SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

FightingWesterner Sunset Carson saves a young easterner in the desert and brings him back to his ranch, where Sunset is planning a boxing exhibition to fund a new school, while his crooked partner and brutish ranch-hands are planning to take the money. Meanwhile, the young man agrees to fight for Carson, despite allegations that Sunset killed his father!There's nothing much to recommend about this B-western, except for the color photography and some great fiddling by The Rodeo Revelers. The acting is bad and the action is often times pretty inept. While certainly not the worst B-western of the 1940's, there's definitely better examples. Sunset sure is brawny though. He just doesn't have much to do in the mostly talky script.

bkoganbing At one time Sunset Carson was one of Republic Pictures stable of cowboy heroes. He went off on his own to films independently and that seems to have been a big mistake if Sunset Carson Rides Again is an example.Other than it being done in color this one was a real cheapie with a rather silly plot that would have us believe that a fatally shot man wrote a letter while dying naming his murderer. Worse than that, he wrote an earlier letter that alluded to the fact that Carson was the one who did the foul deed. What Sunset has on his mind was raising funds for a new school house and toward that end he's putting on a prize fight. But his partner John Cason has in mind to steal the funds raised and a horse being put up for the prize. He cripples the fighter Carson brought in and young Al Terry who has the mistaken grudge against Sunset substitutes because he boxed some in college.I'm sure Terry fought someone in his weight class as Cason makes chopped liver of him in the ring. That was truly rather stupid.The whole thing is a shoddy mess and I hope the others of Carsons post Republic films aren't as bad.

classicsoncall The color format could have been good for bonus points but alas, the story is fairly typical for a B Western that almost tries to cram in too many plot elements for it's own good. Sunset Carson is intent on raising money to build a school for the local kids (funny, there wasn't one to be found throughout the story), while Eastern dude Bob Ward (Al Terry) has it in for Sunset for killing his father. Part of Sunset's fund raising plan was to promote a boxing match against Slugger Appolodamus (Bill Vall), but when the Slugger gets roughed up by henchman Murdock (Stephen Keyes), he trains young Ward to take his place.I got a kick out of Sunset's appearance when he entered the bunkhouse after saving Ward from a poisoned spring on the trail. He was so tall compared to the other players that his head was out of the frame. Shorty McDuff (Joe Hiser) sure lived up to his name as he almost looked like a midget next to the towering Carson. Earlier, when Sunset hoisted Ward over his shoulder for the ride back home, he mounted his horse without the slightest strain, which gives you a pretty good idea how strong he had to be to pull that off.On the flip side though, Carson exhibited a rather awkward fighting style each time he took up with the fisticuffs himself. His punches were generally wild and not well choreographed, seemingly out of character with someone who otherwise seemed athletic enough. Even so, I didn't understand why he didn't take part in the boxing match he promoted since he was the star of the show.Of course this won't be the first (or last) time you'll see the hero set up for robbing the locals, as chief villain Sam Webster (Bob Cason) sends his boys to waylay Sunset on the trail. Sunset's eventually cleared by a second letter Bob Ward has from his father, the first one implicating Carson in the elder Ward's murder. That whole business with the letters was just too clumsily written and managed to bother me throughout the story. Even with his instructions, why wouldn't Ward just open the second letter right away? It would have saved him a lot of grief.

rsoonsa A staggeringly corny work made with a miniscule budget, this is one of four westerns produced by deservedly little-known Yucca Pictures, and features glyphic Sunset Carson playing himself in his customary fashion, i.e., a discomposed delivery of dialogue when not sitting atop a horse - which he does with surety - the plot presenting Al Terry as Bob Ward (listed as Wade in the titular credits) seeking to avenge the murder of his father, apparently the work of the eponymous hero. Filmed in colour, uncommon for the period and genre, the movie is cumbered by pitiable production values, as well as possibly the most embarrassingly poor stunt work to be found in a professional effort, yet includes in its cast some capable character actors, including a winsome Pat Starling whose clear soprano graces a duet with Terry, and a viewer must be glad indeed that several musical novelty numbers are presented featuring gifted fiddler Buddy McDowell.