John Chard
Sep 25, 2014
Fine Western. Tod Lohman is mistakenly believed to have caused the death of a member of the feared Boyd family. He's an honest cowboy but is fully aware that tough guys shoot first and ask questions later. With this in mind he flees southwards in the hope of saving his skin. On his travels he meets and befriends Amos Bradley and his adopted daughter, Juanita, it's a meeting that holds the key to Tod's future. Henry Hathaway directs this one, and the first thing that sticks out is just how interesting his characters are, this is not just a throwaway Western, it has depth of feeling and lays out a story that isn't purely relying on action to entertain the viewers. That said, Hathaway doesn't skimp on the action scenes, an excellent beef stampede and an Indian pursuit, resplendent with horse jumping heroics, deliver promptly for the discerning action viewer. Based around the novel from Charles O. Locke called The Hell Bent Kid, this adaptation is adroitly telling the story of an honest and naive young man on the lam, it's the naivety of Lohman that gives the picture its emotional heart, all framed excellently by Hathaway in the Alabama Hills vista. The cast are across the board solid, Don Murray, Chill Wills, Diane Varsi, R.G. Armstrong and a fresh faced Dennis Hopper all earn their respective pay cheques. It's understandably not up to the high standard of Hathaway's big hitters like True Grit and The Sons Of Katie Elder, it is however a picture that is definitely worth checking out if you are given the opportunity. 7/10
