A western drama with Scott as a federal agent, Tucker, Dorothy Malone, Macready as the insatiable rich man, wounded and obtuse (who has an otherwise austere life), Faylen and Corey as the henchmen, and Kemper in a supporting part as the dentist; all of it was shot in
California. The younger actors provide refreshing roles, Dorothy Malone has a glow of romance; one feels that the young woman is a great person.
The movie has a delicious brio, the acting, the direction, the cinematography, the script make up an exciting yarn, each player's performance stands the expectation; the plot works with relatively few characters, no townspeople, no barroom fistfights . It's a stylish action drama, unsentimental, with a strong psychological core, mostly delving into familial relations, and each role is nicely crafted; Tucker reminded me of Stewart more than of McQueen. Some of the things which made the quirk of the adult westerns of the '50s are already here, including the scenes of violence (done to the marshal by the henchmen, or to a henchman by the ruler) or the undertones of mischief (the precocious girl).
These are plasticine characters.
Kemper was a dependable character actor, deft, experienced. Tucker's role is intriguing, being simultaneously more and less likable than it could of been, as the player was indeed very likable, but despite his style here (his idea of the character seems to have been mediocre, or maybe even lacking, given that the role he got was a leading one); like he underplays the outlaw. Physically, Tucker aged quickly; like Chaney the 2nd, he also got ugly, of an expressive ugliness. Here, he was 30, he's effective, but doesn't care much about crafting his performance.
There is a possibility he has been inhibited by the fact that he co-starred with a western lead, he was overwhelmed by the chance he got, he may have been taken aback, perplexed, so here he is perhaps a reluctant 2nd lead .
Scott's overall reputation today seems fair; he never made it to the hallmark of the greatest western players. Scott plays a quiet and self-controlled marshal; he cheats his partner, and has no prior life to be mentioned. The actor was unglamorous and workmanlike.
Think of the westerns as of an exciting almanac.
Also, think of this movie thus: its release year means to us now what 1884 could of meant then; today, its birthday is what then, by the year of its release, was 1884.
The movie has a delicious brio, the acting, the direction, the cinematography, the script make up an exciting yarn, each player's performance stands the expectation; the plot works with relatively few characters, no townspeople, no barroom fistfights . It's a stylish action drama, unsentimental, with a strong psychological core, mostly delving into familial relations, and each role is nicely crafted; Tucker reminded me of Stewart more than of McQueen. Some of the things which made the quirk of the adult westerns of the '50s are already here, including the scenes of violence (done to the marshal by the henchmen, or to a henchman by the ruler) or the undertones of mischief (the precocious girl).
These are plasticine characters.
Kemper was a dependable character actor, deft, experienced. Tucker's role is intriguing, being simultaneously more and less likable than it could of been, as the player was indeed very likable, but despite his style here (his idea of the character seems to have been mediocre, or maybe even lacking, given that the role he got was a leading one); like he underplays the outlaw. Physically, Tucker aged quickly; like Chaney the 2nd, he also got ugly, of an expressive ugliness. Here, he was 30, he's effective, but doesn't care much about crafting his performance.
There is a possibility he has been inhibited by the fact that he co-starred with a western lead, he was overwhelmed by the chance he got, he may have been taken aback, perplexed, so here he is perhaps a reluctant 2nd lead .
Scott's overall reputation today seems fair; he never made it to the hallmark of the greatest western players. Scott plays a quiet and self-controlled marshal; he cheats his partner, and has no prior life to be mentioned. The actor was unglamorous and workmanlike.
Think of the westerns as of an exciting almanac.
Also, think of this movie thus: its release year means to us now what 1884 could of meant then; today, its birthday is what then, by the year of its release, was 1884.