The A.C. Lyles produced westerns of the 1960's were colorful but cheap and gave some former big names some work when they really needed it. Here we have MGM musical star Howard Keel, Universal sarong girl Yvonne de Carlo, blonde bombshell Marilyn Maxwell, bad guy Barton MacLane and rugged hero Brian Donlevy, still struggling to stay relevant or at least find work in this enjoyable film that doesn't challenge the viewer. Sheriff MacLane is being ousted by corrupt mayor Donlevy and the townsfolk are not happy that he's brought in a rebel soldier (Keel) to take over. An attempt at bushwacking him fails, and after the dust fails to settle, a connection between Keel and De Carlo is revealed.
It's difficult to keep track of who is on what side or who are the good guys or bad guys. Keel is pretty clever as he sets up the people who set him up, and once he's settled in town, he's no nonsense as he strives to keep law and order, even if that means gunning down some of the town's most prominent citizens. While it is assumed that de Carlo is a lady by the prim and proper clothes she wears, it is obvious that gambling establishment proprietor Maxwell is far from angelic. Good amounts of action and intrigue keeps the viewer going, although it is far more likely to get nostalgic attention now than when it first came out, immediately tossed into neighborhood theaters, and promptly taken out. De Carlo gives another indication of why the song "I'm Still Here!" was written with stars like her in mind.
It's difficult to keep track of who is on what side or who are the good guys or bad guys. Keel is pretty clever as he sets up the people who set him up, and once he's settled in town, he's no nonsense as he strives to keep law and order, even if that means gunning down some of the town's most prominent citizens. While it is assumed that de Carlo is a lady by the prim and proper clothes she wears, it is obvious that gambling establishment proprietor Maxwell is far from angelic. Good amounts of action and intrigue keeps the viewer going, although it is far more likely to get nostalgic attention now than when it first came out, immediately tossed into neighborhood theaters, and promptly taken out. De Carlo gives another indication of why the song "I'm Still Here!" was written with stars like her in mind.