Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.23

The Phantom Plainsman (1942) 

The Three Mesquiteers (Bob Steele, Tom Tyler, Rufe Davis) are enjoying life as cowboys as always, albeit in 1937. However, this simple and innocent life is turned upside down when they find out that the owner of the ranch they work for is selling horses to the Nazis!  I don't know that a few horses is really gonna speed up Hitler's plan for world domination, but even so, you don't tug on Superman's cape, and you absolutely do not help out the Nazis, even if it's to help an old Nazi lady cross the street.  No matter, the Mesquiteers will see to it that the ranch owner loses and justice wins and Hitler gets another well deserved kick in the pants. Not the camp classic it sounds like it might be, this is instead a bland B-western story about shady horse trading inexplicably transferred to the World War II era. Really, the only differences are that the villains have a slight German accent, and there is a pretty rad horse and car chase instead of the usual horse and wagon chase. Still amusing though, with some cool stuntwork, and Rufe providing comic relief that is actually amusing and not broad like you would expect.

Excellent black and white transfer, and never released on home video. There are a bunch of Three Mesquiteers movies, but the characters and actors changed along the way. John Wayne even starred in several in the late 30’s. here are the rare ones on Netflix instant, which were never released on home video, except for Riders of the Black Hills, which saw a VHS release. 
Riders of the Black Hills (1938) 
Cowboys from Texas (1939) 
Pioneers of the West (1940) 
Pals of the Pecos (1941) 
Shadows on the Sage (1942) 
Raiders of the Range (1942) 
The Blocked Trail (1943) 


The Laramie Trail (1944) 

Bob Livingstone comes to a town to claim a ranch, but encounters a man who was accused of murder, but Livingstone believes he is innocent and investigates. A surprisingly complicated B-western mystery, this is interesting and unpredictable, carried by the stoic but charismatic Livingstone, but suffers from convolution and a plot conveyed too much through exposition. Still, a valiant and never boring attempt to make an extremely twisty mystery out of a familiar B-movie plot. Some occasional borderline hard boiled dialogue, too: 
Lawyer justifying taking a case because he needs the money: Lawyers have to live, don’t they? 
Livingstone: Why? 

Excellent video transfer, although the audio is pretty scratchy, which caused me to stretch my earholes to hear some of the dialogue. Never released on home video, and there are two more rare westerns on Netflix Instant starring Bob Livingstone that have never been released on home video: 
The Big Bonanza (1944) 
Beneath Western Skies (1944) 


Outlaws of Santa Fe (1944)

Don “Red” Barry (sort of a deadly serious cowboy version of Red Skelton) robs banks with his father, but dad is shot during a robbery attempt. While dying, he tells Red that he actually isn’t his father, but that his real father was actually a lawman who was killed in Santa Fe. Red immediately reforms and decides to become a hero. I guess he really wants to take after his father, whether his father is a crook or a saint. Anyway, he saves Helen Talbot and her little sister Winky (who manages to be bossy without being completely annoying) on the way to Santa fe, where he intends to return the money he stole from the robbery, as well as taking out whoever killed his real father. He has a broad comedic sidekick that gets a little annoying, but there are a few amusing scenes with a funny old man deputy. A better than usual Republic cheapie, and Red Barry is actually pretty good in the role, especially considering that he manages to somewhat pull off an immediate about face from crook to hero. 

The transfer is pretty soft, and there are vertical damage lines during the first reel or so. Still, it’s fairly watchable. Never released on home video, and here are other Netflix Instant titles starring Red Barry that have never been released on home video: 

Frontier Vengeance (1940) 
One Man's Law (1940) 
Texas Terror (1940) 
Death Valley Outlaws (1941) 
Carson City Cyclone (1943) 
California Joe (1943)

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.22

Old Oklahoma Plains (1952)


The army is using a large stretch of land to test a super mini-tank, and this is annoying the locals, especially a ranch owner who supplies the Army with horses, and is therefore screwed if they use tanks instead. It is up to singing cowboy Rex Allen and friends (including Slim Pickens) to protect the testing site from the ranch owner and his gang, while seeing to it that a race between the tank and a bunch of horses through a minefield (!) goes off without a hitch. You see, if the tank beats a bunch of horses in a race through a minefield, the public will start to realize that horses are inferior to tanks and they'll stop trying to sabotage the Army. I guess that makes sense. The director is William Whitney, famous for his wild stunts in B-westerns and serials. While the movie lacks the crazy stunts (good stunts, but not crazy), it’s certainly a batshit crazy variation on the “horse race to save the ranch” kiddee plot, and the little tank looks pretty cool. An oddity well worth checking out.

A very good transfer, and never released on home video. Rex Allen stars in some other rare westerns on Netflix instant:

Hills of Oklahoma (1950, never released on home video)
The Arizona Cowboy (1950, never released on home video)
Rodeo King and the Senorita (1951, previously released on VHS)
Silver City Bonanza (1951, previously released on VHS)
Old Overland Trail (1953, never released on home video)
Iron Mountain Trail (1953, previously released on VHS)
Shadows of Tombstone (1953, previously released on VHS)
Phantom Stallion (1954, previously released on VHS)


Romance of the West (1946)


Eddie Dean is an Indian liason, hanging out with Chief Eagle Feather and friends on their reservation (Coincidentally, there was an Eagle Feather in Comin’ Round the Mountain too). Eddie explains how these are good people who worship the earth, and he gives them gifts, like cattle and a pilgrim hat. However, his town government gets together and decides to hire outcast Indians to commit crimes, in order to pin the crimes on Eagle Feather’s tribe to get them kicked off their land so they can come in and steal silver reserves. What a bunch of scumbags. Even worse, they immediately send their white cronies out to the reservation and start shooting indiscriminately, killing the lovely Indian girl Eddie was just befriending. She now has an orphan son that Eddie adopts and makes a cowboy. So, Eddie investigates and takes care of the crooked white villains while taking time out to sing some pretty good songs. Despite being cheap and stagey, Eddie excels as the truly heroic and sensitive hero (more so with the script), and the script also has a villain plot more developed and interesting than usual.

Probably one of the few PRC westerns of the 40’s to be shot in color (I haven’t heard of very many PRC movies being shot in color period), and never released on home video. Unfortunately, it's no longer on Netflix.


Cheyenne Takes Over (1947)

Lash LaRue, the bullwhip toting, Bogart looking man-in-black and his sidekick Fuzzy investigate the El Lobo ranch, and find out from local saloon owner Nancy Yates that the owner of the ranch may have killed a man in her bar, but no body has been found. Lash and Fuzzy investigate, even lying to get on the actual ranch to snoop around, and occasionally Lash kicks some ass. Although it takes a while to get going, it’s a fairly twisty and well done detective variation on an “evil rancher” B-western, and Lash is certainly one of the coolest B western heroes ever.

Previously available on VHS, but no longer on Netflix.

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.21

Comin’ Round the Mountain (1936)

Gene Autry is a mail carrier who is robbed and his horse killed, and he is left to die out in the middle of the desert, but he manages to save a new horse named “El Diablo” from a pack of wolves. I knew wolves were badasses, but I didn’t realize that they would try to kill and eat a live horse. Anyway, El Diablo is not initially friendly, but Autry manages to tame him in insane fashion, grabbing him and holding on like the greatest bullrider in history. He rides out to Ann Rutherford’s horse ranch, as part of the mail stolen was a bundle of cash she needs to save her ranch. Autry then aids her in a horse race against the evil horse rancher that masterminded the robbery. Life is fucking crazy sometimes.

The movie is not bogged down with too many songs. The song “Chiquita” that Autry sings to the adorable Rutherford is pretty good, but there is a “comedic” song sung by a “bullfighter” that the movie stops for in the middle. However, the resulting bullfight against two guys wearing a bullsuit is amusing. Then there’s the title track sung by Autry in the beginning, a song I can’t stand for some reason. As Eagle Feather says after hearing it, “white men make too much noise”. You tell ‘em Mr. Feather.

Transfer is excellent, except for a night scene that is riddled with blocky artifacts (I guess the darkness of the scene screwed up the compression or something). Never released on home video. This appears to just have recently been booted off of Netflix, but Gene Autry has a ton of other movies on Netflix instant, a few of which have never been released on home video, and some others that have only been released on VHS.


The Savage (1952)


Evil Indians attack a wagon train, killing everyone except for a young boy, before being chased off by Sioux Indians. The Sioux save the boy and raise him, and he grows up to be a Sioux version of Charlton Heston (shirtless, of course). There is an impending war between the Sioux and Heston’s former white society, and this leads to a lot of debates about the dividing line between an Indian and a white man, nature vs. nurture, etc. Interestingly, Heston insists that he has the heart of a Sioux, and that makes him a true Indian. Even so, he is forced to become a peacemaker of sorts between the whites and the Sioux. Some well staged fight scenes and nice photography, and there is an attempt to humanize Indians and debate the nature of race and tribe. However, “debate” is the operative word, with lots of standing around and talking about what it means to be a Sioux and what it means to be white.

Technicolor transfer is a little dull, but is very good otherwise. Never released on home video. Heston also stars in Pony Express (1953), which is on Netflix instant and was only released on VHS.


The Gambler Wore a Gun (1961)

Jim Davis plays a professional gambler that tries to go straight by buying a ranch through the mail. On the trip to the ranch, he happens upon a man that was lynched and a marshal that was knocked unconscious. The marshal tells Jim that the lynched man was the man from which he bought the ranch. Meanwhile, the former ranch owners son and daughter are being threatened by four cattle rustlers who also want control of the ranch, claiming that their father made a deal with them and that he was also part of an illegal rustling scheme. Davis is forced to investigate to stake his claim in the ranch, and is also framed for murder at one point, raising the stakes. The Gambler Wore a Gun could have been a bland “misfit goes good by taking on bad guys” story, but instead, it doesn’t show its hand right off the bat and maintains interest with well written characters. Very well acted too, except for the guy that plays the ranch owner’s son; he tries a bit too hard in an “aww shucks” kind of way.

Excellent transfer, and never released on home video. Jim David also starred in Noose For a Gunman (1960), which is also on Netflix instant and never saw a home video release.

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.20

El Paso (1949)


John Payne is a lawyer that heads to El Paso to get a judge’s signature, when he finds out that the town is being held in terror by Sterling Hayden, who strongarms citizens by employing a crooked justice system. The judge is a drunk pushover, and Hayden makes himself and his cronies jury members in order to unfairly imprison people who don’t follow Hayden’s law. Payne sees this corrupt process at work and tries to reason with everyone, explaining how a proper law system needs to function. He gets bored with reason, so he trains with a Mexican gunfighter named “Del Nacho” (that’s Spanish for “of the nacho”) and becomes a double barrel ass kicking machine. Way too long at 103 minutes considering the slight plot, but the movie does make a considered attempt to explain what makes a fair justice system, and that vigilantism is not a good long term solution. The movie is also beautifully photographed (in Cinecolor), and there are some nice stylistic flourishes, like the fast cut gun training montage, and the final shootout in a windstorm.

The transfer is excellent most of the time, but certain sections look “off” in different ways (either grainier, or with orange skin tones, or looking washed out). Never available on home video. John Payne also starred in two other rare westerns on Netflix instant that have never been released on home video: Passage West (1951) and The Vanquished (1953)


The Redhead and the Cowboy (1951)


Glenn Ford is smitten with a redhead he spots in a dancehall, but little does he know that she (Rhonda Fleming) is a confederate spy sent on a mission to provide secret information to a confederate official about a Union gold shipment. In pure North by Northwest fashion, a liaison of Rhonda is murdered by getting knifed in the back, and he happens to stumble into Glenn, who then becomes framed for the murder. He is forced to flee with Rhonda as he tries to prove his innocence, with Rhonda being the only witness who knows he wasn’t the murderer. Along the way, they bump into numerous shady characters using spy passwords and secret meetings to talk to people along the spy chain while avoiding shady characters trying to intercept the information about the gold shipment. This could be categorized as a noir western, but strikes me more specifically as a 39 Steps-esque “on the run” spy thriller transplanted to the Civil War. Not quite Hitchcock-esque, mind you, but overall a tense, twisty, and very watchable western thriller that is fairly unique, and Ford is pretty excellent in the “innocent man” role. Highly recommended, and definitely not your standard B-western.

The black and white transfer is pretty solid, but has ghosting issues and could be sharper; it’s certainly watchable. Never released on home video.


The Lawless Nineties 1936


Anti-democracy marauders threaten townspeople in Wyoming to keep them from voting, and John Wayne and his buddy come to town to take care of the leader of the outlaws. Wayne hooks up with and protects the owner of a newspaper (Gabby Hayes) who is trying to use the paper to expose corruption and help Wyoming become a state (also, he has a beautiful daughter, played by Ann Rutherford, that catches Wayne's eye). The Duke’s partner is killed by cronies of the “committee of law and order”, which is actually a democracy smashing front, and Wayne kicks ass and takes names and wins Ann’s hand in the process (although you probably saw that coming). A fairly raucous and exciting B-western with an interesting villain that opposes democracy for selfish reasons, but under the guise of “law and order”. However, the movie occasionally stops to showcase “comic relief” from Hayes’ two black servants, a bit more egregious than usual and extremely forced. Otherwise, this is probably a good example of the kind of B-westerns Wayne made before Stagecoach made him a star.

Previously available on VHS. The transfer is pretty good, several notches above VHS, and certainly acceptable for a B-western from the mid 30’s.

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.19

Untamed Frontier (1952)

A powerful cattle baron is doing everything he can to fend off incoming settlers that want to live on land that he would otherwise use to raise cattle, so he can therefore become even richer and more powerful, sort of like a king holding sway over local resources for his own gain. Meanwhile, we become privy to the personal drama of the rest of the family, chiefly son Scott Brady who is quickly wooing the lonely Shelley Winters, but only as a ploy to get out of an impending murder charge. You see, apparently in Texas at the time, it was illegal for a spouse to testify against the other spouse, and she was the star witness, so just he’ll just marry her and get off scot free. Joseph Cotton is Brady’s cousin and family advisor, a detached protector of the family who is eventually caught in-between when Shelley falls for him instead after she becomes wise to Brady’s scheme.

While the character drama may seem unlikely and forced (including the way in which Brady ends up killing a man), the relationships between the characters are played much more for psychological motivation (in the direction and the photography) than cheap soapy drama. Things unfold unpredictably and unrealistically, but they do so springing forth from the characters, rather than the characters being forced to execute an unlikely plot. Overall, very well photographed and directed, and a subtley layered and interesting variation on what could have been a soapy B-movie plot. This one is mostly completely unheralded, so I guess it qualifies as a bit of a hidden gem.

Never released on home video, despite starring Joseph Cotton and Shelly Winters, and featuring Lee Van Cleef in a supporting role. Unfortunately, it is no longer on Netflix, but maybe it'll pop up again or get released on DVD.


Flaming Feather (1952)


A mysterious masked bandit dubbed “The Sidewinder” is employing a group of Indians to rob and destroy towns and wagons. The U.S. cavalry can’t even identify him, let alone capture him, so they enlist the services of rebel cowboy Tex McCloud (that’s a god damn name right there), played by the unstoppable Sterling Hayden. The gorgeous Barbara Rush plays both the love interest of Sterling and the damsel in distress. While the main plot is not especially compelling or original, the movie is filled with some nice touches (check out the wicked montage at the beginning showing The Sidewinder’s various misdeeds), the Technicolor photography is gorgeous, the fights are exciting and well executed, and Sterling Hayden owns the screen (and the supporting cast is very good also). A pretty bad ass and beautifully photographed (in Technicolor) version of a typical B-movie plot.

The image is a little soft and there are some speckles, but otherwise it is very good. The sound is a bit scratchy, but not distractingly so. Never released on home video.


California Firebrand (1948)


Singing cowboy Monte Hale, in order to investigate the death of his uncle, adopts the identity of the chief suspect Gunsmoke Lowery, whose body he happens upon. He heads out to the mining town where his uncle was killed, and teams up with dress shop owner Lorna Gray to take care of the local thugs and investigate. I’m not much for singing cowboys, but this was somewhat enjoyable despite the standard plot, considering the songs aren’t half bad, and there is some goofy humor that actually works. The two-strip trucolor process also give the photography an otherworldly teal pastel look; Lorna’s blue vests really pop. It’s like a singing cowboy B-western from another planet.

Occasional ghosting issues, but the transfer looks very good considering the source (which seems a little smudgey). Other Monte Hale films also co-starring Lorna Gray that are on Netflix instant:

Under Colorado Skies (1947, previously only available on VHS)
Ranger of Cherokee Strip (1949, and never released on home video)

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.18

Jubilee Trail (1954)

A newlywed couple (Joan leslie and John Russell) help New Orleans showgirl Vera Ralston escape a detective trying to pick her up for supposed crimes she’s committed. Apparently she has an honest enough face that the couple are sure of her innocence. Anyway, they bring her along on a wagon trip to California, and in pure soap opera fashion, Russell finds out that he’ll have a new baby waiting for him when he arrives in California…from another woman. Uh oh. This gives the wagon ride two strains of dramatic conflict, however soapy and forced, on top of the requisite Indian attack. The movie really drags at 103 minutes, padded with several lame musical numbers featuring Ralston (including a hand clapping song that predates Pia Zadora). However, the color photography is nice, Joan Leslie is adorable, and Buddy Baer is memorable in his small role as a Siberian bear trapper that flirts with Ralston.

Very good Trucolor transfer, and previously only released on VHS.

The Great Sioux Uprising (1953)

Lyle Bettger plays a crooked horse trader that steals horses from some Sioux Indians in order to sell them to the U.S. Calvary, killing several Sioux in the process. Jeff Chandler plays an army doctor who tries and prevent an impending war between the Sioux and the local whites, while also thwarting Lyle and overcome his fear of performing surgery. Caught in the middle is the lovely Faith Domergue, a competing horse trader who takes a shining to Jeff while avoiding Lyle’s advances. The movie suffers from a main plot largely conveyed through boring exposition, and the central triangle and the side plot of Jeff overcoming his fears as a doctor are both pretty limp and uninteresting. However, Jeff and Faith are very likeable and make the movie watchable.

A bit dull and fuzzy, looking like it originates from a very good analog master. Still, a pretty solid color transfer. Previously only available on VHS. No longer on Netflix instant, but maybe it'll pop up again at some point, and also some kind soul put it up on Youtube.


Wild Horse Ambush (1952)

The “Rough Ridin’ Kids” Michael Chapin and Eilene Janssen are out to foil two alleged wild horse tamers who are running a Mexican counterfeit scheme. We’re talking fake-o pesos out the wazoo. Instead of being useless or merely kidnapping fodder, these kids are resourceful to the point of cartoonish absurdity (in a good way). Michael doesn’t initially trust a Mexican agent investigating the fake bills, so he manages to get a horse to knock him out so he can bring him to the authorities to check if he’s kosher, and the agent doesn’t mind in the least being knocked out by an 11-year-old. Then there’s the best scene, where Eilene hides from the counterfeiters by sitting under a blanket and playing a Mexican song on guitar, singing in perfect Spanish. Sure it’s a little racist, but talent is talent, and the kid’s got it in spades. While these kiddie B-westerns can easily become annoying, these kids are unlikely, wish fulfillment heroes for other kids, but doing it in a borderline surreal and entertaining way, and both young actors are cheerful and amusing (well, Eilene mostly). A fun, curious breeze at only 54 minutes.

The black and white transfer is excellent, and it was never released on home video. The “Rough Ridin’ Kids” starred in several other movies, including The Dakota Kid (1951), which is also on Netflix instant. The transfer on The Dakota Kid is also very good, but a notch duller and less detailed than the transfer for Wild Horse Ambush, and it was also never released on home video. While not as fun as Wild Horse Ambush, Dakota Kid does have an amazing banjo/song and dance number by Eilene.

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.17

The Peacemaker (1956)

A reverend and former gunslinger (James Mitchell) is assigned to Pembroke, a rough and tumble town. He quickly bumps into Viggo, the local tough, who warns him that he is in fact a lawnmower looking for reverend grass (I’m paraphrasing). The reverend and his new church become vital to cooling disputes between the railroad, the ranchers, and the farmers. The reverend is simply a good guy that would rather rely on speeches than bullets to create peace, which is fine in theory, but pretty boring. It’s also somewhat impractical, considering the scene where he tells a character that violence is not the answer, and the guy immediately punches him in the face. All told, a pretty direct answer to his question.

Very good B & W transfer, and never released on home video.


Santa Fe Passage (1955)

John Payne, with his assistant Slim Pickens, is a scout that helps wagon trains traverse hostile Indian land. However, he unwisely bribes some Indians with guns, and they use those guns to shoot up a wagon train despite promising not to shoot white people (I guess they couldn’t help themselves). Among the victims is a young boy that wheezes his way through his final moments. Disgraced, Payne aims to redeem himself and manages to get another job as a scout for some gun runners trying to get to Santa Fe, despite his employers knowing about what happened. The most skeptical person in the group is a tough half-breed cowgirl (Faith Domergue) who eventually warns up to him. Another typical “wagon train in hostile Indian lands” plot benefits from the dynamic between Payne and Domergue.

Decent color transfer suffers from digital noise and blocking, and is also cropped from 1.66:1 (no biggie). Never released on home video.


The Lone Gun 1954

George Montgomery is a reluctant marshal (not to be confused with The Reluctant Astronaut, which is a Don Knotts movie) who tries to clean up a town held in fear by the Moran gang (headed by Neville Brand). Dorothy Malone and her brother own a farm but are deep in debt, so her brother joins the gang as they go cattle rustling. The brother wants to go clean but can’t get a bank loan, so he decides to bet his farm (literally "bet the farm") against Neville in a game of poker to try and settle his debt and ends up winning. However, scumbag Neville (he usually plays these kinds of characters in westerns it seems) just shoot him and frames Montgomery’s sly professional poker player friend Fairweather. This sets up an interesting scenario where characters are pitted against each other and loyalties are tested, as Montgomery tries to sort through the facts to see that justice is properly served. Straight forward and no frills, but the script is engaging, and the Fairweather character (Frank Faylen) is charismatic and interesting.

Very good transfer, although the colors are a bit faded and there is an odd diffuse quality to the print (which may have been intentional). It looks to have been filmed in a 2 strip teal-leaning color process (maybe Trucolor). Never released on home video.

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.16

Dakota Incident (1956)

Courtesy of Northbreed1

Another “stagecoach ambushed by Indians” tale that begins with our hero being doublecrossed by his two partners and seeking revenge. When the movie finally gets around to the evil Indian plot, our hero is joined by Linda Darnell and others, including great character actor Ward Bond in a thankless role as a pious liberal senator who repeatedly sermonizes that Indians are human beings and that violence doesn’t solve anything. Of course, he is scoffed at at every turn and is proved a fool in the end, as the movie does indeed make every Indian out to be a total scumbag. If you can get over this character and the portrayal of native Americans, this is a decent B stagecoach ambush flick, with a surprising (for 1956) scene where a victim is found in a pool of his own blood.

Very good color transfer, and previously available on VHS.


Taggart (1964)

Tom Young’s parents are ruthlessly murdered by a rancher and his son, and Tom kills the son in a duel. The father, wounded and on his death bed, hires Dan Duryea (doing his smiling slimebag act very well) and his two compadres to take out Tom. Dan’s cohorts are quickly killed by Tom, and he chases Tom to a mission in Apache country. While there, Tom Young (his usual wooden self) tries to help out a prospector with a gold claim, who has to deal with Apaches trying to steal the gold. He also has a hot redhead daughter, which certainly helps. Oh yeah, the prospector is married to a double-crossing Mexican named Consuela, who hits on both Dan and Tom at different points. The results are an interesting back and forth between all of these characters and their various motivations, instead of the obvious revenge path the movie could have taken. Very nicely photographed, with stylish splashes of color and an interesting script. A very nice surprise. David Carradine’s first role.

Never released on home video in the U.S., although it was released on DVD in France. However, the transfer suffers from bad interlacing, probably due to a terrible frame rate conversion from a PAL master (maybe the same master used for the French DVD). Basically, everything looks jagged and weird during movement. Other than that, the transfer is excellent and colorful. All together, it’s certainly watchable. Young and Duryea also starred in He Rides Tall (1964), another rare western also on instant watch.


Gun Street (1961)

A bank robber and killer escapes six years after the sheriff tried to see to it that he was hung. The killer terrorizes the town (including his ex-wife) while the sheriff tries to find him and finally bring him to justice. Sort of an anti-High Noon, in the sense that it takes a vaguely similar setup, but completely lacks suspense (and interest) despite a surefire premise to do so. Resultingly, the movie feels like a guy waiting around for someone to show up, and feels endless as a result, despite running a shade over an hour.

Great black and white transfer, and never released on home video.

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.15

Two-Gun Lady (1955)


Peggie Castle plays an Annie Oakley style sharpshooter who comes to perform in a town, but is also looking for the men that killed her father many years prior. She teams up with a marshal who happens to be looking for the same men, and they find out that a local farming family was responsible. An interesting proto-feminist western that doesn’t shy away from its B-movie roots. The most interesting character is probably the farmer’s daughter, who is an innocent living among evil men out to destroy a feminist figure (the father says of his daughter: “she better be a good cook, cause she ain’t good for anything else”). She also looks up to Peggy as a feminist pop icon who, ironically, wants to murder most of her family, although it appears that the daughter would welcome it so she can finally be freed from this hateful patriarch. The daughter even defends Peggy as the fastest gun in the west to some boys that think girls can’t shoot. However, if you think feminism is actually a FBI conspiracy, please ignore most of this paragraph. Marie Windsor also plays a significant role.

Very good black and white transfer, and never released on home video.


Hellfire (1949)

Wild Bill Elliot plays a no good atheist who cheats at cards, which apparently was the worst offense one could commit in the old west. Correspondingly, the cheated tries to shoot Bill, but a bible thumping preacher that Bill previously scoffed at jumps in front of the bullet. On his death bed, the preacher asks him to read the bible and build a church in his name to repay him, in that order. Bill jumps aboard the Jesus bus and agrees to try to build this church, but finding funding proves difficult, until he happens upon uber-tough outlaw Marie Windsor, who happens to have a price on her head. Marie and Bill are entertaining in this Republic B-western that also doubles as a Christ-sploitation movie that was possibly created as a recruitment piece. Strange and campy in its bible-thumping, and amusingly slanted against non-believers (at one point an atheist character starts shooting at someone just for reading the bible).

Decent trucolor transfer (which is that two-strip teal tinted color process), but the sound is pretty poor (although you can make out the dialogue over the white noise if you turn it up a bit). Previously available on VHS.


Gun Fever (1958)

Mark Stevens wrote, directed, and stars in this one as Luke Ram (if you’re gonna give yourself a hero name, that’s the one you wanna pick), who seeks revenge against a scenery chewing white man who led a sioux attack on a stagecoach, killing his parents. Luke teams up with another dude who ends up being the villian’s son, and they are led through Sioux country by a hot native American chick, searching for their man. Standard revenge tale is cheap and bloated in the middle (it takes a long time to get to the actual quest for revenge), and lacks an interesting relationship between villian and son, but is enlivened by a few campy moments and the diametrically opposed performances of the lead baddie and the adorably sweet Sioux girl. Also, this is no doubt the windiest western ever made (only maybe Twister was windier in all of filmdom), as most every outdoor scene is supplemented by two gigantic wind machines cranking off screen. This adds some interesting atmosphere, although if I lived in a western town that resided permanantly within the eye of a tornado, I wouldn’t ever leave the house, even for revenge (or for anything really). But I guess that’s why Luke Ram is a man’s man and I'm not (insert forced Ram Jam reference here).

Excellent black and white transfer, and never released on home video.

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.14

Thunder in the Sun (1959)

A group of wine grower immigrants travel through Indian country, hoping to settle a new vinocracy. Among them are strong hero Jeff Chandler, and foot stomping, Flamenco dancing, sassy French lady Susan Hayward (to be fair, she always stomps her feet). They are repeatedly besieged by Indians, including some that seem to jump off of trampolines and into the frame. At one point, one of the settlers combats an Indian by hitting him in the head with a ball hurled with one of those jai alai rackets (whatever they’re called). A standard story is handled melodramatically (bordering on camp at times) with these and a few other odd touches, and the results are fairly entertaining. The compositions by DP Stanley Cortez are very good, but sometimes the studio shots and the location shots are badly mismatched.

Okay color transfer is a notch above VHS. Never released on home video.


The Jayhawkers! (1959)

The “Jayhawkers” are a group of enterprising young men trying to take control of Kansas, led by Jeff Chandler, who has a Napoleon complex (he’s not short, he just thinks he’s Napoleon). Fess Parker breaks out of prison and returns home, only to find that his wife is dead and his ranch has been legally acquired by a French woman who has two kids. The woman adopts him as a defacto husband, since she needs a man around the house to do things like chop wood and teach her kids English (the kids learn how to say “y’all be fixin’”). She must be desperate for a man to immediately hook up with a stranger that just broke out of prison. Anyway, Fess is offered a pardon by the governor of Kansas if he kills Chandler, and he also finds out that Chandler had a relationship with his wife while he was in prison, and then killed her because he was “bored with her”. You’d think this would setup a clear case of a hero out to get revenge against a scumbag villain at all costs. However, Fess goes undercover and joins the jayhawkers, developing respect for him along the way, despite the pleas of his new French girlfriend that Chandler is an murdering, woman-hating dictator. If you can get over the curious non-revenge plot and the apparent misogyny, this is a well done, well filmed take on the “go undercover to catch the crook” plot. Look for Harry Dean Stanton in a tiny role, and Henry Silva as Chandler’s slimy heavy.

Originally shot in Vistavision (1.85:1), the transfer is cropped and dull, but is perfectly watchable. Previously released on VHS.


Pawnee (1956)


George Montgomery plays Pale Arrow, a white man raised by Pawnee Indians. He saves some white people from a stagecoach attack by other Pawnees. His “father” Wise Eagle doesn’t want to fight the white man, but Arrow’s rival Crazy Fox (who gets sweet with his love Dancing Fawn) wants to wipe out the honkeys. Pale Arrow goes undercover as a white man (i.e. rubs off his face paint) in order to go into town and gauge their feelings (“the heart of the white man”). Crazy Fox follows him into town to snoop, believing him to be a turncoat. George tries to get frisky with a white woman who has another man after her (mirroring the trio with Fawn and Fox). George then agrees to be a stagecoach scout while Crazy Fox sends the Pawnees after the stagecoach, as Wise Eagle had recently passed away, and George/Pale Arrow is caught in-between. Cheap and sloppy, but I found the two love triangles cute and appealing, and Montgomery makes an interesting central figure torn between several different conflicting entities, despite the silly transition from Indian to white man.

Decent transfer has dull colors and some ghosting problems during movement, but is certainly watchable.

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.13

Montana Belle (1952)

Jane Russell plays Belle Starr, who is about to be lynched, but is rescued by the Dalton gang (because she’s hot I guess), and the two Dalton brother argue over her for the rest of the movie while they team up to rob banks. The gang branches out by having Belle pretend to warm up to a wealthy saloon owner in order to bilk him out of his money. I guess they might as well use her hotness to their monetary advantage. Pretty lifeless and uninteresting, except for Jane Russell’s scowls and the occasional zinger. Directed by Allan Dwan, and Andy Devine provides comic relief.

Pretty decent color transfer. It’s in a turquoise-y two strip technicolor process (like Brimstone), but it looks like there were color problems with the original print, like one of the strips was faded, so that the color bleeds at times or goes way overboard into green or blue. Either way, it’s perfectly watchable, but a little strange looking. Previously available on VHS.


Run For Cover (1955)

James Cagney and a newly befriended young man named Davey are shooting at birds as a train is approaching. Two bank employees think the pair are bandits trying to rob the train, so they throw them the bag of money they are guarding, accepting defeat in in record time for a train robbery. But hey, they are insured out the wazoo. The pair are shot at and brought in as criminals, but the truth is quickly revealed. However, Davey is recovering from gunshot wounds, being tended to by Swedish farm daughter Viveca Lindfors. Cagney had a son that died at roughly the same age as Davey, so he wants to see him survive, and becomes a father figure to him. Viveca and Cagney fall in love as Davey recovers, so they become a defacto family unit, reminding me of a comparable family unit that develops in director Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without a Cause (released the same year). Cagney eventually becomes sheriff of the town and always looks to do the right thing, and even makes Davey his deputy. However, Davey is not so keen on becoming the man Cagney wants him to be, and seems to resent being molded.

Lindfors and Cagney are both excellent individually, but their differing acting styles and difference in age make the romance a bit implausible. The setup is also pretty absurd, but perhaps intentionally so, considering Ray’s other films, and it seems to drag a bit in the middle. However, this is worthy as both a western and as a portrait of shifting dynamics within a makeshift family unit that is particular to Nicholas Ray.

The image is perfectly watchable, but it is cropped from about 1.85:1, and the colors are pretty dull. The movie was originally filmed in Vistavision, so the picture quality is a bit of a disappointment, considering what it could have been. It would probably look pretty fantastic in a properly restored print. I don’t think the movie was ever released on home video in the U.S..


Warpath (1951)

Edmond O’Brien hunts down and kills one of three men responsible for murdering his wife, but not before the man reveals in his dying gasp that the other two murderers are in the Cavalry. So, Edmond joins the Cavalry under Custer in order to track the other two men responsible for the death of his wife. So, in order to avenge a murder, he wants to go undercover and help mow down waves of Indians. I guess that makes sense. Anyway, this first act is wrapped up by minute eight in a 94 minute film, so what little mystery plot that exists is unmercifully stretched over the rest of the run time. Most of the movie is spent on Edmond’s several year career as a member of the Cavalry, despite it only being a ruse in order to get at his wife’s murderers. Revenge is a dish best served cold, but if it takes several years to prepare, it’s better just to order some take out and hope a meal of justice gets served on its own. Boy, these fortune cookie sayings just keep getting more and more complicated. Maybe I just wanna eat a goddamn cookie.

Very good technicolor transfer, although there does seem to be some occasional fading at the bottom of the print. Never released on home video. A Paramount production.

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.12

Badman’s Country (1958)

Pat Garrett teams up with Buffalo Bill, Wyatt Earp (Buster Crabbe), and Bat Masterson (Gregory Walcott, who starred in Plan 9 From Outer Space a year later) to prevent Butch, Sundance, and the wild bunch from stealing a half million dollars from a train arriving in Abilene. Essentially a variation on Badman’s Territory (1946, with Randolph Scott), where western heroes are thrown together in the same town to duke it out, like a B-movie greatest hits package. Historically absurd, to say the least, but solid and well photographed considering the material. Curiously, Garrett repeatedly tries to inspire the town to defend itself from the destructive evils of Butch Cassidy and company (including the prospect of them destroying the town’s economy by robbing the train), but they just become more cowardly as the movie progresses.

Very good B & W transfer, and never released on home video.

Badman's Territory, not Badman's Country, but it's the same idea.

The Raiders (1963)

Brian Keith (who’s very good) wants to help rebuild Texas, which is ravaged and desperate after the Civil War, so he seeks to persuade the Army to approve the building of train tracks down through Texas to help the economy, and also combats carpetbaggers out for a quick buck. He’s sort of a cross between a typical western hero and a devoted politician, a man who loves his state and wants to do the right thing and improve it. For some reason, Wild Bill (Robert Culp), Calamity Jane, and Buffalo Bill show up, and you’d think they would prove vital to the story, maybe teaming up with Keith, but Wild Bill just gives advice, and the other two seem to be comic relief. However, the movie ends up focusing attention on the three and away from Keith, and the movie becomes mostly pointless and boring at that point. The many close-ups and the score give it a made-for-TV feel (apparently it started as a TV pilot but ended up as a theatrical feature, and it feels like it), although there is some nice camera movement that set it apart.

Very good color transfer, never released on home video.


The Last Hard Men (1976)

Here’s one that looks interesting and stars Charlton Heston, James Coburn, and Barbara Hershey (and Michael Parks has a supporting role), and it’s directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. It was also adapted from a novel by Brian Garfield, author of Death Wish and the exhaustive western book Western Films. Unfortunately, the transfer is a blurry pan and scan joke, hacked from 2.35:1, so I couldn’t really watch it.

Previously released on VHS.

Here are other rare westerns on Netflix instant that are panned and scanned from 2.35:1 to 1.33:1:

Zandy’s Bride (1974, released on VHS)
Showdown (1973, released on VHS)
The Night of the Grizzly (1966, released on VHS)
Plunderers of Painted Flats (1959, no home video release)
Man or Gun (1958, no home video release)
Hell’s Crossroads (1957, no home video release)
The Storm Rider (1957, no home video release)
Gunfire at Indian Gap (1957, no home video release)
Duel at Apache Wells (1957, no home video release)
Stagecoach to Fury (1956, no home video release)
Thunder Over Arizona (1956, no home video release)
Texas Lady (1955, crappy transfer that suffers from ghosting and is technically cut down from 2:1, released on VHS)

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.11

Border River (1954)

Joel McCrea is a confederate soldier that comes to a shady U.S./Mexico border town in order to buy arms and supplies for the confederacy using $2 million in gold stolen from the union. Curiously, Joel is portrayed as an honest hero, but I guess any confederate or union soldier that stars in a classic movie set during the civil war is going to be portrayed as heroic. Anyway, the sleazy Mexican general that runs the town catches wind of Joel’s plans, and seeks to find the gold. Meanwhile, buxom senorita Carmelita (that might be Spanish for “little caramel candy”), played by Yvonne DeCarlo, comes between the two men. Fairly uninteresting, except for the accidental political subtext and Yvonne’s saucy fake Mexican ways.

Excellent color transfer, and only previously available on VHS in the U.S. (although released on DVD in Spain). Joel McCrea also stars in the rare western Black Horse Canyon (1954), which was never released on home video and is on Netflix instant.


Wyoming Mail (1950)

Steve is a tough-as-nails boxer (aren’t they all) who is hired to go undercover to infiltrate a group of bandits who rob mail-carrying trains. In order to learn about the gang’s whereabouts, Steve has to get himself sent to one of those prisons where you are forced to break rocks with a sledgehammer (I guess the prison sells off the pieces as Pet Rocks to easily duped locals). He then has to get himself sent to solitary confinement, chained in a dark concrete hole with a dude that knows the gang’s whereabouts (well, that’s technically not solitary confinement, but close enough). He then has to develop a relationship of sorts with this guy and then engineer a prison break (with some outside help) where both he and the “informant” can escape together whilst being shot at. This is all done by Steve as a ruse to gain the prisoner’s confidence and respect so that he’ll reveal the gang’s location. That’s a lot of trouble to go through to see to it that people get their letters. Personally, I wouldn’t have bothered. Then again, I’ve probably been spoiled by e-mail.

“Wyoming Mail” is probably the most boring movie title in history, and the plot itself is essentially the standard B-western scenario where the hero goes undercover and joins a gang of outlaws to bring them down, but there are some nifty touches (like the gang’s cool cavern hang out) and pleasantly absurd plot developments (like the ones I gave away earlier). Look for Alexis Smith (previously in Cave of Outlaws, which I reviewed earlier) as Steve’s singing bombshell girlfriend, and Gene Evans in a small part as one of the gang members who unwisely engages Steve in fisticuffs in a bar. If you’re gonna pick on somebody in a bar by punching them in the face for no reason, I suggest choosing someone who looks like he is absolutely, positively not a boxer.

Solid color transfer with some specks and scratches, and never released on home video.


The Navajo Kid (1945)

Bob Steele’s Navajo father is murdered during a robbery, and he is shocked to learn that he was actually adopted, and that his real parents were white people that were murdered by Apaches. You’d think a white cowboy would figure out that he isn’t actually an Indian, but maybe he doesn’t own a mirror. Anyway, he goes off to avenge the murder, eventually finding a man who is wearing his foster father’s ring and beating him up in a pretty sweet speeded up saloon fight. However, he has an airtight alibi (I don’t know why alibis need to be free of air, but whatever), but this eventually leads him to the killers. Steele ain’t much of an actor (to put it mildly), and for a movie an hour long, this really doesn’t get going until halfway through. However, there are some refreshing out-of-left-field twists and amusing speeded up action.

Okay transfer is blown out but watchable. Steele made movies as a member of “The Trailblazers” (not the basketball team dumbass) and also as the “Three Mesquiteers” (not the dudes with swords sillypants). He also starred in some other rare westerns that are on Netflix Instant:

Ambush Trail (1946) – never released on home video
Rio Grande Raiders (1946) – co-starring with Sunset Carson, never released on home video

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.10

He Rides Tall (1964)

Tom Young is a marshal who wants to retire and get married, but is forced to kill the real son of his foster father (Dan Duryea), and this eventually leads to a showdown between the two (very eventually). Duryea is a smiling slimebag who, with hardly a care, hands over his mistress to some Indians to be scalped in order to save his own hide. Duryea makes for a very interesting villain, but Young is a pretty boring hero, and there should’ve been much more of an interesting dynamic between the two, considering they are (foster) father and son. Some nice photography, with a rousing score that nevertheless seems a little bombastic and inappropriate. Directed by R.G. Springsteen.

Very good transfer that does suffer some from what appears to be analog noise. Never released on home video.


Showdown (1963)


Audie Murphy and his buddy ride into a town where troublemakers are chained by the neck to a pole in the town square. Of course, Audie’s buddy gets drunk and starts a bar fight, forcing Audie to intervene, and they are both chained to the pole overnight. As it happens, also chained to the pole is a gang of outlaws, who manage to knock the pole over and break free. The gang shoots out the town and robs the bank, but Audie’s drunk buddy steals a stack of money bonds that a gang member drops in the middle of all the chaos. The two escape, but they are quickly accosted by the gang. Audie tries to use the money bonds to spare their lives, but his drunk buddy already mailed them to his sweetheart. So, Audie has to go off and collect the money while his buddy is being held hostage. Amusingly, his “sweetheart” doesn’t care that they’ll kill him and just wants to keep the money. Audie, of course, just wants to do the right thing and save his friend, regardless of what the lady wants (played by an actress who likes to arch her brow and yell). An interesting variation on a familiar plot, particularly in that, while Audie is a do-good hero caught up with some bad guys, he does stand by his friend, who legitimately does wrong, and Audie becomes guilty by association. However, his buddy is drunk the whole time, so I guess the real villain is booze.

Very good B & W transfer in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The original aspect ratio might be 1.66:1 or 1.85:1, but I am unable to find any info on this. Either way, it looks fine to my eyes. Never released on home video.

R.G. Springsteen directed a bunch of westerns, including the following that are currently on Netflix instant:

Under Colorado Skies (1947) – previously released on VHS
Sundown in Santa Fe (1948) – Rocky Lane tracks down the man who masterminded Lincoln’s assassination (!). Never released on home video.
Renegades of Sonora (1948) – starring Rocky Lane
Hellfire (1949) – Marie Windsor plays an outlaw, previously released on VHS
Sheriff of Wichita (1949) – starring Rocky Lane, never released on home video
Death Valley Gunfighter (1949) – starring Rocky Lane, previously released on VHS
Hills of Oklahoma (1950) – starring Rex Allen, and never released on home video
The Arizona Cowboy (1950) - starring Rex Allen, never released on home video
Frisco Tornado (1950) – starring Rocky Lane, never released on home video
Covered Wagon Raid (1950) – starring Rocky Lane, never released on home video
Taggart (1964) – also starring Tom Young and Dan Duryea, never released on home video, David Carradine’s first role
Black Spurs (1965) – Panned and scanned from 2.35:1, A.C. Lyles produced geezer western, never released on home video
Apache Uprising (1965) – Panned and scanned from 2.35:1, A.C. Lyles produced geezer western, previously released on VHS
Waco (1966, never released on home video, P&S from 2.35:1)
Hostile Guns (1967, previously released on VHS, P&S from 2.35:1)


Destry (1954)


A color remake of Destry Rides Again by the same director (George Marshall), only minus the humor. Curiously, the saloon customers are constantly laughing raucously and heartily at everything that happens, as if they are trying to trick you into thinking everything is hilarious. In fact, this might be the most laugh-filled (as in people in the movie are laughing) movie in history, even besting Punchline with Tom Hanks. Audie Murphy is miscast in the Jimmy Stewart role, but Mari Blanchard does at least give an entertaining, foot stomping camp performance in the Marlene Dietrich role, including a pretty righteous catfight in the middle of the saloon. Her overly spunky attempts at humor miss the mark enough that it reads as overcompensation, and there-in lies the camp. Does that make sense? Anyway, the original Destry Rides Again is one of the few comedic westerns that I actually find funny. This excludes western spoofs like Blazing Saddles and Evil Roy Slade, which are both fucking hilarious, but are comedies first and westerns second, so they don’t count (I make the rules around here). Alan “Skipper” Hale pops up a couple of times, if that means anything to you.

Solid color transfer, and never released on home video.

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.9

Stagecoach Outlaws (1945)

A black hat wearing stagecoach outlaw is busted by Buster Crabbe, so he decides to break a ruthless bandit out of jail to help him better rob people. The bandit also knows the location of some hidden loot. However, old man Fuzzy (a reoccurring B-western slapstick character played by Al St. John) ends up locked up in the bandit’s cell. The outlaw gang assume Fuzzy to be the bandit, and Fuzzy plays along, assuming the role in bumbling fashion. Of course, Fuzzy helps Buster take the gang down from the inside, leading to a pretty badass stunt filled finale in a super rickety old house set that looks like it was made out of cardboard.

This PRC cheapie has a very solid transfer considering the source. Never released on home video. Buster and Fuzzy teamed up for several other westerns that are on Netflix instant:

Oath of Vengeance (1944)
Prairie Rustlers (1945)
Lightning Raiders (1945)
Outlaws of the Plains (1946)
Overland Riders (1946)
Prairie Badmen (1946)
Gentlemen with Guns (1946)
Ghost of Hidden Valley (1946)

Buster also starred in The Lawless Eighties (1957) and Gunfighters of Abilene (1960), both of which are on Netflix instant.


Flaming Bullets (1945)

A gang of outlaws are making money by breaking out wanted criminals from jail so they can shoot them and collect the reward. Tex Ritter from the Texas Rangers (not the baseball team dumbass) tries to bait the gang by posing as a wanted criminal, since he happens to look like a dude on a wanted poster. Another typical B-programmer built on coincidence and do-gooding, this nevertheless ends with a fight in a saloon filled with laughing gas, which is certainly novel.

Okay transfer is watchable. Another Texas Rangers (Tex Ritter, Dave O’ Brien, Guy Wilkerson) film Frontier Fugitives (also 1945) is also on Netflix instant.


Cheyenne Roundup (1943)

A gang is run out of town by marshall Tex Ritter, but it turns out that the leader of the gang has a do-good twin brother (Johnny Mack Brown), so the two team up. Of course, the evil twin dies, so the good twin adopts his identity and goes undercover to try and break up the gang from the inside as they try to rob a gold claim. Fairly nice photography for a quickie B western, but padded with songs.

Very good transfer, and never released on home video. Tex Ritter and Johnny Mack Brown also teamed up in several other films that are on Netflix instant: The Lone Star Trail and Raiders of San Joaquin, both 1943 (I don’t think the latter was ever released on home video). Johnny Mack Brown stars by himself in Stagecoach Buckaroo (1942), also on Netflix instant and only previously available on VHS.

Rare Westerns on Netflix Instant Watch Capsule Reviews, vol.8

Four Guns to the Border (1954)

Rory Calhoun plays a bank robber who tries to escape to Mexico with his gang, but things get complicated when they decide to save a pretty young girl from an Indian attack. Rory and the girl fall madly in love, leading to some very “Duel in the Sun”-style sexual imagery (including kissing in the rain and primary colors) assisted by the very sensual Colleen Miller. Despite the forced moralizing and the fact that the gang freely allows their “getaway” to be sidetracked over and over, this is a well crafted technicolor western that is visually interesting throughout.

The transfer looks great. Never released on home video.


The Gal Who Took the West (1949)

Yvonne DeCarlo stars in a very amusing camp western, where she pretends to be an opera singer in order to get hired for a performance out west that pays $10,000 (I think that's like a million dollars in today’s money, although I'm not going to bother figuring that shit out). The man who is flipping the bill for Yvonne to perform at his new opera house (where he threatens to shoot people who don’t applaud) has two feuding sons who both fall for her. This threatens to further tear the family apart, although the sons were already threatening to shoot each other before Yvonne even showed up, so I don't know how much more damage she could cause. Either way, she is such a perceived threat that the father offers to pay Yvonne the ten grand just to leave the town, without even having to sing. They must have had a pretty thriving economy to be able to pay people millions of dollars just to not sing. Anyway, there is plenty of smartass “battle of the sexes” dialogue, which Yvonne delivers with sarcastic sultry glances, almost veering into comedic noir territory. This reminds me a sillier version of Honkey Tonk (1941, with Clark Gable and Lana Turner), and it’s a must for Yvonne DeCarlo groupies (I know you’re out there).

Excellent color transfer, and never released on home video.



Apache Drums (1951)

A disgraced gambler is forced to leave town, but happens upon an Apache massacre, returning to warn them and eventually help the town against an all out Apache attack. Val Lewton’s last production, this is beautifully shot, with some of the atmosphere and impending doom of his horror movies (despite being in color), culminating in an excellent showdown that is both creepy and suspenseful. It does get bogged down with a love triangle, but this is an otherwise worthy western entry into the Val Lewton canon, making the Apaches the monsters of sorts, while still humanizing them a bit by making it clear that they are attacking the town because they were thoroughly wronged by the white man (or there abouts).

Excellent color transfer, and never released on home video.