I guess that even in the 1940s, Westerns were just slapped together, sometimes not making much sense. For example, the film begins with a bank being robbed, and when the safe is blown open, all the men at the saloon -- directly across the street -- run out so they can get shot by the bank robbers. Yeah, that makes sense. There's a barroom brawl that's full of laughs, yet important to the plot; the comedy is out of place in this drama. "Nitro" (the sidekick) robs a bank...which makes no sense. The escape scene from the jail is more comedy...which makes no sense. And so it goes with this and many other Westerns. Not a lot of care taken.
That's not to say this is a "bad" Western, but it could have been much better. Especially when you consider the cast -- Randolph Scott (the sheriff), Claire Trevor (saloon owner), Glenn Ford (the "good" outlaw), Evelyn Keyes (stable owner...supporting actress in "Gone With The Wind"), Edgar Buchanan (crooked but likable), and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams (the doofus sidekick); in other words almost all the Western stereotypes you can imagine. Although billed third, Glenn Ford probably gets the most out of his performance.
The picture excels when it comes to its Technicolor -- the first Technicolor film done at Columbia Pictures. And, much of the outdoor scenery was filmed on location near Kanab, Utah, not that far from Zion National Park, and it shows! Probably the best aspect of the film.
Bottom line: It's not good enough to be an "A" picture (other than the Technicolor), but it's better than the average "B" picture. If you like Westerns, it's worth watching...once. If Westerns are not your bag, stay away. Barely a "7".
That's not to say this is a "bad" Western, but it could have been much better. Especially when you consider the cast -- Randolph Scott (the sheriff), Claire Trevor (saloon owner), Glenn Ford (the "good" outlaw), Evelyn Keyes (stable owner...supporting actress in "Gone With The Wind"), Edgar Buchanan (crooked but likable), and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams (the doofus sidekick); in other words almost all the Western stereotypes you can imagine. Although billed third, Glenn Ford probably gets the most out of his performance.
The picture excels when it comes to its Technicolor -- the first Technicolor film done at Columbia Pictures. And, much of the outdoor scenery was filmed on location near Kanab, Utah, not that far from Zion National Park, and it shows! Probably the best aspect of the film.
Bottom line: It's not good enough to be an "A" picture (other than the Technicolor), but it's better than the average "B" picture. If you like Westerns, it's worth watching...once. If Westerns are not your bag, stay away. Barely a "7".