals. Even more awkward is Jack and Judy riding off into the sunset holding hands, with Naab riding on horseback closely behind - what were they thinking?
As an early Western, 'Heritage' is no "True Grit", one of Henry Hathaway's final directorial efforts. But it's not terrible either, and worth a viewing for reasons mentioned earlier. At only sixty minutes it breezes by fairly quickly, with quick scene changes that maintain one's interest level.