This is the most stale western I've ever seen. The story is unoriginal, and stale. Baron bad guy with a professional killer and henchman who scare people to do what they want. Good guys are simple town folk who happen to also have a professional killer on their side.
There isn't much killing for two professional killers. And while I am sure there is some historical fact in the basis of the film, it does nothing for the film itself.
Directed by Earl Bellamy who mainly directed TV shows such as "The Lone Ranger", "Tales of Wells Fargo", "Bachelor Father", "Hart to Hart" and "Trapper John M.D.". In many ways this movie plays out as a television episode just expanded to be a film.
It stars Howard Duff who's probably best known on TV for his roles on the shows "Mr. Adams and Eve", "Dante", and "Felony Squad". Also Victor Jory who was in over a hundred films of mainly "B" quality but probably also best known for his television show "Manhunt".
The most passionate character, I feel, is the actress who plays the character of "Nita Riordan", Margaret Field. Mainly a bit player in TV and film, I felt she was the best thing in the entire film.
If I came in watching this mainly as a television episode, I think I may have been more into it but I didn't.
It's not the worst western I've seen but it's the same story I've seen countless times.
There was a scene in the middle where the "good" gunfighter was picking off the bad guys in a rock formation. He gets behind one, who then surrenders and throws down his gun, and this professional killer bends down while looking down, and slowly picks up the gun. My thought was the bad guy had enough time to punch him, and probably take the gunfighters gun from him and yet he just stands there.
I mention this particular scene because throughout there are many scenes just like that. It baffled me. Toward the end some scenes just became overly ridiculous especially with the over dramatic acting by some of the main characters. While in the beginning they are stale, by the end they are over dramatic. It baffled me.
Formulaic: beginning to end.
-Nam
There isn't much killing for two professional killers. And while I am sure there is some historical fact in the basis of the film, it does nothing for the film itself.
Directed by Earl Bellamy who mainly directed TV shows such as "The Lone Ranger", "Tales of Wells Fargo", "Bachelor Father", "Hart to Hart" and "Trapper John M.D.". In many ways this movie plays out as a television episode just expanded to be a film.
It stars Howard Duff who's probably best known on TV for his roles on the shows "Mr. Adams and Eve", "Dante", and "Felony Squad". Also Victor Jory who was in over a hundred films of mainly "B" quality but probably also best known for his television show "Manhunt".
The most passionate character, I feel, is the actress who plays the character of "Nita Riordan", Margaret Field. Mainly a bit player in TV and film, I felt she was the best thing in the entire film.
If I came in watching this mainly as a television episode, I think I may have been more into it but I didn't.
It's not the worst western I've seen but it's the same story I've seen countless times.
There was a scene in the middle where the "good" gunfighter was picking off the bad guys in a rock formation. He gets behind one, who then surrenders and throws down his gun, and this professional killer bends down while looking down, and slowly picks up the gun. My thought was the bad guy had enough time to punch him, and probably take the gunfighters gun from him and yet he just stands there.
I mention this particular scene because throughout there are many scenes just like that. It baffled me. Toward the end some scenes just became overly ridiculous especially with the over dramatic acting by some of the main characters. While in the beginning they are stale, by the end they are over dramatic. It baffled me.
Formulaic: beginning to end.
-Nam