Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Cristi_Ciopron There are buffs who signal American EMPIRE as an unusual and likable western; they are right about a degree of relative originality. Nicely paced, this flick is pretty well made. The plot isn't very interesting, and it's not an exciting and lively movie; but it looks better than the regular westerns of those times. I'm kind of a fan of this movie. As a genre, American EMPIRE isn't as a matter of fact a western, but a melodrama; a ranch melodrama.Gracelessly played by the two aging male leads (the distinguished and oldie Preston Foster and Richard Dix), this charming light ancient comedy manages, for a little while, before it quickly turns into romance, some kind of a screwball western—or western screwball; which would of been interesting to follow on, but, as I said, they traded screwball for romance. The action begins in the aftermath of the civil war. Two boatmen, Bryce and Taylor, turn into ranch-men. They sailed, they ride, now they have a cattle ranch. A sister for one of them means a lover for the other.Then we are, with our Texans, in 1874. Bryce (played by Preston Foster), now a family man and a powerful owner of cattle, has become a heartless guy; in his individualism, he even opposes progress as represented by the railroad, he believes only in the sharpest concurrency, he concedes nothing. Even his relatives resent him.Bryce's wife is played by the hot Frances Gifford, some girl ….What is the American EMPIRE? Bryce's ranch.The scene of the firewall is awesome.The folks depicted in these naive ancient westerns are usually _asexualized, generous and decent, conventionally horny sometimes.The title of Cristian Ciopron's review should not mislead—the characters leave the river—for cattle, love and family—quite early in the movie.

FightingWesterner An encounter with Frenchman Leo Carillo gives riverboat operators Richard Dix and Preston Foster the idea to start a ranch by buying property already inhabited by wild cattle, that had multiplied on the un-worked land during the Civil War. Things go well for awhile, until Carillo shows up to take what he believes is owed him, leading to misunderstandings with the neighbors that leave Foster acting more and more tyrannical.I'll give the filmmakers credit for managing to squeeze an epic tale into eighty-one minutes and nine seconds, on a low budget, but the ambitious, episodic script is just too loose for it's own good. The producers should have spent some extra money to develop it more.Still, it's an entertaining enough time-filler, thanks to the colorful performance by Carillo, better known for his role on TV's "The Cisco Kid" and a spectacular, action-filled final act.Foster's pretty good at playing bitter SOB's and Dix is a likable actor, as is Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, who plays an ex-whaler/cowboy. They're worth watching too.

MartinHafer This B-western sure has a lot of familiar faces--Richard Dix, Preston Foster, Robert Barat, Cliff Edwards, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Leo Carrillo and Jack LaRue. While none of these names were exactly big names at the time, this did give the film a bit better cast than you'd usually expect with such a film.Edwards, Williams and Dix run a riverboat along the Louisiana-Texas border just after the Civil War. They get an idea from Leo Carrillo to go into the cattle business--as they see that there is a huge need up north for beef. During the first year, the men (along with Dix's sister) manage to create a prosperous cattle ranch--but into their seemingly charmed life comes Carrillo and his bandit friends to rob them blind. As Carrillo's character reasons, as he gave them the idea for the ranch, the cattle are just as much his!! He disappears from the film for a while...only to appear again much later.Time suddenly passes as you see the years flying past the screen. Dix's daughter has married Foster and they have a child. Unfortunately, instead of Foster relaxing and enjoying his success, he acts as if it's him against everyone--including the railroads! Will he have a change of heart or will he lose everything he loves in the process? See it for yourself to find out what happens next.Some of this film is quite formulaic. The idea of a cattle baron becoming greedy and trying to squeeze out the competition certainly is not new--nor is the notion of two friends becoming estranged in the process. The climax is amazingly good--and very violent! Generally, the acting is very good, but the casting of Carrillo is odd, as he's supposed to be a Cajun--a FRENCH-speaking Cajun. With his heavy Spanish accent, this seemed like an odd choice for the actor to play this role. As for the plot, it's very familiar but entertaining. Not great but worth seeing if you like westerns.

bkoganbing I'm sure that the folks on the Texas/Louisiana border must have had a a good laugh or two when Paramount's B picture unit inflicted this one on the war time public. Very simply the area along the Sabine River where the film opens is cotton country just like the rest of the Deep South or at least the Deep South was post Civl War. No big cattle empires there, they're much farther west in Texas, farther than Richard Dix and Preston Foster could ride to set up their empire.The film begins with the two of them partners in a riverboat and when Leo Carrillo tries a theft of their services by not paying them for hauling his cattle, they keep the cattle. And that's the beginning of the big Ponderosa like ranch they start.Along the way Foster marries Dix's sister played by Frances Gifford and feuds with his much smaller neighbors. They also have some further run ins with Leo Carrillo.Anyway, us easterners who like westerns usually don't bother with geographical trifles and it's still a good western from the production mill of Harry Sherman who produced all those Hopalong Cassidy westerns for Paramount. The climax is a blazing, and I mean that literally, gun battle that should have maybe been used on an A production.But I wouldn't have any but western fans look at it.