User Reviews

This is the tale of Bill Doolin and the Dalton , one of the more thrilling true stories in Western history , being partially based on facts . Standard tale with better than average interpretation from Audie Murpy . It contains noisy action through well-trodden pastures , breathtaking assaults , bank heists , and there's plenty of fire-power , some efficiently staged excitement and go-riding . Although in real life Doolin who led the last great outlaw raids , here came to a less happy end than the one described there . After spending a time in prison Doolin is freed . Shortly thereafter, wrongly accused by crooked railroad officials of aiding a train heist by his old friends the Daltons, he joins their gang and becomes an active participant in other robberies. Doolin became a member of the Dalton Gang. On October 5, 1892, the Dalton Gang made its fateful attempt to rob two banks simultaneously in Coffeyville, Kansas. It was an utter failure, with a shootout between Coffeyville citizens and lawmen, and the outlaws, leaving four of the five gang members dead, with the exception of Emmett Dalton. Historians have since indicated that there was a sixth gang member in an alley holding the horses who escaped. Who this sixth man was remains unknown to this day. Emmett Dalton never disclosed his identity, but speculation continues that it may well have been Bill Doolin . 1892, Doolin formed his own gang, the Wild Bunch. On November 1, 1892, the gang robbed a bank in Spearville, Kansas. After the robbery, the gang fled with gang member Oliver Yantis to Oklahoma Territory, where they hid out at the house of Yantis' sister. Less than one month later, the gang was tracked to that location. In a shootout Yantis was killed, but the rest of the gang escaped. Two teenaged girls known as Little Britches and Cattle Annie also followed the gang and warned the men whenever law-enforcement officers were in pursuit. Sources indicate that it was Doolin who gave the young bandit Jennie Stevens her nickname of Little Britches . Doolin fled to New Mexico Territory, where he hid with outlaw Richard "Little Dick" West during the summer of 1895. In late 1895, Doolin and his wife hid out near Burden, Kansas, for a time, then they went to the resort community of Eureka Springs in northwestern Arkansas so that Doolin could utilize the bathhouses there to relieve his rheumatism brought on from his earlier gunshot wound in his foot. In early 1896, Doolin was captured in a bathhouse by Bill Tilghman .Doolin later escaped on July 5 and took refuge with his wife in Lawson in the Oklahoma Territory. There, on August 24, Doolin was killed by a shotgun blast by Deputy U.S. Marshal Heck Thomas

This stirring fare deals with the classy confrontation between outlaws and pistol-wielding lawmen determined to chase them . Brawling , sprawling , almost primitive action in which our protagonist joins the rough band of the Dalton carrying out rampaging and violent robbing , but things go wrong when he is double-crossed . Features impressive as well as moving assault scenes punctuated by great action scenes and thrilling go-riding . Audie Murphy gives an acceptable acting as the brave historical figure Bill Doolin who joins the Dalton . This Bill Doolin and the Dalton story has been adapted several times notably with Randolph Scott in 1949 . The WWII hero Murphy won more than 10 medals , being the most decorated American soldier , including Congressional Medal of Honor and he was prized by 5 decorative medals by France and Belgium , post-WWII . Murphy starred a great number of Westerns as The kid from Texas , Cimarron kid , Gun point , Night passage , The gunrunners , Posse from hell , Gunfight at Comanche , Rifles Apaches , The unforgiven, Legend of Sam Ward , Whispering Smith , 40 guns at Apache pass , Texas Kid . Support cast is pretty well , the bad guys and good guys include a whole crop of familar faces you love to see . As good and bad guys appearing are the following ones : James Best , John Hudson , Yvette Duguay , Hugh O'Brian , Roy Roberts , Noah Beery Jr. , Hubbard , Leif Erickson , Frank Silvera , among others .

It contains a colorful and brilliant cinematography in blazing Technicolor by Charles P. Boyle in Universal International Pictures style . As well as evocative and stirring musical score . The motion picture produced by Ted Richmond was well directed by Budd Boetticher who was a Western expert . Not one of filmmaker Budd's best Western , but being acceptable enough, and decently made . His first Western was in 1949 called The Wolf Hunters , following Cimarron Kid , Bronco buster , Horizons West , Seminole, Man from the Alamo , and Wings of the hawk . In 1956 with 7 Men From Now starts his collaboration with Randolph Scott, along with producer Harry Joe Brown and writer Burt Kennedy , including prestigious titles as Tall T, Decision at sundown, Buchanan rides alone , Ride lonesome, Comanche station , among others . His last Western was in 1969 titled A time for dying with Audie Murphy. Budd also made other genres as Mobsters : The rise and fall of Legs Diamond , Mystery/suspense : Behind locked doors , WWII : Red Ball Express , and even Bullfighting sub-genre : The magnificent matador , Arruza , The bullfighter and the lady . Rating 6. 5/10 . The movie will appeal to Western aficionados and Audie Murphy fans

Parolee Audie Murphy violently resists a crooked district attorney's latest attempt to railroad him, based on his friendship to members of the notorious Dalton gang. Breaking parole, he ends up having to join the gang for real and becoming the new leader.

Though not quite as good or well-written as director Budd Boetticher's later series of Randolph Scott pictures, The Cimarron Kid is still a fairly entertaining, muscular pulp-western, with Boetticher's usual flair for excellent photography.

With his good looks, youthful appearance, and short stature (not to mention his hero status), I'm a little surprised at how many times Audie Murphy was given a chance to play an anti-hero (Night Passage, The Texican) or even a nasty villain (No Name On The Bullet). He's charming enough though, that the audience forgives the Cimarron Kid long before the law ever does.

Noah Beery Jr. gives an amiable, though far-too-short performance as the fun-loving Bob Dalton, while a young James Best and Yvette Dugay are pretty good too as a fellow member of the gang and his beautiful, though savvy love interest.

THE CIMARRON KID (1951) was one of about two dozen westerns Audie Murphy starred in at Universal Pictures in the period from 1950-1966. In brief, it tells the story of outlaw Bill Doolin who rode with the infamous Dalton gang in the disastrous raid on Coffeyville, Kansas, and went on to lead the gang's survivors in a subsequent robbery spree. A WWII hero-turned-movie star, Murphy plays Doolin as a misunderstood youth who gets forced into a life of crime through guilt by association and persecution by an overzealous railroad detective. Further complications ensue when Doolin falls in love with a rancher's daughter who wants him to go straight.

The film was directed by western specialist Budd Boetticher who provides quite a number of interesting touches. One of the gang members, played by James Best, has a Mexican girlfriend, known as Cimarron Rose (Yvette Dugay), who is an equal participant in the action and is used to acquire information about payroll shipments and assorted robbery targets. The other major woman character, rancher's daughter Carrie Roberts (Beverly Tyler), is pretty strong and forthright on her own and makes no attempt to play coy in her meetings with Doolin. She even comes up with a plan to help him leave the outlaw life, but one which he rejects.

Also, there is a significant black character, a man named Stacy (Frank Silvera) who provides support services for the gang, and who, while not actually a participant in their crimes, is dealt an equal share of the proceeds. There is a scene of him at home with his family--a wife and three children--that indicates his choice of a domestic life over an outlaw one, yet he is always treated with respect by the other men.

The rest of the cast consists of a mixed bag of character actors like Noah Beery Jr., Leif Erickson, Roy Roberts, John Hubbard, and Rand Brooks, and up-and-coming Universal contract players: James Best, Hugh O'Brian, John Bromfield, John Hudson, William Reynolds, Palmer Lee (Greg Palmer). At times they threaten to crowd the soft-spoken, unassuming Murphy off the screen, but Audie ultimately manages to hold his own. Boetticher and Murphy would work together one more time on Murphy's last film, A TIME FOR DYING (1971), in which the actor has a cameo as Jesse James.

May be of interest that Audie Murphy (and momentarily Noah Berry Jnr) rides James Stewart's horse Pie in this movie. Stewart rode him in many movies over 22 years. I believe Glen Ford ride him in one movie too, but he bucked Ford off.

Since in the early 80' when a local TV had scheduled the Audie Murphy's week always at 8.00 pm l was there watching those magnificent movies from this great actor who became one of my fav ones, in this picture Audie has an ambigous character between right and wrong, the second choice is more appropriate for such behavior, great action on banks robbery and the last one on a train pay the picture itself, the surprise come from two suporting cast, firstly Yvette Duguay as mexican girl could be easily Cimarron Kidd's lover and finally not least important Leif Erickson as marshall who tried by any means help the upcoming outlaw!!

Resume:

First watch: 2011 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

With the completion of The Cimarron Kid Audie Murphy played three of the Old West's legendary outlaws, Billy The Kid in The Kid From Texas, Jesse James in Kansas Raiders, and Bill Doolin in this film. I'm not sure any other player earned that distinction.

Not that this is a true story of Doolin any more than those other two Universal western classics. Still Murphy makes an appealing and misunderstood hero who tries to go straight but the elements and his destiny work against him.

True enough his running buddies were the Dalton gang and in this film Doolin who was picked up by the railroad detectives after his release from prison when the Daltons held up the train he was riding. He was just a paying passenger, but the railroad cops thought he was in on it.

Standing out in the supporting cast is Hugh O'Brian who plays Murphy's rival for gang leadership. The fact that Murphy shoots better and has more upstairs than O'Brian fazes him not a wit. He's a mean and surly man miles from the upright Wyatt Earp he played on television.

Budd Boetticher directed Murphy in good polished style and this western delivers on both action and plot.

This emerges as a pretty good example of the typical Audie Murphy Western vehicle – though of lesser quality to the only one I had previously watched, NO NAME ON THE BULLET (1959) and, being Budd Boetticher's first Western, clearly a minor effort in his canon. Many films of this era treated (in a heavily romanticized manner) the exploits of famous outlaws of the Old West: Murphy appears as Bill Doolin and, at one point, he is told by the leader of The Dalton Gang that "They'll be writing ballads about us" and, sure enough, their exploits were later immortalized in music by the Country Rock band Eagles in "Doolin-Dalton", a song off of their second album "Desperado" (1973). Typically, Murphy is seen forced into a life of crime by circumstances or, more precisely, the persecution of a law-enforcement officer (while another, played by Leif Erickson, is more sympathetic to his plight). As ever, the gang is an eclectic assortment of characters: affable Noah Beery Jr. is their leader, Hugh O'Brian the red-headed hot-tempered challenger, James Best the ladies' man, Frank Silvera the half-breed, etc.; interestingly, we get a couple of romances going on (Murphy with the daughter of a man who shelters them and Best with a fiery Mexican girl) and the female characters are surprisingly strong for this type of film. Reassembling themselves in the wake of a bank hold-up gone awry (the film's best action sequence, climaxing in Beery's memorable come-uppance with the spilling coins a graphic substitution for blood), the gang is subsequently betrayed by the 'inside man' in a train robbery they try to pull off. Murphy is eventually persuaded to give himself up, with Erickson promising him a fair trial this time around. Shot in pleasant Technicolor, the generically-titled THE CIMARRON KID serves up compact, pacy and unpretentious entertainment – perfect viewing after a hard day's work.

I never saw an Audie Murphy film I didn't like & this one is no exception. It is a real action packed shoot-em-up, but it also has a better than average plot to hold your attention between the action sequences that were Audie's trademarks. I knew Audie quite well, we used to shoot together at the various "fast draw" contests in CA that were popular back in the '60's. I can tell you this, anything you saw Audie do on film, he could do for real. He was one of the fastest guns in the movies, & he could do it with real bullets, not just blanks or wax bullets! He became a fine horseman, even riding some of his own horses in his films. Watch for Flying John, his horse that he rode in "Night Passage". Audie was a much better actor than he was ever given credit for, or allowed to be in Universal's films.

The Cimarron Kid is a tightly-made, action-packed, very entertaining Western of the Oklahoma outlaws sub-genre. It is well directed by Bud Boetticher, generally well acted, pleasingly scored, and beautifully filmed in three-strip Technicolor. Costumes, gun leather, railroad equipment and sets are quite authentic looking for the late 19th century era. The the outdoor locations, though actually California, were well chosen to look suitably like Okieland. As an added bonus, there are lots of period railroad equipment, with a shootout in a rural roundhouse one of the rousing action scenes.

There is not really much to find wrong is this little oat burner, except for Audie Murphy's awful acting. Let's face, a wooden cigar store Indian with a microphone implant could do little worse. But even that serious handicap is overcome by Boetticher's skillful direction and a creative script that concentrates on the interesting supporting cast of characters, especially Noah Berry, Jr.'s Bob Dalton, and the love relationship between Bitter Creek Dalton (James Best) and Cimarron Rose (Yvette Duguay). This device happily keeps the camera away from Murphy's frozen features for most of the screen time. Yvette Duguay, though only fourth-billed, actually steals the show as the outlaw gang's resourceful gun moll. Pretty, exotic, lively, and sexy, she is more interesting and appealing in every way than Audie's ho-hum love interest, second-billed Beverly Tyler. Good support is also contributed by veteran character actors Roy Roberts and Leif Erickson.

Altogether a very satisfying little Western. Better than some of the bigger productions from the same early 1950's era and certainly superior to any of the pretentious plates of tripe passed off as Westerns today.

The Cimarron Kid is directed by Budd Boetticher and written by Louis Stevens and Kay Lenard. It stars Audie Murphy, Beverly Tyler, James Best, Yvette Dugay, John Hudson, Leif Erickson, Noah Beery Junior and Hugh O'Brian. Music is by Joseph Gershenson and cinematography by Charles P. Boyle.

Murphy stars as Bill Doolin, AKA: The Cimarron Kid, who leaves prison intending to go straight. However, when the Dalton Gang rob the train he is a passenger on, one of them recognises him and vocally brings it to the attention of the rest of the passengers. Incorrectly earmarked as one of the gang, Doolin finds himself on the run from the law and forced to hide out with the Dalton's. Bitter and angry at the false way he has been perceived, Doolin becomes an active part of the gang, but there is love in the air with Carrie Roberts (Tyler) offering hope of a new, on the right side of the law, life.

Boetticher is a name dear to the hearts of Western fans, he would go forward from here to make the Ranown Westerns with Randolph Scott, thus leaving a considerable mark in the psychological Western pantheon. Invariably his other forays into the genre struggle to hold a torch to those later efforts, but although they lack the insightfulness and quality of narrative of those pictures made with Scott, the likes of this and The Man from the Alamo are minor gems well worth discovering.

The story on premise terms doesn't offer anything new, where the core beat of the picture is about a man who has been dealt some bad life cards and can't escape his criminal past. Yet the story is unfolded in such away that hope is dangled in front of The Kid and we are never sure how it will pan out for him? In fact the finale has a couple of kickers that ensure it's well worth the viewing experience. There's the usual roll call of gang character's, including the loose cannon (O'Brian), but that familiarity of genre convention is off set by the addition of Yvette Dugay's Rose of Cimarron. She's a crafty and athletic part of the set up, a well written part and Dugay performs it well whilst joining Tyler in the gorgeous Technicolor darlings stakes.

This is also a picture high on action and filled with lovely outdoor photography. Locations used are the historical parks at Columbia State and Railtown 1897, both are photographed expertly by Boyle, with Boetticher deftly utilising them to aid the story. Best of the action comes with a shoot out and escape after the Coffeyville bank raids (resplendent with burning hay wagon), while the quite excellent and extended shoot out centred around Railtown's turntable is one of the finest action constructions on Boetticher's CV. Cast are strong, led superbly by a thoughtful Murphy performance of substance, and prolific Western scorer Gershenson adds the required bombast and tenderness when required.

Its B movie worth sometimes shows, such as handcuffs that mysteriously disappear from the escaping Doolin, but taken as a whole this is a little cracker of an Oater and highly recommended to Western fans. 8/10

An Audie Murphy Western from 1952 directed by Budd Boetticher (Seven Men from Now/Ride Lonesome). Murphy has been falsely accused of being in league w/an outlaw gang but when coincidentally he finds himself on a train which said gang has hit, a ruthless zealot of a peace officer tries to beat a confession out of him which causes Murphy to flee embracing the very outfit the law is after. Being a tough yet fair man, he leads the gang on a number of jobs striving to not kill any innocent bystanders along the way. With constant betrayal at his heels, he never knows when the law will eventually strike making things difficult when he's fallen in love w/the daughter of a man who he counts on as an ally. Terse & well directed as it is expected by Boetticher standards (there are a couple of symmetrical shots in the film of guns being drawn in a barn against wanted parties) but Murphy's motivations are murky at best since he wants to be a well meaning outlaw when that world wouldn't welcome it in any way, shape or form. Co-starring James Best (Roscoe P. Coltrane himself), Hugh O'Brian & Noah Beery Jr. as members of Murphy's gang.

Budd Boetticher's first western may star Audie Murphy, but it's a stylized affair nonetheless. Murphy is riding on a train when a robbery takes place. He's accused of taking part in it, beaten up by a lawyer, so he heads off to find his old gang and rejoin them... a story that others in the gang tell. Eventually, he's the one in charge.

This isn't one of the Randolph Scott westerns that made Boetticher's reputation, but one of the Universal 'Shaky A' westerns, shot in Technicolor, with lots of formal compositions. There's a sequence in the cave the gang hangs out in. Murphy has been shot, so he's lounging in a beefcake shot with his shirt half off, and the others arranged neatly and conspicuously around him. Every composition is perfect, every item of clothes in perfect condition, every character's hair perfectly barbered and set.

Was this a deliberate artistic choice or an expression of "Hey! This isn't a cheap B western! We spent money!"? The westerns were the oldest established movie genre, and they had long grown stylized. Probably this was a matter of a nice script by Louis Stevens hitting an effort to push Murphy as a western star, resulting in money being spent.... and Boetticher, having been a B director for a few years, knew how to spend the money for a distinctive look.

You get the same impression from he Paramount A westerns, which also had major casts. Those, however, seem to make you gawk at the landscape or the beautifully painted rail road cars. Here, you stare at the people.

The Combination of an Early Audie Murphy Vehicle and Director Budd Boetticher's First Western make this a Must See for Genre Fans. Budd and Murphy do not disappoint.

Mounted in Technicolor, a Good Supporting Cast, and a Rousing Score, this is a Solid Bit of Entertainment Complete with the Director's Crisp Action and Unconventional Inclusions.

Admire the Decision to have an African American Portrayed as an Admired Family Man (Frank Silvera) with not a Hint of Exploitation or Stereotype. Check Out that Railroad Turnstile Scene (has there ever been another) Shot with an Attention to Detail. Also Notice the Strong Female Mexican Character (Yvette Duguay), as Important and Cunning as any of the Gang, and Absolutely Beautiful.

These Slightly Off-Track Ingredients, and His Mastery Showcase of the Camera, Lighting, and Action Scenes, show why the Director would soon become Legendary Teaming Up with Randolph Scott to make a Series of Westerns that are Considered some of the Best of the Decade.

There are Scenes with Actors in the Foreground in Nothing but Shadow, Faceless and Baroque. Take a Look at the Gun Battles and the way Botteicher makes them a Rapid Fire Standout, Realistic, although Heightened, with Visual Flare.

Murph also Shows just how Photogenic He could be, Displaying Baby-Faced Features that Hide His Strong and Steely Interior. He Captures the Frame even when Surrounded by a Gaggle of Gang Members.

Overall, this is as Attractive and Action Packed as any Western of the Period and can Hold its Own with the Best of the Early Fifties.

Note...Look for an almost unrecognizable, bearded, red-haired Hugh O'Brian as a nasty villain, appropriately named Red Buck.

The Dalton gang rides again in this serviceable western that has Audie Murphy in the role of outlaw. Released on parole, he hides out with Noah Beery Jr and his gang after being falsely accused of a train heist. But, while the prospect of a new life with Beverly Tyler is enticing, Murphy is determined to take on one last job before he hangs up his guns.

When you get Audie Murphy and Budd Boeticher involved you know you're going to get an efficient, engaging and well-paced western with some well-staged, edgy gunfights - the one in the Railtown's turntable is an exciting one. All the actors do a good job, especially Audie, who puts in a sincere and thoughtful performance. Hugh O'Brien is good as a red-bearded outlaw who doesn't like Audie being the leader of the gang.

It's a pretty effective Audie Murphy's film that we talk about, one of his earliest western role, not his best however, nor the Budd Boetticher's stuff, who will be far better several years later for Columbia Pictures and Harry Joe Brown, helped more than enough by the likes of Randolph Scott and Burt Kennedy as screenwriter. THis is just a Universal Studios film, well done, I repeat, where Murphy could ba an ambivalent character, but not as much as in NO NAME ON THE BULLET of course, his best role ever for me. This one is action packed, very professionally made, so pleasant to watch. Supporting characters are also excellent.