Deadwood '76 (1965)
4/10
A standard B western not bad in spite of its lead.
14 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I never minded Arch Hall Jr. On screen. He's not a horrible actor. He just doesn't have real screen charisma, and even his worst movies aren't among the big disasters to me that their reputations have them to be. They are enjoyable in a low-budget campy way, and this Western has elements that makes it fun to watch even if it's still not the most original of stories. Hall play someone who is mistaken for Billy the Kid, simply because his name is Billy and some kid has mistaken his identity. This has him on the run, hiding out with some Native Americans who liked him, especially a Native American girl Who falls in love with him.

One of the reasons why this is enjoyable is that the location but it is very good, starting off with what looks like salt formations after the opening credits. There are long stretches when there's mostly action and very little dialogue, so there's not much opportunity to chastise hall for his acting. A theme song helps create a mood, and there are two interesting supporting characters as well. Fans of John Waters films will recognize Liz Remay in a small role. I doubt this would interest anybody outside of clastic western fans, but it's certainly not a horrible film.

Arch Hall Sr. Gets to play father to his son in this film, having produced it. While the photography is better than average for a low budget movie, I couldn't imagine this on really big screens because the tography tends to blur at times. Hall Jr. Also got to write the screenplay and story for this, and he didn't do a bad job. They did the most they could with a low budget, and it's surprisingly easy to watch.
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