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RickeyMooney's rating
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RickeyMooney's rating
Lawrence Tierney plays his usual smooth-tongued but violent amoral character, in this case up for parole after doing five years for his latest crime. The warden tries to warn the parole board that there's no evidence of his being anything but same thug he's been since adolescence, but they fall for a sob story from his mother and order his release, whereupon he starts up where he left off before his latest incarceration.
In other words, an indictment back in 1951 similar to those leveled today against the legal system, and certain politicians, for being too soft on crime.
On the other hand his very self-centered ruthlessness and contempt for the law and for people who work for a living give him a certain magnetism that makes some people want to follow him, and attracts some women to him despite his obviously having no interest in them other than using them. You might find him reminiscent of at least one major American political figure in 2024.
Throw in a carefully planned heist going wrong as they usually do in the movies and there's quite a lot happening here in 61 minutes. You won't be bored anyway.
By 1951, while the Production Code was still being applied to major Hollywood productions, it seems that bottom-of-the-bill quickies like this went through unscrutinized. The film is quite explicit about his relationship with his brother's goody-goody virginal fiancee, who practically throws herself at him.
In other words, an indictment back in 1951 similar to those leveled today against the legal system, and certain politicians, for being too soft on crime.
On the other hand his very self-centered ruthlessness and contempt for the law and for people who work for a living give him a certain magnetism that makes some people want to follow him, and attracts some women to him despite his obviously having no interest in them other than using them. You might find him reminiscent of at least one major American political figure in 2024.
Throw in a carefully planned heist going wrong as they usually do in the movies and there's quite a lot happening here in 61 minutes. You won't be bored anyway.
By 1951, while the Production Code was still being applied to major Hollywood productions, it seems that bottom-of-the-bill quickies like this went through unscrutinized. The film is quite explicit about his relationship with his brother's goody-goody virginal fiancee, who practically throws herself at him.
A snooty rich Boston woman is dumped off unceremoniously in a small western town in the middle of the night at an unattended railroad station. A Mexican on horseback eyes her and she takes refuge in the station until morning.
Meanwhile at the local saloon a loud drunken cowboy has just made a bet with the corrupt local sheriff that he can get the next woman who comes to town to marry him, as so often happened in those days.
Turns out the Mexican is his comic-relief sidekick (played by an Anglo yet) who tells him about the lady stranded at the station. The two and a crooked minister descend on her and in what's almost a rape are about to force her into marriage until at the last minute the cowboy realizes she's his friend's sister and relents.
Sound like a spoiler? No, just the first few minutes of a story that has more plots and subplots in 62 minutes than seems possible. Not all of them are plausible or resolved but the whole thing has a head-spinning quality despite a few scenes where it slows down to a crawl.
I seldom watch westerns and watched this one because it featured Jo Ann Sayers, a forgotten actress whose looks and talent struck me in a Boris Karloff mad scientist move called The Man With Nine Lives. Her career never took off but she got to play in some bizarre films.
The cast might be the most impressive thing about the film, not only Sayers but Ruth Rogers, an even more obscure actress playing the love interest of Sayers' brother.
The drunken cowpoke is Victor Jory, whose career was spent mostly in Westerns although he could easily have been a leading man to match the best of them in mainstream films. Tom Tyler, the sheriff, who has the obligatory fight scene with Jory where they wreck the saloon while everyone else stands around and watches, was another cowboy star I was unfamiliar with, with looks and charisma to match Jory's.
Fans of Westerns don't seem too fond of this film but this non-Western fan found it surprising and enjoyable despite its flaws.
Meanwhile at the local saloon a loud drunken cowboy has just made a bet with the corrupt local sheriff that he can get the next woman who comes to town to marry him, as so often happened in those days.
Turns out the Mexican is his comic-relief sidekick (played by an Anglo yet) who tells him about the lady stranded at the station. The two and a crooked minister descend on her and in what's almost a rape are about to force her into marriage until at the last minute the cowboy realizes she's his friend's sister and relents.
Sound like a spoiler? No, just the first few minutes of a story that has more plots and subplots in 62 minutes than seems possible. Not all of them are plausible or resolved but the whole thing has a head-spinning quality despite a few scenes where it slows down to a crawl.
I seldom watch westerns and watched this one because it featured Jo Ann Sayers, a forgotten actress whose looks and talent struck me in a Boris Karloff mad scientist move called The Man With Nine Lives. Her career never took off but she got to play in some bizarre films.
The cast might be the most impressive thing about the film, not only Sayers but Ruth Rogers, an even more obscure actress playing the love interest of Sayers' brother.
The drunken cowpoke is Victor Jory, whose career was spent mostly in Westerns although he could easily have been a leading man to match the best of them in mainstream films. Tom Tyler, the sheriff, who has the obligatory fight scene with Jory where they wreck the saloon while everyone else stands around and watches, was another cowboy star I was unfamiliar with, with looks and charisma to match Jory's.
Fans of Westerns don't seem too fond of this film but this non-Western fan found it surprising and enjoyable despite its flaws.
Independently produced, and a bit late in what might be called the golden age of noir, this film attracted little attention when released but ranks with earlier classic noir heist films like The Killing and The Asphalt Jungle. Like them, it involves an elaborate, carefully planned heist involving several people, some more competent and trustworthy than others.
The gimmick here is that the plan to rob a small town Southern California bank that will briefly hold the $1M payroll for the Marines at Camp Pendleton (equivalent to more than $10M today) involves two members of the gang posing as man and wife while scoping out the parts of town where some members will cause distractions while the break-in occurs. As a cover, they buy a house and he buys a gas station.
A further complication is that couple consists of the gang boss's girl friend and his right-hand man, both quite attractive, leading to the possibility of their doing more than just posing, though they do their best to avoid it, especially him.
At first they're both resentful of playing these unaccustomed roles. However, middle-class life in So. Cal. In those simpler times could be pleasant and almost bucolic, at least for white folks, and they begin to enjoy a life of having friendly neighbors without having to be on the run looking over their shoulders.
This gives the film a nice rhythm, switching between their domestic life and the scenes of crime and violence which, even on their own would have made a decent film.
So why spoil it by giving any more of the plot? Well acted, directed, photographed, interesting location shots. As Joe Bob Briggs used to say, check it out.
The gimmick here is that the plan to rob a small town Southern California bank that will briefly hold the $1M payroll for the Marines at Camp Pendleton (equivalent to more than $10M today) involves two members of the gang posing as man and wife while scoping out the parts of town where some members will cause distractions while the break-in occurs. As a cover, they buy a house and he buys a gas station.
A further complication is that couple consists of the gang boss's girl friend and his right-hand man, both quite attractive, leading to the possibility of their doing more than just posing, though they do their best to avoid it, especially him.
At first they're both resentful of playing these unaccustomed roles. However, middle-class life in So. Cal. In those simpler times could be pleasant and almost bucolic, at least for white folks, and they begin to enjoy a life of having friendly neighbors without having to be on the run looking over their shoulders.
This gives the film a nice rhythm, switching between their domestic life and the scenes of crime and violence which, even on their own would have made a decent film.
So why spoil it by giving any more of the plot? Well acted, directed, photographed, interesting location shots. As Joe Bob Briggs used to say, check it out.