Rory Calhoun was a staple hero in all kinds of films during the 50s. His performances were always great, abetted by his handsome, rugged looks and the ease into which he fit into a number of hero roles. In this one, a kind of standard western, he plays an ex-lawman who returns to the trade when his partner is killed. During the time he cleans up the town, defeats bad guys played by veteran character actors Carl Betz and John Dehner, gets his semi-revenge, on the antihero, played by Cameron Mitchell, wows the French bombshell, Corinne Calvert and, of course, gets the girl. It's great 50s entertainment with a total lack of CGI action, extensive blood and gore and good honest villains and good guys. (*sigh) They just don't make movies like this any more. Watch for it on the late show. There's no DVD or video listed. Calhoun was always worth the price of admission.
12 Reviews
Cameron Mitchell and Excellent Dialogue
jromanbaker13 May 2022
This Western has two good things going for it; dialogue by Daniel Mainwaring who wrote fiction under the name of Geoffrey Homes. For those who recall ' Out of the Past, ' or alternatively titled ' Build My Gallows High, ' he was responsible for the novel it was based on, and the dialogue in the film. Some say it is the greatest Film Noir and they could be right. Turned screenwriter he wrote the dialogue for this film and it is first rate; complex, snappy and full of energy. Out of the actors in the film Cameron Mitchell as a tormented man, threatened by death and afraid of it gives a first rate performance. The story itself is the usual one of stolen gold, and tracking down the killer of a man who was protecting it. No spoilers but Rory Calhoun gets to be the man to do that, and his performance is as slick and over polished as ever. However much he tries to portray a ' good man ' the fake smile shows up the opposite and spoils the illusion. Corinne Calvet plays a saloon girl in love with Mitchell. And she does her best to make you believe in her. As a Western it is good, but as usual the town is too clean for the period and the clothes too clean. Personally I like this decade of Western mythology, and the colour is excellent, and a shootout on a boat adrift and heading for the river's rapids is first rate. There is even a carriage on the boat which gives the scene a surreal touch. I give it a 7 for Cameron Mitchell and the dialogue.
Yet another Wyatt Earp adaption
bkoganbing23 March 2015
If you're thinking that you might have seen Powder River before you would be right. If you saw Frontier Marshal or My Darling Clementine and noted in Powder River's credits that it's derived from a book by Stuart Lake than you'll know the source. Rory Calhoun plays a Wyatt Earp like marshal who has quit law enforcement for prospecting.
But when his partner Frank Ferguson is bushwhacked and robbed of the gold they've panned, Calhoun takes on the marshal's job. He also makes the acquaintance of a pair of outlaw brothers Carl Betz and John Dehner. And a terminally ill and alcoholic doctor Cameron Mitchell who is lightning fast with a six gun.
There's also a bit of Destry Rides Again added to the mix with French speaking saloon owner Corinne Calvet. The good girl from back east who wants to bring Mitchell home to save his life is former Roy Rogers leading lady Penny Edwards.
The best part of Powder River is a nice action gunfight in a foiled stagecoach robbery with Calhoun and Mitchell joining forces. The guys and the stagecoach are on a river ferry with the outlaws firing on them from shore and the ferry cut loose is heading for the rapids. All nicely staged.
If you've seen My Darling Clementine or Frontier Marshal you know how this one comes out. Calhoun made several good westerns in the Fifties and Sixties. But it's Mitchell who has the best role, the Doc Holiday part is always the best one every time this story is retold.
But when his partner Frank Ferguson is bushwhacked and robbed of the gold they've panned, Calhoun takes on the marshal's job. He also makes the acquaintance of a pair of outlaw brothers Carl Betz and John Dehner. And a terminally ill and alcoholic doctor Cameron Mitchell who is lightning fast with a six gun.
There's also a bit of Destry Rides Again added to the mix with French speaking saloon owner Corinne Calvet. The good girl from back east who wants to bring Mitchell home to save his life is former Roy Rogers leading lady Penny Edwards.
The best part of Powder River is a nice action gunfight in a foiled stagecoach robbery with Calhoun and Mitchell joining forces. The guys and the stagecoach are on a river ferry with the outlaws firing on them from shore and the ferry cut loose is heading for the rapids. All nicely staged.
If you've seen My Darling Clementine or Frontier Marshal you know how this one comes out. Calhoun made several good westerns in the Fifties and Sixties. But it's Mitchell who has the best role, the Doc Holiday part is always the best one every time this story is retold.
Meaty western tale
grybar1 May 2013
I'm not really a fan of Rory Calhoun, but I enjoyed his character in this picture. It tells a story with a bit more depth and a few surprises, while still providing action, romance and some terrific western scenery. While Calhoun's character, Chino Bull, is still country-suave and in control, he doesn't convey the snide quality that was an undercurrent in his later television work. The story line carries some standard western baggage, but at the same time it veers away with unexpected plot developments that were a bit more sophisticated than the type of that era, presaging the so-called "adult westerns" that became the standard in the 1950s and '60s. The female characters, unfortunately, are given the usual supportive roles. Still, it's an interesting story against some beautiful backgrounds.
"Some call me Chino"
richardchatten11 May 2022
It demonstrates that black & white was perceived as the default position for serious postwar Hollywood cinema that this character-driven western potboiler was one of the very few colour films namechecked in Robert Warshow's 'The Immediate Experience'.
As for the film itself the most memorable characters are Cameron Mitchell as a doctor succumbing to headaches and blackouts due to a brain tumour and Corinne Calvet usually with a cigar protruding from her glossy red lips and wearing bright colours as a brassy 'businesswoman' known to the rest of the cast as 'Frenchie'.
As for the film itself the most memorable characters are Cameron Mitchell as a doctor succumbing to headaches and blackouts due to a brain tumour and Corinne Calvet usually with a cigar protruding from her glossy red lips and wearing bright colours as a brassy 'businesswoman' known to the rest of the cast as 'Frenchie'.
ENTERTAINING ECHOING WESTERN WITH A FEW GOOD SHOOT-EM' UP SCENES
LeonLouisRicci8 September 2021
More than Lose Remake of "My Darling Clementine" (1940) the John Ford Classic.
Rory Calhoun Vehicle with a Smattering of Gun-Play with a "Powder River" Ferry-Boat Scene a Highlight.
Good Cast with Cameron Mitchell as the Doomed Doctor and Corinne Calvet as "Frenchy" a Fiesty Saloon-Owner-Gal making an Impression.
Never Reaching Heights of its Own, the Movie is Watchable for the Cast, Technicolor, and Proven Story.
Rory Calhoun is a bit More Animated than Usual.
The First-Half is the Better Half.
But Still Maintains Enough Interest to Carry yet Another 1950's Western to its Predicable Feel-Good Exit for Post-War Western Fans who were Legion.
Rory Calhoun Vehicle with a Smattering of Gun-Play with a "Powder River" Ferry-Boat Scene a Highlight.
Good Cast with Cameron Mitchell as the Doomed Doctor and Corinne Calvet as "Frenchy" a Fiesty Saloon-Owner-Gal making an Impression.
Never Reaching Heights of its Own, the Movie is Watchable for the Cast, Technicolor, and Proven Story.
Rory Calhoun is a bit More Animated than Usual.
The First-Half is the Better Half.
But Still Maintains Enough Interest to Carry yet Another 1950's Western to its Predicable Feel-Good Exit for Post-War Western Fans who were Legion.
Revenge Western with Earp/Holiday Overtones
bsmith555226 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
"Powder River" is a Technicolor revenge western reminiscent of the Wyatt Earp/ Doc Holiday relationship depicted in the earlier "My Darling Clementine" (1946).
Rory Calhoun plays ex-marshal Chino Bull(ock) who has hung up his guns to prospect for gold with his partner Johnny Slater (Frank Ferguson). Two saddle tramps Loney Hogan (Carl Betz) and his com padre (Bob Wilke) try to steal Chino and Johnny's horses but are driven off by Chino. Later after returning from town, Chino finds Johnny murdered and their gold stolen. Chino assumes that Hogan was to blame and takes on the town marshal's job in order to bring Logan to justice.
In the local saloon Chino meets proprietor "Frenchie" Dumont (Corrine Calvet) and learns that she is "associated" with gunman Mitch Hardin (Cameron Mitchell). Chino and Hardin strike up a friendship. Debbie Allen (Penny Edwards) the girl Hardin left behind shows up to complicate matters. We learn along the way that Hardin is a doctor who is suffering from a brain tumor and that he has a death wish.
Chino entices Loney and Harvey Logan (John Dehner) to try to rob a gold shipment in order to force a showdown until..............
Calhoun was always a pleasant enough hero whose career in westerns extended well into the 60s. Calvet with her thick French accent makes a poor man's Marlene Deitrich. Mitchell never quite made it to the A list but was a dependable second lead during this period. Carl Betz is best remembered as the father in "The Donna Reed Show". Penny Edwards appeared in a number of Roy Rogers oaters while Dale Evans was having a baby in 1950.
Rory Calhoun plays ex-marshal Chino Bull(ock) who has hung up his guns to prospect for gold with his partner Johnny Slater (Frank Ferguson). Two saddle tramps Loney Hogan (Carl Betz) and his com padre (Bob Wilke) try to steal Chino and Johnny's horses but are driven off by Chino. Later after returning from town, Chino finds Johnny murdered and their gold stolen. Chino assumes that Hogan was to blame and takes on the town marshal's job in order to bring Logan to justice.
In the local saloon Chino meets proprietor "Frenchie" Dumont (Corrine Calvet) and learns that she is "associated" with gunman Mitch Hardin (Cameron Mitchell). Chino and Hardin strike up a friendship. Debbie Allen (Penny Edwards) the girl Hardin left behind shows up to complicate matters. We learn along the way that Hardin is a doctor who is suffering from a brain tumor and that he has a death wish.
Chino entices Loney and Harvey Logan (John Dehner) to try to rob a gold shipment in order to force a showdown until..............
Calhoun was always a pleasant enough hero whose career in westerns extended well into the 60s. Calvet with her thick French accent makes a poor man's Marlene Deitrich. Mitchell never quite made it to the A list but was a dependable second lead during this period. Carl Betz is best remembered as the father in "The Donna Reed Show". Penny Edwards appeared in a number of Roy Rogers oaters while Dale Evans was having a baby in 1950.
The story of a sheriff who rarely likes to use a gun.
planktonrules28 May 2021
When the story begins, Chino Bull (Rory Calhoun) is working his claim along with his partner. A couple jerks come to their camp and threaten to take their horses....and Chino and his partner drive them away. However, the criminals threaten revenge...and leave. A bit later, Chino leaves for town...and when he returns he finds his partner dead and their gold has been stolen. He assumes the two jerks from earlier must have been the culprits. So, he returns to town and becomes the sheriff...so he can search for the killers and bring law to this crappy little town. There's much more to the film....but you'd best see it yourself.
"Powder River" is a good western. However, I didn't score it higher since there are a bazillion good westerns from this era. The acting is nice and the story modestly interesting. And, like most westerns, it promotes several myths about the time and people...no big surprise there.
By the way, this is a very nice looking western thank to it being filmed in color AND its location shoot in Glacier, Montana.
"Powder River" is a good western. However, I didn't score it higher since there are a bazillion good westerns from this era. The acting is nice and the story modestly interesting. And, like most westerns, it promotes several myths about the time and people...no big surprise there.
By the way, this is a very nice looking western thank to it being filmed in color AND its location shoot in Glacier, Montana.
A return to law and order
jarrodmcdonald-129 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is a vibrant western from the folks at 20th Century Fox. The story is based on the legend of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday with revised names and modified scenarios. It has a lot going for it as fictional entertainment. In addition to the vivid larger-than-life characters, the whole thing is shot in Technicolor, and the outdoor sequences have been recorded on location at Glacier National Park in Montana.
Rory Calhoun, soon to leave the studio and begin freelancing, is cast as the Earp stand-in-- a lawman and miner called Chino Bull (a play on 'Bull in a China shop' perhaps?). When his prospecting buddy (Frank Ferguson) is killed while he's left camp for supplies, Calhoun gives up panning for gold and returns to town permanently. He decides it's time to wear the badge again.
The man he meets next is a Doc Holliday type (Cameron Mitchell). But instead of being a dentist ailing from tuberculosis, Mitchell's character is a general physician with a brain tumor. Calhoun and Mitchell strike up an unusual friendship.
Calhoun is still determined to follow leads on a man (Carl Betz) he suspects of having bushwhacked Ferguson. The twist is that Mitchell had killed Ferguson in self-defense, then took the gold, but he's afraid to tell Calhoun. He knows that if he confesses, this will undoubtedly lead to a showdown, which is exactly what happens at the end of the picture when Calhoun learns the truth. Tense stuff.
Added into the mix of gold, lawlessness and gunfire is the presence of two attractive females. They provide the necessary romantic complications.
Corinne Calvet is a saloon madame known for her skills as a card dealer. She is in love with Mitchell, though she realizes he's ill. He eventually dies in her arms because of the brain tumor, a highly emotional scene for a movie of this sort.
The other gal is an east coast transplant (Penny Edwards). She's come to track Mitchell down since they share a past. But she instead falls in love with Calhoun, after she is shot and must be saved.
Most of this is fairly routine, but there's plenty of drama and excitement. And Calhoun is perfectly at ease as the lawman. He ensures that this is an enjoyable and above average western effort.
Rory Calhoun, soon to leave the studio and begin freelancing, is cast as the Earp stand-in-- a lawman and miner called Chino Bull (a play on 'Bull in a China shop' perhaps?). When his prospecting buddy (Frank Ferguson) is killed while he's left camp for supplies, Calhoun gives up panning for gold and returns to town permanently. He decides it's time to wear the badge again.
The man he meets next is a Doc Holliday type (Cameron Mitchell). But instead of being a dentist ailing from tuberculosis, Mitchell's character is a general physician with a brain tumor. Calhoun and Mitchell strike up an unusual friendship.
Calhoun is still determined to follow leads on a man (Carl Betz) he suspects of having bushwhacked Ferguson. The twist is that Mitchell had killed Ferguson in self-defense, then took the gold, but he's afraid to tell Calhoun. He knows that if he confesses, this will undoubtedly lead to a showdown, which is exactly what happens at the end of the picture when Calhoun learns the truth. Tense stuff.
Added into the mix of gold, lawlessness and gunfire is the presence of two attractive females. They provide the necessary romantic complications.
Corinne Calvet is a saloon madame known for her skills as a card dealer. She is in love with Mitchell, though she realizes he's ill. He eventually dies in her arms because of the brain tumor, a highly emotional scene for a movie of this sort.
The other gal is an east coast transplant (Penny Edwards). She's come to track Mitchell down since they share a past. But she instead falls in love with Calhoun, after she is shot and must be saved.
Most of this is fairly routine, but there's plenty of drama and excitement. And Calhoun is perfectly at ease as the lawman. He ensures that this is an enjoyable and above average western effort.
Entertaining Horse Opera with Calhoun as a Wyatt Earp Type
zardoz-131 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Rory Calhoun plays a seasoned lawman fed up with gunplay in "Green Grass of Wyoming" director Louis King's "Powder River," a sturdy but derivative little horse opera loosely based on Wyatt Earp biographer Stuart N. Lake's book. Cameron Mitchell co-stars as a swift-shooting hellion who wears his gun slung low on his right knee in this Technicolor oater from Twentieth Century Fox. Basically, Calhoun is cast as Chino Bullock, a Wyatt Earp type, while Mitchell plays a variation on Doc Holliday named Mitch Hardin. Instead of being ravaged by tuberculosis, Hardin suffers from a brain tumor. He has left the East to roam the West. Mitch has a suicidal streak running through his psyche as a result of his tragic affliction. He romances the hell cat saloon owner Frenchie Dumont (Corinne Calvet of "Apache Uprising")who smokes cigarettes in public while Mitch's good girl from back East, Debbie Allen (Penny Edwards of "Pony Soldier"), struggles without success to convince him to return home with her. The catch here is that Calhoun prefers to shun a six-gun while carrying out his duties as the marshal of Powder River. Except for the marred ending, western fans won't be disappointed with this shoot'em up horse opera. Six time Oscar winning lenser Edward Cronjager's full frame cinematography looks dazzling with vivid colors and scenic settings. The cast is solid, and the production design is terrific. There is a cool showdown between a hardcase who thrusts a six-shooter into Bullock's belly at one point in a saloon and is surprised to see the marshal clench the cylinder of his six-gun so that he cannot cock the gun. Calhoun and Cameron make a charismatic pair, but their relationship is a combustible one.
Entertaining Duster with plenty of Gunplay
gordonl5615 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
POWDER RIVER – 1953
A brisk 20 Century Fox B-western production that is better than one would expect.
Rory Calhoun plays the hero lead here while Carl Betz and John Dehner ably handle the villain parts. Also in the mix are Cameron Mitchell, Penny Edwards and the rather stunning looking, Corinne Calvet.
The story has Calhoun as an ex-lawman who has hung up the guns. He is now doing some gold prospecting with Frank Ferguson. The two are doing quite well and are building up a good sized stake of gold. They need to be on guard since the woods are full of claim jumpers and the like.
Calhoun heads in to the nearby town of Powder River to cash in some gold and pick up supplies. Powder River is more or less run by saloon keeper, Corinne Calvet. Cahoun returns to his camp after the supply run into town. He finds his partner, Ferguson, dead and their gold gone. He returns to town to look for anyone with a bit too much gold dust.
No luck there, but he does break up a bunch of yahoos causing trouble. Calhoun finds himself being offered the job of town Sheriff, which he accepts. What better way to discover who killed his partner.
Saloon and gambling house owner, Calvet takes a shine to Calhoun. This, he is told might not be all that wise a move on his part. It seems that Calvet has a beau already. The man, Cameron Mitchell, is really handy with a gun and is known for violent mood swings. These are caused by a tumor in his brain. Mitchell is a former doctor from out east. Mitchell had accidentally killed a man during surgery when he suffered one of his attacks.
Now popping up is Penny Edwards. Edwards is the former fiancé of Mitchell. She wants Mitchell to come back east and get an operation. This plan is put on hold, as Mitchell ends up helping Calhoun take on the villain types, Carl Betz and John Dehner. There are several shootouts, a jailbreak and several more shootouts.
Miss Edwards catches a bullet and Mitchell ends up having to do surgery to save her life. After all this, we discover that it had been Mitchell who had shot Calhoun's partner, Ferguson. Mitchell then drops dead from a brain aneurysm saving Calhoun from shooting him in revenge for Ferguson.
As silly as this might sound, it plays out rather well on screen.
This rather lively duster is a step above what was normally delivered by veteran b-film helmsman, Louis King. King dwelled for years on westerns with Buck Jones before moving up the ladder a bit with the odd Charlie Chan and Bulldog Drummond feature.
The writing of this film is quite good with Sam Hellman, Stuart Lake and Daniel Mainwaring. Lake wrote the stories for several excellent westerns. These include FRONTIER MARSHAL, WELLS FARGO, THE WESTERNER, MY DARLING CLEMINTINE and WINCHESTER 73. Mainwaring, better known as Geoffrey Homes, wrote the story or screenplay for ROUGHSHOD, THE BIG STEAL, THE LAWLESS, THE LAST OUTPOST, ROADBLOCK, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK, THIS WOMAN IS DANGEROUS and the noir classic, OUT OF THE PAST.
Cinematographer Ernest Cronjager supplies some nice Technicolor work on this one.
A brisk 20 Century Fox B-western production that is better than one would expect.
Rory Calhoun plays the hero lead here while Carl Betz and John Dehner ably handle the villain parts. Also in the mix are Cameron Mitchell, Penny Edwards and the rather stunning looking, Corinne Calvet.
The story has Calhoun as an ex-lawman who has hung up the guns. He is now doing some gold prospecting with Frank Ferguson. The two are doing quite well and are building up a good sized stake of gold. They need to be on guard since the woods are full of claim jumpers and the like.
Calhoun heads in to the nearby town of Powder River to cash in some gold and pick up supplies. Powder River is more or less run by saloon keeper, Corinne Calvet. Cahoun returns to his camp after the supply run into town. He finds his partner, Ferguson, dead and their gold gone. He returns to town to look for anyone with a bit too much gold dust.
No luck there, but he does break up a bunch of yahoos causing trouble. Calhoun finds himself being offered the job of town Sheriff, which he accepts. What better way to discover who killed his partner.
Saloon and gambling house owner, Calvet takes a shine to Calhoun. This, he is told might not be all that wise a move on his part. It seems that Calvet has a beau already. The man, Cameron Mitchell, is really handy with a gun and is known for violent mood swings. These are caused by a tumor in his brain. Mitchell is a former doctor from out east. Mitchell had accidentally killed a man during surgery when he suffered one of his attacks.
Now popping up is Penny Edwards. Edwards is the former fiancé of Mitchell. She wants Mitchell to come back east and get an operation. This plan is put on hold, as Mitchell ends up helping Calhoun take on the villain types, Carl Betz and John Dehner. There are several shootouts, a jailbreak and several more shootouts.
Miss Edwards catches a bullet and Mitchell ends up having to do surgery to save her life. After all this, we discover that it had been Mitchell who had shot Calhoun's partner, Ferguson. Mitchell then drops dead from a brain aneurysm saving Calhoun from shooting him in revenge for Ferguson.
As silly as this might sound, it plays out rather well on screen.
This rather lively duster is a step above what was normally delivered by veteran b-film helmsman, Louis King. King dwelled for years on westerns with Buck Jones before moving up the ladder a bit with the odd Charlie Chan and Bulldog Drummond feature.
The writing of this film is quite good with Sam Hellman, Stuart Lake and Daniel Mainwaring. Lake wrote the stories for several excellent westerns. These include FRONTIER MARSHAL, WELLS FARGO, THE WESTERNER, MY DARLING CLEMINTINE and WINCHESTER 73. Mainwaring, better known as Geoffrey Homes, wrote the story or screenplay for ROUGHSHOD, THE BIG STEAL, THE LAWLESS, THE LAST OUTPOST, ROADBLOCK, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK, THIS WOMAN IS DANGEROUS and the noir classic, OUT OF THE PAST.
Cinematographer Ernest Cronjager supplies some nice Technicolor work on this one.
Very entertaining remake of "Frontier Marshal", in another location
weezeralfalfa18 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I don't believe this short western is officially regarded as a remake of the equally short 1939 "Frontier Marshal". But, after checking my notes on F.M., I found it amazing how many details they have in common, so many that I clearly would label it as a remake. Of course, there are plenty of differences, as well, one being that this was shot in color vs. the B&W of F.M.. Another is that the supposed location for F.M. is Tombstone A.Z., vs. Powder River, for the present film. Well, it turns out there are two famous Powder Rivers in the NW quadrant of the US. One is famous today as having the richest, cheapest, coal mines in the US, and is located in NE Wyoming and SE Montana. The other is located in the Blue Mountains of NE Oregon, and is well known since the Civil War for it's placer gold. In contrast, I'm not aware of any important gold deposits in the Wyoming Powder River area, although the Black Hills are not far to the east. Thus, I would favor Oregon, although it's mentioned that the Homestead Mine is nearby. Well, THE Homestead mine is located in the Black Hills. Typical Hollywood confusion of that era! At least parts of the action were filmed in Glacier National Park, in NW Montana.
Instead of Wyatt Earp and Doc Halliday of F.M., we have facsimiles in Chino Bull(Wyatt-like)and Mitch(Doc Holliday-like). In this film, they have trouble deciding whether they want to be friends or enemies. We see some of each throughout the film, like reluctant buddies. Both films have the Doc-like character suffering from a chronic health problem: TB in F.M. and a brain tumor, causing periodic blackouts, in the present film. In both films, the Doc-like character is scripted as a gunslinger/medical doctor combo, whereas the real Doc was a doctor of dentistry. In both films, the Doc-like character uses his medical knowledge to save a life.
Roy Calhoun plays Chino, while a flamboyant Cameron Mitchell plays Mitch. An equally flamboyant Corinne Calvet plays Frenchie: the sometimes owner of one of the saloons. Penny Edwards plays the prim blond "good" girl arriving from the East, come to take Mitch back East. However, she appears to end up with Chino.
Gold is mostly what the fighting is all about: both Chino's stolen gleanings and a $300,000.gold shipment on the stage. Chino's mining buddy, Johnny, is killed(by whom?) and the gold stolen while Chino is away. This murder and robbery induced Chino to give up mining to become the new town marshal.
One gripe I have is that the stage gold shipment segment is underplayed. When the stage is on a flatboat ferry, crossing a river, the bad guys cut the towline attached to a horse that pulls the boat across. They also shoot the horse driver. The stage then is swept downstream toward a rapids. Chino finds a spare rope and swims to shore attaching it to a flimsy-looking long dead small tree. Even supposing it held the raft against the current, it's unclear how they got it to shore, unless they found the horse and attached the rope to it. One horse hardly seemed enough. Also, why did the bad guys decide to abandon their very lucrative quest when the rope was attached to that tree??
I regard this film as even more interesting than "Frontier Marshal" In fact, it's one of my favorite westerns, despite its clear B status. I won't give away the unusual climactic ending.
Available at YouTube and an expensive DVD.
Instead of Wyatt Earp and Doc Halliday of F.M., we have facsimiles in Chino Bull(Wyatt-like)and Mitch(Doc Holliday-like). In this film, they have trouble deciding whether they want to be friends or enemies. We see some of each throughout the film, like reluctant buddies. Both films have the Doc-like character suffering from a chronic health problem: TB in F.M. and a brain tumor, causing periodic blackouts, in the present film. In both films, the Doc-like character is scripted as a gunslinger/medical doctor combo, whereas the real Doc was a doctor of dentistry. In both films, the Doc-like character uses his medical knowledge to save a life.
Roy Calhoun plays Chino, while a flamboyant Cameron Mitchell plays Mitch. An equally flamboyant Corinne Calvet plays Frenchie: the sometimes owner of one of the saloons. Penny Edwards plays the prim blond "good" girl arriving from the East, come to take Mitch back East. However, she appears to end up with Chino.
Gold is mostly what the fighting is all about: both Chino's stolen gleanings and a $300,000.gold shipment on the stage. Chino's mining buddy, Johnny, is killed(by whom?) and the gold stolen while Chino is away. This murder and robbery induced Chino to give up mining to become the new town marshal.
One gripe I have is that the stage gold shipment segment is underplayed. When the stage is on a flatboat ferry, crossing a river, the bad guys cut the towline attached to a horse that pulls the boat across. They also shoot the horse driver. The stage then is swept downstream toward a rapids. Chino finds a spare rope and swims to shore attaching it to a flimsy-looking long dead small tree. Even supposing it held the raft against the current, it's unclear how they got it to shore, unless they found the horse and attached the rope to it. One horse hardly seemed enough. Also, why did the bad guys decide to abandon their very lucrative quest when the rope was attached to that tree??
I regard this film as even more interesting than "Frontier Marshal" In fact, it's one of my favorite westerns, despite its clear B status. I won't give away the unusual climactic ending.
Available at YouTube and an expensive DVD.
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