Review of One Foot in Hell

This mean little film, written by Spelling of all people, could almost have made due as an installment of a one-hour TV western anthology. As it is, it's an interesting (peculiar, as Leonard Maltin aptly put it) movie with an unusual premise. Ladd plays a Confederate following the Civil War who is en route to the frontier with his pregnant wife. When she can go no further, he stops in a small town to get a room and find a doctor for her. Unfortunately, he is delayed by several of the townsfolk from getting her medicated in time and the wife and baby are allowed to die. He is then offered a job for recompense and opts to become the deputy sheriff. From here, he begins to recruit several disparate types in order to pull off a sizable heist, though there may be more to his plan than initially meets the eye. Murray plays a boozy, fellow ex-Confederate who is taken in by Ladd. O'Herlihy is a mildly foppish pickpocket and delectable Coe is a fast-draw gunman, both of whom are hired by Ladd as well. Rounding out his collection of schemers is Michaels as a washed-up saloon girl. Though it does no real disservice to his haggard role, Ladd looks positively awful here. His face is shot, his voice is a cig-infested rattle, his "hair"consists of a floppy, strawberry-blonde toupee, he can barely maneuver around and he's swimming in his clothes, often looking in long-shots like a little boy dressed up in Grandpa's pants. He's also saddled with a ridiculous hat that does nothing to help (except perhaps add height, so that all of his costars can stand in a bit shallower trench around him than would normally be the case.) And the real shame of it all is that he was 46, a testament to the ravages of alcohol and tobacco if there ever was one. His performance suffers from all of the above and more, though his character wasn't meant to be a peppy young guy in any case. Murray overacts some of his scenes tremendously, but manages to come through with a good performance by the end. O'Herlihy doesn't have a lot to work with, but acquits himself nicely. Coe is fine. With his looks and ability, he should have gone much further in Hollywood than he did. The best acting probably comes from Michaels who is affecting and appealing most of the time. She retired before really making a mark in films and it's a shame. Recognizable townspeople include Swenson as the sheriff and Gates, in a rare sympathetic role, as the doctor. It's a neat, tough little film that holds up just until its somewhat too altruistic and idealistic ending.