Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism

AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Henchman_Number1 Alec Longmire (Rory Calhoun) is given a second chance to go straight when he escapes an ambush with the help of hardened gunfighter Bud Purvis (James Millican). After promising Purvis that he will hang up his guns, Longmire arrives in the town of Durango looking for ranch work but instead is offered the job of deputy for Sheriff Jade Murphy (Dean Jagger). Even though it's an honest job Longmire is reluctant to accept because of his promise to Purvis. With some encouragement from Murphy and his daughter (Martha Hyer) Longmire relents and pins on the badge but he quickly finds himself in the middle of a range war between land baron Rufus Henshaw (Robert Middleton) and a group of small ranchers who have staked claims on the land. This is another solid program western from the Universal International stable. No new ground is covered in this one but director Jack Arnold wisely doesn't try to re-invent the wheel, sticks with the tried and true and turns out an entertaining Oat Burner. Red Sundown is a straight up action Western with minimal romantic melodrama even though Calhoun's wife in real life (Lita Baron) shows up in a small part as a former old flame. Bad guys Grant Williams and Leo Gordon round out the cast.Filmed in Technicolor and based on the novel 'Back Trail', Red Sundown is a reasonably ambitious western that would have been better served by a more expansive production budget. There is a lot of story to try to pack in eighty one minutes considering the sub plots that were never able to be fully developed. Nevertheless Red Sundown still pretty good Western fare.

Michael Morrison Grant Williams surprised me completely: He is simply magnificent as a Western bad guy. Even beyond his skill as a Western performer is his skill as a performer. In the one close-up scene with star Rory Calhoun, he steals it totally -- and Calhoun gives one of his own best performances.Dean Jagger is the consummate professional, and proves that as a sheriff. Maybe he's never given a bad performance. Certainly I've never seen one. But he too surprised me.James Millican is one of my favorites. Every time I see him, I get surprised anew at how perfect he seems in his role, whatever role it is.Martha Hyer, though, is no surprise -- except to realize again just how perfectly beautiful she is, and how perfectly she fits her role, again, whatever role it is.Veteran Trevor Bardette gives another of his classic performances, and we see the iconic John Doucette in a bit, but standing out, as always.Equally iconic Leo Gordon has another small role, and just owns the screen whenever he is on it.Robert Middleton is another surprise. He, too, is always perfect in whatever role, but as a Western bad guy? Yes! As I said, surprise. And he even has a fight scene! Extremely well done.Even the music rates a 10, with the title song beautifully written and beautifully sung by Terry Gilkyson, of whom I had not heard, but obviously I should have: He has a long list of credits. The rest of the score is by the under-appreciated Hans J. Salter.Directing and cinematography and editing are all top-notch, and the story, from a novel by the master, Lewis Patten, is therefore very well presented.There is a good print at YouTube, unfortunately interrupted several times by commercials, something I ordinarily hate, but I guess it's the price to pay to see such a good movie.I highly recommend "Red Sundown."

Oslo Jargo (Bartok Kinski) Red Sundown is a 1950's Western directed by Jack Arnold, who grownup kids will know from some of his 1950's films: Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), It Came from Outer Space (1953), and The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957).I love the song at the end and start, "Red Sundown", it's one of those catchy Western title songs or ballads popular in 1950's Westerns, it also reminded me of the song in "5 Card Stud" (1968) sung by and staring Dean Martin.I liked the old color in this film. Rory Calhoun (who did all sorts of stuff including film noir and Westerns) is the main guy here, he's a bit weak as an actor, playing a gunfighter and the main protagonist. Some fight gets started in a bar over a table and then the guys hunt him and his friend. They find them at some shack, whereby his friend saves him by burying him in an absurd scene. The shack gets burnt but he survives. He goes to a small town, where he gets hired by the local sheriff as his deputy. The sheriff Jade Murphy is played by Dean Jagger who was a familiar face in 1950's films. The fight between squatters and some cattle baron ensues with the sheriff and his deputy trying to sort it all out. Throw in some young lady, who is the sheriff's daughter.I did notice Lee Van Cleef in a flashback, which was uncredited. Director Jack Arnold may have used stock footage of his many films. Also, look for a young, unrecognizable Grant Williams from the fun "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (1957).I think there's too much dialogue in this one, yet the film is a bit above average, just barely. That's because it has decent direction, good production values, and capable acting. It isn't great, but still something to watch for Western film lovers.

dougdoepke In the 1950's, Universal was cranking out these Audie Murphy and Rory Calhoun Technicolor oaters at a furious pace. Calhoun gets his turn here. He may not manage Murphy's hard-eyed stare, but he does well enough in the grim determination department. Then too, this feature was fortunate to get Jack Arnold away from mutant creatures long enough to lend the proceedings his cut-above-average direction.So, can ex-gunslinger Calhoun stay away from guns long enough to keep his promise to dying buddy Millican. Notably, this was the latter's final film, and movie veteran Millican departs on a particularly poignant note, rare for any Western, A or B. Anyway, Calhoun has good intentions, but there're always the baddies who've got other ideas. Here, the pudgy but agile Westerfield naturally wants all the land, not just some, and Sheriff Jagger is not quite up to handling his gun-toting crew. So guess who he hires as deputy. Plus the sheriff's comely blonde daughter (Hyer) helps Calhoun make up his mind, despite his earlier promise.Now Calhoun can handle heavyweight Westerfield as their surprisingly acrobatic barroom brawl shows. But can he handle professional gunslinger Williams (Swann), who appears to have been born with a perpetual sneer. This is Calhoun's real test, after which maybe he can at last keep his promise. But then Swann is one sly gunman. Here Williams goes against type since he usually plays a good guy. But the sneer is a good touch and speaks volumes.All in all, it's a good little Western even if it never leaves greater LA (Thousand Oaks). Thanks to Arnold, however, the pace never drags, plus there's Millican's truly moving performance, worthy I think of at least a sagebrush Oscar.