SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Scott LeBrun Randolph Scott is the star of this diverting Western, playing the sheriff of a small town. His old friend Cheyenne Rogers, alias Bill Smith (Glenn Ford), is an outlaw who's newly arrived in town. Cheyenne was hired to rob a bank...that has already been robbed! Cheyennes' reputation dictates that he will fall under suspicion, despite his best efforts to go straight.There's much to enjoy here, in this, Columbia Pictures' first Technicolor Western. The color photography is lovely, and helps the movie to feel more modern than many other Westerns of the era. Robert Carson wrote the screenplay, based on an original story by Max Brand, and it's quite easy to follow and involving every step of the way. The script has its fair share of quotable lines, a number of them spoken by scene stealer Edgar Buchanan, playing "Uncle" Willie McLeod, a mildly villainous but still likable character. There's a romantic triangle between Sheriff Steve, Cheyenne, and local gal Allison (pretty Evelyn Keyes), the daughter of Willie. Best of all, director Charles Vidor maintains a wonderful balancing act of drama and some genuinely funny comedy, including a show stopping barroom brawl (one of the classic tropes of this genre). The cast features some delightfully colorful characters, brought to life by a very fine cast.Mr. Scott is engaging as the easygoing lead, a man who will do right by his old friend, even it means not adhering to the strict letter of the law. However, "The Desperadoes" often functions more as a vehicle for the excellent Ford, as the plot tends to revolve a little more around Cheyenne. In addition to Buchanan, another performer who regularly dominates his scenes is lively Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams as an outlaw nicknamed 'Nitro' for his preferred tool of his trade. Bernard Nedell is appropriately odious as a lowlife named Jack Lester, Raymond Walburn is hilarious as a doddering old judge, Porter Hall is good as dubious banker Stanley Clanton, and a glamorous Claire Trevor makes the most of her role as The Countess, with whom Cheyenne associated as a child.First rate action - such as a climactic stampede - helps to make this solid entertainment for 87 minutes.Seven out of 10.

boscofl Columbia's 1943 Western "The Desperadoes" is a diverting (albeit familiar) tale of a good outlaw trying to go straight. The film straddles the line between comedy and drama but ultimately falls on the side of humor. The tone of the film is a stark contrast to the Randolph Scott oaters of the 1950s; its lighthearted tone prevents it from becoming a memorable film.Although the film headlines Scott and Claire Trevor they merely serve as bait to attract 1943 audiences to witness the buildup of third billed Glenn Ford. He triggers all the action scenes and enjoys the love of both Miss Trevor and the lovely Evelyn Keyes. His character, Cheyenne Rogers, is being set up for a bad end; he's basically a decent man that has been forced down the outlaw path by circumstance. He eventually decides to go straight when he falls for a girl (Miss Keyes) but events pull him back into a life of crime. Despite all the foreshadowing the movie's lighthearted tone allows him to skirt his inevitable fate and ride off to a happy ending.Filmed in Technicolor, the movie looks gorgeous and is further aided by a lack of process shots. The principals are clearly riding horses in the close shots and that certainly adds an air of authenticity. The action scenes, particularly a barroom brawl and the climactic horse stampede, are expertly handled.Ford is solid but not spectacular as the good badman; not an abundance of star potential is displayed. Evelyn Keyes looks great in a tomboyish role and is easily believable as the love interest. Claire Trevor is wasted but she is always a joy to have around. Irving Bacon has some genuinely funny moments as a beleaguered bartender desperately trying to salvage his establishment which gets destroyed twice. Edward Pawley, taking a break from playing cons and hoods at Warners, is on hand as a mustachioed deputy and future Frankenstein Monster Glenn Strange enacts one of the villains.Two performers deserve special mention. One of my personal favorites, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, portrays Ford's pal. Williams has to be one of the best sidekicks ever and has several hilarious moments. Perhaps his best is when he gallops up to Ford pulling his buddy's horse behind him. When the now-reformed outlaw Ford inquires what the rush is Williams simply informs him he's just robbed a bank. Ford almost blows a gasket as he's now forced to hightail it out of town.The second notable performance is turned in by Edgar Buchanan. He is the father of Miss Keyes and also involved in Bank Manager Porter Hall's scheme to rob his own institution. As the plot unfolds he's forced into allowing Ford to be framed for the crime in order to protect himself. Buchanan expertly straddles the line between drama and comedy as his conscience slowly weighs him down.As for top billed Randolph Scott, the film provides another bland, asexual hero part. He doesn't have much to do except counsel Ford and cheerfully steer him into the arms of a woman (Miss Keyes) that he probably wants for himself. The fact that both leading ladies have no interest in Scott is pretty remarkable for a supposed star.All in all "The Desperadoes" is an entertaining film and can be enjoyed if one doesn't expect much from Scott or Miss Trevor.

classicsoncall Anyone know what the filmmakers were going for here? Judging by the fair amount of positive reviews the movie has it's following, but I chalk that up to Columbia's technical achievement with it's cinematography and color format. Around the time the picture made it's way to the half way point, it felt like it was turning the corner on drama and going for comedy. I guess Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams has to take some credit for that, but how in the world did his character Nitro Rankin come up with the idea to rob the Red Valley Bank? It sure came as a surprise to his buddy Cheyenne (Glenn Ford), who would have robbed it in the first place if he had only gotten to the town a little sooner. Adding to the comic element of the story, Cheyenne uses one of those Yosemite Sam lines from the then current Warner Brothers cartoons of the era; he says to Red Valley sheriff Steve Upton (Randolph Scott) - "...if you make one false move, I'm gonna blast ya"! It was pretty much right there I decided I didn't have to pay real close attention to the story any more. And besides, I was waiting to find out who was wearing the hammered silver rowel spur that the Sheriff made a big deal about when the story opened. Turns out the script went as clueless about that as much as old Uncle Willie. One thing you shouldn't do with Edgar Buchanan is make him a conflicted character. Yeah, he saved the day for Red Valley by taking out skunk banker Clanton (Porter Hall), but I wonder if he gave back his share of the take.

schaffermatt54 This movie's best assets are the shots of Randolph Scott sitting, almost motionlessly, astride a galloping horse. He was simply poetry in motion, along with Joel McCrea, Gary Cooper, and young Johnny Crawford. These four were the best horseback riders in filmed entertainment. You can stop reading right...HERE!Since I have to include a minimum of 10 lines, let me continue by saying the worst horseback riders, IMHO, were John Wayne (ouch!) and Chuck Connors.Coop's best scenes, I think, were in The Westerner and Northwest Mounted Police (both 1940). McCrea's were in Cattle Drive (1951), Wichita (1955), and Cattle Empire (1958). Scott's were in The Desperadoes (1943), Ft. Worth (1951), and one other I cannot recall. Strangely, none of his Boetticher pictures.Connors was at his worst anytime his scenes in The Rifleman called for him to ride hell-for-leather for the ranch. Duke's were just about anytime he had to ride (oh, it hurts to say that - I just love John Wayne). There, I'm over the 10-line minimum.