What Westerns Have You Seen? May/June/July/Aug/Sept Edition

CONTAINS SPOILERS

YANCY DERRINGER "An Ace Called Spade" 1958

This 1958-59 series is about a card sharp, who returns home to New Orleans three years after the end of the Civil War. The man, Jock Mahoney, finds the city full of Northern carpet bagging types. He is secretly put to work as an undercover man by the city commissioner, Kevin Hagen. Mahoney is to keep Hagen advised on the various low-life types running wild in the city. He does this with the help of his Pawnee bodyguard, X. Brands. The series ran for a total of 34 episodes.

In this episode, the forth of the series, we find Yancy Derringer, (Jock Mahoney) stumbling onto a plot to kill the city commissioner, Kevin Hagen. An ad has been taken out in the local paper saying Hagen will die the next day. A local flower seller has received an order to make a big wreath for the funeral.

Hagen is used to threats and does not take it too seriously. He is more interested in dining with a woman visiting from Boston, The woman, Joan Taylor, says she is a friend of Hagen's sister and was told to look him up while in New Orleans.

Now the viewer discovers that there is indeed a threat being made of Hagen. Miss Taylor is really in town seeking vengeance. Hagen had been responsible for having her husband shot for cowardice during the late Civil war between the States. She wants her pound of flesh.

Delivering said pound of flesh, will be Ray Danton. Danton is an expert with pistol and sword. He makes a living engaging in duels with his targets. He wins and the law calls it a matter of honour. Throwing the old monkey wrench in the works is Yancy Derringer. (Jock Mahoney)

The plot is called off by Miss Taylor once she meets Hagen. Danton though has been paid and refuses to call off the duel. Danton has also taken a dislike to Mahoney and intends to dispose of him as well. The mess comes to a head with Danton and Mahoney going at it with a pair of pig stickers. Mahoney flips Danton over a table and breaks his wrist. His duelling days are over. The swine though grabs up a pocket pistol and goes to shoot Mahoney. Miss Taylor steps up, produces a similar weapon out of her purse and nails Danton.

This is a really enjoyable episode with good acting, an entertaining story and top direction. Richard Sale, the former big screen man sits in the director's chair.

CONTAINS SPOILERS

THE SILVER WHIP 1953

This Twentieth Century Fox production stars Rory Calhoun, Dale Robertson and Robert Wagner. Wagner is a young buck who drives for a stage outfit. He always wanted to run a big 6 horse team but he is stuck on a milk run with a slow 2 mule team. He would do anything to get a chance at a main line job.

The chance comes when the stage line's main shotgun rider, Dale Robertson asks the owner, James Millican to give Wagner a chance. Millican, against his better judgement, agrees. The stage will be hauling besides the passengers, a shipment of gold dust worth $27,000. An extra gun, Burt Mustin will be riding inside the stage for extra cargo protection.

Needless to say, a gang of unsavoury types hear about the gold shipment. The 7 man gang, led by John Kellogg, ride ahead and grab up the crew from the stage way station. They then wait for the stage and the gold to show.

The stage arrives and Robertson dismounts. He immediately senses that something is amiss at the station. Robertson tells Wagner to move the stage up the road while he looks around. The bandits now pop up and a firefight erupts. Wagner, instead of following orders to get the stage to safety, grabs up his Winchester and joins the battle.

Lead flies with several of the bandits collecting an overdose of said metal. Wagner is pinked in the side and knocked off the stage. The other stage guard, Mustin is killed. While Robertson is busy unloading at the gang, several of them reach the wagon and lift the gold. They then chase off the stage. Wagner, by this time has recovered enough to hang onto the stage and stop it.

He returns to the way station once the shooting stops. The gang, minus their dead, has escaped with the gold. Robertson is furious that Wagner did not move off when he was told to. Wagner answers that he thought he was doing the right thing by staying to fight. Robertson checks on the passengers. One of them, Lola Albright is a young lass Robertson is sweet on. Everyone on board is dead, including Albright.

The telegraph is soon abuzz with details of the robbery and murder. Robertson mounts up and heads out in pursuit of the hold-up men. Wagner soon follows with a quickly assembled posse. They are soon joined by another posse led by Robertson's Sheriff pal, Rory Calhoun. They follow the trail coming across several dead men along the way. It seems that Robertson had found them first. His idea of justice is a quick bullet. The posse manages to catch one of the gang before Robertson can. When Robertson joins them, he wants to string up the man from the nearest tree.

Calhoun however intends to take the man in for a fair trial. Robertson hands over $12,000 in gold retrieved from the gang members he killed. Robertson is still out for vengeance over the killing of Miss Albright. He continues of the trail while Calhoun, Wagner and the posse take in the prisoner. Wagner, who always looked up to Robertson, is amazed that the man can be as brutal and vicious as the gang they are pursuing.

Wagner is fired by the stage line, but is hired by Calhoun to be a deputy. The Sheriff gets a tip from a local rancher about a man who sounds like Kellogg. Calhoun, Wagner and a posse are again hot on the trail.

By the time the posse reaches the area, the man has been cornered by Robertson in some rocks. Kellogg fights to the last bullet before collecting a round in the leg. Robertson steps up and raises his rifle to finish the job. Sheriff Calhoun draws his pistol and stops Robertson from killing Kellogg. Kellogg is hauled back to town and tossed into a cell.

Needless to say the townsfolk are in a foul mood over the murders. They feel that a lynching of Kellogg and the other gang member is called for. Calhoun and the other town Deputy, Harry Carter, are grabbed by the mob. This leaves only Wagner inside the jail house to watch Kellogg and company.

The mob, led by Robertson, use axes to batter down the jail doors. Wagner slowly backs up telling Robertson that he will shoot if he does not stop. Robertson keeps stepping forward and Wagner fires. Robertson, badly wounded, goes down in a heap. Calhoun and the Deputy have now gotten loose of their ropes and show. The mob sheepishly disperses while Robertson is hauled off for some badly needed repairs.

This is a pretty good western with excellent work from cast and crew. Robertson is particularly effective. I was surprised just how violent the film is. Look close and you can spot an unbilled Chuck (The Rifleman) Connors. I also noticed long time character player, Edmund Cobb. Cobb was on the big screen from 1912 till 1966. He appeared in close to 700 films and television episodes.

Behind the camera, is Oscar winning editor, (GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT) turned director, Harmon Jones. Jones helmed a string of 50’s b films before switching to television. These films include, GORILLA AT LARGE, DAY OF FURY, TARGET ZERO, PRINCESS OF THE NILE and THE PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS. Jones’ son, Robert, and daughter, Leslie, both would become film editors of note. Leslie got an Oscar nod for her work on, THE THIN RED LINE, while Robert was Oscar nominated on four occasions, winning once. (Coming Home)

The cinematographer for this film was Emmy winner, Lloyd Ahern Sr. His film work included, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET and the noir, CRY OF THE CITY and THE BRASHER DOUBLOON.

And to top everything off is the fine script by Jesse Lasky Jr, working from the novel by Jack Schaefer. Lasky was a favourite of director Cecil B DeMille and wrote the screenplays for seven of DeMille’s films.

Jack Schaefer is the man who wrote the novels, SHANE, MONTE WALSH and TRIBUTE TO A BAD MAN. All of which were turned into films.

I got to keep an eye out for this one. I avoided reading the plot summary but was impressed by the credentials and it's 7.1 rating.

"Anybody who doesn't wanna hang, step out and get shot!"

The Empty Gun (1958)

This is a fine episode which features western favorite John Russell guest starring as a gunfighter seeking amends but finds redemption. Tight script, well directed, plenty of drama and action.

"Anybody who doesn't wanna hang, step out and get shot!"

Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964)

Picked up this DVD at a local bargain bin. I figured I couldn’t go wrong parting with $5 on a movie forbiddingly titled “Invitation To A Gunfighter” featuring a cast which includes Yul Brynner, George Segal, Pat Hingle, Strother Martin & Brad Dexter. I figured wrong. The storyline sounded promising but the movie never got off the ground and the ending seemed rushed and convoluted.


"Anybody who doesn't wanna hang, step out and get shot!"

Yancy Derringer (1958) - An Ace Called Spade (1958)

Good old Jock, thanks Gord

The Spikeopath - Hospital Number 217

Saw it once back in the 70's on the tube. Nothing I would bother with a second time.

I'm with you, I found it very poor.

Thematically fine but executed with very little skill.

Rebel soldier Matt Weaver returns to town after the Civil War, only to find that his home has been sold by unscrupulous town boss, Sam Brewster. Brewster, fearing for his safety, hires gunfighter Jules Gaspard d'Estaing to eradicate Weaver. But as d'Estaing's settles in to town it becomes clear to him just what a corrupt and morally bankrupt bunch the townsfolk are.

It grieves me to mark a film like this, with so many good people involved with it, down so low. The thematic heart of this picture is fabulous, nothing none of us haven't seen before, but tales of hired gunmen straightening out dirty towns are always of interest if handled with care and a commitment to the moral essence. Invitation To A Gunfighter, in spite of starring Yul Brynner, George Segal, Brad Dexter, Pat Hingle and Strother Martin, and being directed by Orson Welles collaborator Richard Wilson, is ploddingly paced and acted like a low budget C movie. The score from David Raksin is intrusive and completely out of sync with the nature of the piece, whilst the back lot location is all too evident.

The piece briefly picks up entering the final third, where thankfully Brynner is asked to earn his pay outside of walking around glumly, but it's a false dawn as the finale has all the excitement of a runny nose. I'm in the minority judging by the comments written for this film thus far, so maybe it caught me at a bad time, but the chances of me ever seeking this one out again are remote to say the least. 3/10

The Spikeopath - Hospital Number 217