Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

mark.waltz What could have been an intriguing little Enoch Arden tale of coming back from the dead and how that effects the goings on of a small western town turns out to be an overdone gory tale of inhumanity and revenge. A great cast is assembled, but many of them are wasted, as the story is dished out to United States census taker James MacArthur by local bartender Arthur O'Connell, the purpose of which is never explained. It seems that years ago, Chuck Connors, a guy from the wrong side of the tracks fell in love with pretty Kathryn Hays, but her ailing aunt Ruth Warrick was opposed to them being married, and after walking out on her, Connors goes to make his fortune, returning nine years later to find out that he is not so welcome in his community. On his way back, he is attacked by gamblers Bill Bixby, Michael Rennie and Claude Akins, and branded for allegedly stealing coffee from them, his money stolen, and left to die in the countryside. Upon seeing Hays when he arrives in his hometown (late at night), Connors is rejected by her in the darkened streets for being just another drunken bum making a pass, and later finds out that she's engaged to marry the wealthy Rennie. When Connors, who was believed to be dead, reveals himself for real, the town is turned upside down as a cloud of violence hangs over everybody for the wrongdoing done to him, leading to some ugly confrontations and some disgusting situations concerning his vengeance.Certainly, practically every western town or city once started off just as a few buildings and businesses, and as they grew, became bustling metropolises or communities. The shot of Aunt Gussie's (Warrick) house decaying in the background is an interesting visual, but I wish there had been more character development for the various people involved in the story. The decision to brand Connors is disgusting and barbaric, and when one of the accused faced with being branded by Connors fearfully pulls the brand down on his own chest and runs off with it stuck in his guts, I had the urge to turn this off. It made no sense, as do many things in this vile film. Joan Blondell as a local "madam" and Gloria Grahame, as a local "easy girl", don't get much opportunity to do anything juicy, and poor Warrick (then one of the stars of "Peyton Place") has hardly any lines at all. The only thing I can say about her character is that the future Aunt Phoebe Tyler Wallingford of "All My Children" really reminded me of "Little House on the Prairie's" Harriet Olsen, a character I always compared to her wealthy matriarch anyway.Future soap diva Kathryn Hays ("As the World Turns") is quite lovely here, and she is one of the saving graces of this unfortunate western. Chuck Connors isn't really all that likable other than the few early romantic scenes he has with Hays, and as dashing as Rennie is, he's given a character that is completely vile beneath the silk suits he wears. Bixby, too, plays quite an unlikable character, but the champion of vile here is the madman played by Claude Akins whom I'm surprised wasn't killed off by either Bixby or Rennie earlier just as a favor to the community. In keeping with his disgusting character, he gets in a shoot-out with Rennie and runs off like a coward when Rennie shoots his horse. I did want to shout out some praise to the theme song, "You Can't Ever Go Home Again". sung by Glenn Yarborough, which gives a different indication of the type of film you're going to see over the opening credits than what actually transpires on screen.

Wizard-8 "Ride Beyond Vengeance" is an interesting western in part because it was made when the Production Code was almost over. Although there are a few places where you can see that the Production Code is holding things back completely, the movie all the same is surprisingly mean and violent at times. The scenes where Chuck Connors' character executes his plans for vengeance will most likely raise the eyebrows of viewers even in this day and age. However, I will admit that Connors' plan is mighty slow to unfold at times - it might have helped if Connors' character had more people on his "to kill" list to keep the movie constantly suspenseful. Still, I will admit that as slow as the movie is at times, the story never gets to the point of being boring. And the movie does end at a point that is not totally predictable, so you'll be wondering throughout how things will be wrapped up. Though I don't think this movie was trying to ape spaghetti westerns that were coming out of Europe at the time, those who like spaghetti westerns will find extra interest, because in many ways this Hollywood western plays like one.

jflash2000 This movie is in one word, "Classic!", the characters are very memorable, and it portrays a quality and originality that you do not find in movies anymore! The author of this story, obviously knows how to write a story, that keeps the viewer mesmerized! I would recommend this movie to anyone!

luke585 I grew up in Bay Saint Louis Mississippi.My Mother was makeup artist for the Little Theatre there(mid fifties).Under her influence I did my first role there(in my mid teens).The best character actor with the group was a man by the name of Mark Solomen.He helped coach me in my first role.At the time, he had just read what he said was the best western novel he had ever read.He ended up giving me the book. It was an original hard bound version called "Night Of The Tiger". I agreed it was a great novel even though it was the author's first attempt. At the time, I had no way of knowing that through a most unique set of circumstances I would end up launching a career in films myself(on Yancy Derringer, in 1958).Because I am a good horseman as well as a western type(6'4"anglo),by the mid sixties I was a seasoned veteran of the westerns of the era in both TV and feature films. In the early sixties I became friends with Chuck connors,and ended up working for him as standin and horseback double on some of his western projects including Rifleman, Cowboy in africa,and Branded. It was when we were doing the Branded series,and the time came for us to shut down for hiaetus.I was told we would be doing a movie with a thirty day shooting schedule in the meantime, and that I would shortly be called in to do make up and costume tests for Chuck,on lot three at MGM,with a skeleton crew. When that day came,I reported to the Paramount Sunset lot where I got into a stretch limo with all the key personnel including director, producer(Andrew Fenady),makeup artist, costumer etc. On the way to MGM the producer and director were discussing how meaty some of the main character's dialogue was. As they quoted him it began to sound familiar to me so I turned to andy(the producer)and asked what's the name of this film. I could'nt believe it when he said "Night Of The Tiger". Needless to say I related the above story to him. It turns out he had found the paperback version in a west hollywood supermarket while his wife was buying groceries. And of course he responded to the book the same as Mark Solomen had all those years earlier back home,and he went right out and bought the movie rights. On the first day of production I brought the book with me and gifted Andy with it. Andrew Fenady was one of the youngest and most brilliant producers I have ever known. In fact he and Nick adams created Johnny Yuma "the rebel". Who else could have pulled together such a cast for a "quickie" western. There can be no question but that this cast was drawn to the project by the power of the story. Imagine,Bill Bixby,Jim Mc Arthur,Claude Akins,Paul fix,Michael Renny,etc. The only thing I disagreed with Andy on was the change of title. He felt that Night Of The Tiger sounded like a jungle movie. This film remains in my top ten favorite westerns (with some of clint eastwood's spagetti westerns). It is also one of the most unique coincidences of my life.