jdcowtown Reviews

The Vanquished (1953)

Which side are you on?

[6/10 · 30 September 2021]

Wikipedia tells me B movie production champs Pine-Thomas known as "the Dollar Bills" committed to a rising production budget in the late 40s from 200-300k to 750k-1mil and it is evident in the oppulent costumes, quality props and plethora of extras in this well shot tense post bellum drama ably directed by seasoned old hand Ed Ludwig.

Bit of a Scarlet Pimpernel feel as Pine-Thomas stable hot property John Payne takes a beating as he outwits an excellently ruthless Lyle Bettger who is superb in this film as the wicked opportunist traitor of the South. Colleen Gray's indefatigably loyal Southern Belle is quite the contrast to Jan Sterling's terse white trash harlot who has risen way above her station.

More than a hint of apologist claptrap does not sway the story too far away from the commonplace post war corruption, coming to terms with era ending loss, retribution, reconciliation and the strength of the Union as the pathway foward narrative. A familiar theme in many of Payne and Ludwig's western projects such as the Restless Gun TV series.

Strong production values, vibrant Technicolor, solid story and good acting with a stellar performance from arguably the baddest baddie in the west Lyle Bettger in one of his greatest performances earn this time capsule an easy 6 stars.

Short Grass (1950)

Saddle Up!

[5/10 · 7 November 2020]

"You all understand what you to do......Start moving the beef in!"

and

"Pick me out a horse with a rockin chair gait and saddle him up"

and

"Ain't no prescription for that Charlie, a man gets over a bullet, never over a woman!"

This is one real fine Cowboy movie!

Hellgate (1952)

Water, water ...water

[5/10 · 5 November 2020]

Phew, I need some fresh air! Crazy dark distressing story of oppressive convict life for a wrongly convicted veterinarian.

Some clever angular shots, shadows and minimalist sets and props add to the torment of the suffocating story.

The acting is good and Ward Bond is great in this movie!

I prefer a bit more open range to my westerns but this film is definitely worth a watch.

Massacre (1956)

La Carga de los Rurales

[7/10 · 4 November 2020]

I really liked this tough little time capsule film. Wild story, of nasty double crossing bad people making trouble for themselves.

The lack of big stars kinda makes it work. Martha Roth is really the rotten glue that holds it all together! The underacting by the rest make it all strangely more plausible.

The strongest part of this film for mine is the excellent music score of Gonzalo Curiel which is a masterpiece of Western movie music! Solid theme, relevant and supporting incidental music is spot on with dynamic use of horns and flutes. Restating the theme with a blue vocal rendition of the tune round the campfire and a fantastic crescendo!

The south of the border locations with the interesting landscape and climate evident, the extras, the props and costumes in this film are all excellent and deliver authenticity!

The old Mex charro saddles with the pineapple horn!..

The color print, the sound and especially good is the jingle jangle of the federals spurs.

Notice the detail of the guard on duty with his spurs on over the top of his feet to stop the noise......now that's western!

The cavvy of horses in this film are worth a mention. I reckon that those tough little ponies are what horses probably looked like back in the old west. Very different to those grain fed quarter horses in Hollywood!

A strange Western Noir gem!

The Jayhawkers! (1959)

OK brand

[4/10 · 3 November 2020]

Look, I had to work to get through this one, despite the unlikable broken characters,wooden acting, the fantasy historical story and plot that is over the bazillion level of improbability as I discovered on wikipedia

Melvin Frank said at the time

"This is no time to satirize western myth; people won't stand for the making fun of something sacred. Actually, why The Jayhawkers is in the outdoor category and has outlaws and guns and horses, it's a western only in that it takes place on the then-frontier of 1859. Something frightening happened in Kansas on the eve of the Civil War... A man on horseback tried to become A Man on Horseback. He took over only a few towns- but what would've happened if he'd seized Kansas for his empire and the Civil War had allowed him to set up a kingdom in the West? The power mad character has always threatened freedom. We had long wanted to use this theme in a story about the American past and when we found this story... it clicked."

so perhaps there is more to this story than meets the eye.

Nevertheless, this is just an OK show in my book. The ultra violent misogynistic megalomaniac Chandler is weighed down by the others and the repulsive role. Fess is avuncular to the point of being miscast. The rest try hard and as always Henry and Leo deliver the goods but it all to no avail.

The fact of the matter is for mine the weakest part of this film is Jerome Moross music score! It is just inappropriate in places derailing the tension such as it is. That is not to say this film would be better if Gershenson, Bakelienkoff or Mancini worked it over but I reckon it would get it another star.

Ultimately a nasty story about disturbing misguided immoral people and actually quite gloomy and upsetting. But hey, it's a western! Enjoy it, I did!

Showdown (1963)

Western Noir Gem

[8/10 · 17 October 2020]

"Neither one of you can make it alone.... maybe together you might make one good man... pull you apart ...it's like an oyster..... You're a couple of shells sharing one set of guts"

Things turn bad for a couple of drifting cowboys when they go into town to cash their pay.....real,real bad.

Excellent hard boiled Noir tale of the drifting cowboy hard luck trail with a very sinister edge. Some great massive landscapes position the claustrophobic anxiety and ultimate insignificance and futility of this nasty human story.

Audie gives one of his strongest performances and delivers some excellent patois dialogue full of cowboy logic and figuring. Chas Drake is great as the weak willed problem gambling pard.

Harold J stone is frightening and relentless as gang boss LaSalle and Skip Homier, is very disturbing as one of the stupid sadist henchman.

Strother Martin gives an excellent performance as pathetic town drunk Charlie Reeder and the scenes with his hard talking children are disturbingly frank.

Kathleen Crowley proves to be an excellent casting choice as pathetic ruined Estelle.

This is my favorite Audie Murphy western and I think one of his best films.