I know. That title isn't very enthusiastic, but it's how I feel. It's an okay film, nothing special, and without Alan Ladd it would probably have gone nowhere at all. But Ladd was a fine actor, talented at being subtle...and that makes the film worthwhile.
I know this is a vague statement, but there's just something not quite right about this film. Maybe it seems a little to fairytale-ish. You almost expect Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney to jump out of the scene for a ho-down when they're building the town. Okay...I jest. But something's just not right about the plot.
And even though he was one of my favorite character actors, and could play the part of a drunk magnificently (think "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" and "Seven Days In May"), his drunk act here didn't quite ring true.
The rest of the cast was adequate. Virginia Mayo was "okay" as the love interest. Anthony Caruso did not impress me as the main "bad guy". John Qualen played his typical Sweede role...always entertaining. And interestingly, David Ladd is here as "Echo"...Alan Ladd's real son.
As Westerns go, this is not one of the great ones. But it's also a little more than one of the "just another Western" films that were in overabundance in the 1950s. It's good for watching...once.
BTW, the print shown on cable is not good. The color changes drastically, and some scenes are in very good shape, while others seem terribly faded and a bit blurry. It need at least a basic restoration.
I know this is a vague statement, but there's just something not quite right about this film. Maybe it seems a little to fairytale-ish. You almost expect Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney to jump out of the scene for a ho-down when they're building the town. Okay...I jest. But something's just not right about the plot.
And even though he was one of my favorite character actors, and could play the part of a drunk magnificently (think "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" and "Seven Days In May"), his drunk act here didn't quite ring true.
The rest of the cast was adequate. Virginia Mayo was "okay" as the love interest. Anthony Caruso did not impress me as the main "bad guy". John Qualen played his typical Sweede role...always entertaining. And interestingly, David Ladd is here as "Echo"...Alan Ladd's real son.
As Westerns go, this is not one of the great ones. But it's also a little more than one of the "just another Western" films that were in overabundance in the 1950s. It's good for watching...once.
BTW, the print shown on cable is not good. The color changes drastically, and some scenes are in very good shape, while others seem terribly faded and a bit blurry. It need at least a basic restoration.