1954
Directed by Allan Dwan
Man, everyone is really jumping on this whole McCarthy allegory in westerns craze. In fact, one of the antagonists is actually named McCarty. Coincidence? I think not!
John Payne (this similar name thing is getting weird) stars as Dan Ballard, who is accused of murder on his wedding day. At first, the town shows support and promises that that they will stand by his side. Gradually, though, they turn against him and become an angry mob.
Like I said, there is really nothing new here. It kind of seems like a High Noon wannabe. I man, it is a beautifully shot wannabe, but still rather than repetitive. I did enjoy the character of Dolly, a sassy prostitute who seemed to be smarter than everyone in the town.
Redundant but enjoyable.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
John Payne's stunt double wears different shoes that Payne. Makes him pretty easy to spot.
Available on YouTube:
Redundant is the right word. I much preferred High Noon. Otherwise quite forgetable.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Makes me if the Book was just trying to fill some quota of westerns.
DeleteI think I preferred this to High Noon. Maybe because I didn't feel under pressure to take it seriously, so could just relax and enjoy it more.
ReplyDeleteHigh Noon has Grace Kelly though.
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