5/10
A curious film. See the notes at IMDb
24 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Copyright 21 May 1953 by Ken Murray Productions. Released through United Artists. No New York opening. U.S. release: 26 June 1953. U.K. release on the lower half of a double bill: February 1954. Australian release: 13 October 1955 (sic). Sydney opening as a support at the Palace. 6,372 feet. 71 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: A marshal (disguised as a medicine man) assisted by his singing-and-dancing daughter, tracks down an outlaw.

NOTES: Hoot Gibson's first feature film since Trigger Law (1944). He made only two more feature film appearances, The Horse Soldiers and Ocean's 11 (both 1960). Counting short subjects, Gibson appeared in at least 211 movies! Johnny Mack Brown's fourth last film. The Bounty Killer, Requiem for a Gunfighter (both 1965) and Apache Uprising (1966) completed his career.

COMMENT: A very curious film with flashbacks within flashbacks and even a sequence from one of Gibson's own rarely-seen silents. True, there are some marvelous action scenes, many composed of glorious if obvious stock footage, but others certainly appear to have been especially staged for this picture. But then again, some of the action footage is terrible stuff, particularly a night ride against an old codger's shack.

And as for the dialogue! All the old familiar clichés ride again. And the acting! Miss Anders displays little talent, either as singer or actress. She evidently hails from the small hive of nonentities engaged in American TV. Still, she does a lot of her own stunt work and is rather fetching to look at.

All in all, the film is worth seeing, but be prepared for a barrel or two of disappointments.

OTHER VIEWS: An indifferently constructed and poorly written western, which loses much of its effect by arousing our interest in one particular bad man, but then saving the kill for a new and uninteresting villain. - Monthly Film Bulletin.
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