Donnernde Hufe

This just became one of my favorite Randolph Scott movies.

First, there's an intelligent script by Russell Hughes, who wrote for some good radio shows like "Nightbeat" and Alan Ladd's "Box 13", as well as such films as Anthony Mann's "Last Frontier", Delmer Daves' "Jubal", and even the best of the giant-bug movies, "Them".

Then, there's the look and feel of the film. Director Andre De Toth and his great cinematographer Bert Glennon (who had done remarkable work with the likes of Josef von Sternberg and John Ford) light and shoot for realism and emotional impact. Glennon had also shot "Man Behind the Gun" (available on the flip side of this DVD), so I suppose director Felix Feist could be blamed for that film's phony-looking stage sets. Here, in "Thunder... ", a barroom scene looks like it was shot in a real barroom (foreshadowing Clint Eastwood's "natural lighting" technique by decades) and exteriors are shot outdoors. To be fair, the Feist film may have had budget or producer issues, but given that film's potential (dealing with water rights, corrupt politicians, the possible secession of southern California, even the semi-legendary Joaquin Murrietta as a supporting character) it still seems like a typical, entertaining, 40's-style B-movie. "Thunder...", released the same year, 1953, seems more forward-looking, more compelling, more of the age of the "adult" Westerns, even though the literally flag-waving ending with its narrative paean to the great state of Texas kind of pulls us back to B-movie-land.

During reconstruction, Texas-born Army Captain Randolph Scott is torn between duty and his fellow Texans (including a young Fess Parker), who are in a life-or-death struggle against corrupt officials and ruthless carpetbaggers. Meanwhile, slimy officer Lex Barker gets a little too close to Scott's wife.

Thunder Over The Plains sags just a bit in the middle, but has great production values and is fairly ambitious for a 1950's B-western, with some pretty complex characters. The cinematography and direction by Andre De Toth are excellent.

Elisha Cooke Jr. is pretty good as a sniveling tax collector. Lex Barker's character is especially vile, kind of a surprise considering the times in which this was made and the fact that Barker is so handsome and all-American looking!

It is set in 1869 , after American Civil War : 1961-1865 , when Texas has not yet been admitted to the Union and several carpetbaggers upheaval againt the States . Federal captain Porter : Randolph Scott reluctantly has to carry out a mission assigned by his commandant in chief : Henry Hull against his own people . But things go wrong , the district tax Commissioner : Elisha Cook Jr is kidnapped and a rebel leader , Charles McGraw is captured being accused of killing . His was the moment he had to count his bullets because he couldn't on his friends ! Thunder in his heart ..lightning in his holsters! . Don't go out there Dave ¡ Please don't go out there ! In the heart and dust a prairie town waited . A storm was brewing . A storm named Dave Porter and when he hit , it would rain nothing but lead !

This is a tornado and adventure movie from Warner Bros , containing thrills , emotion , suspense , go riding and crossfire . A decent cavalry western with a twisted and complex intrigue written by Russell Hughes . As our captain Randolph Scott has to confront a nasty powerful owner : Hugh Sanders , while must avoid a new and envious officer : Lex Barker who attempts to take his wife Phyllis Kirk . As the trío of decent protagonists : Randolph Scott , Phyllis Kirk and Lex Barker give acceptable interpretations . They are well accompanied by a pretty support cast with plenty of familiar faces , such as : Henry Hull , Charles McGraw , Elisa Cook Jr , Lane Chandler , uncredited Trevor Bardette, James Brown of Rin Tin Tin TV series and Fess Parker of Daniel Boone TV series.

The motion picture was well directed by Andre De Toth , though it has some flaws and gaps . De Toth was a good artisan of long career , writing , producing and directing several movies . As he made all kinds of genres , outstanding in Western , such as : Ramrod , Carson City , The Indian Fighter , Day of Outlaw , Thunder over Plains . And he made other genres including films as The other love , Pitfall , None Shall escape , Crime Wave , Dark Waters , Monkey on my Back , Play Dirty . Being his biggest hit , the boxoffice terror House of Wax . Rating : 6/10 . Passable and acceptable Western that will appeal to Randolph Scott fans . Worthwhile seeing .

In post Civil War Texas, an Army captain is charged with bringing in an outlaw who has become a legend for taking on the Carpetbaggers. It begins and ends with hokey narration, but in between there is a fairly interesting story, helped by nice color cinematography. Scott is his usual solid self as the captain. McGraw plays the outlaw, but it is Barker (coming off his final Tarzan movie) as another Army captain that is the real villain here. Kirk does well as Scott's understanding wife. It's not up to the level of Scott's later Westerns with Budd Boetticher, but it's competently directed by de Toth. The final gunfight is too drawn out and somewhat anti-climactic.

Thunder Over The Plains starts with the same premise as John Wayne's Red River and Randolph Scott's earlier film, The Texans. That is the corrupt rule of carpetbaggers post the Civil War. But there are no large herds of cattle to be driven north for profit to escape the burdensome taxes laid down by the occupying carpetbagger civil servants and the army to back them up.

Randolph Scott is a Union army captain, but also a Texan and he sees both sides. Henry Hull is his put upon commanding officer and Charles McGraw plays a leader of a local gang who have risen up like Robin Hood among the oppressed. These guys aren't Ku Klux Klan nightriders by any means though.

Our villains are Hugh Sanders and Elisha Cook, Jr. a pair of scurvy lowlifes if there ever were. They've got quite the little self perpetuating racket. The more they extort, the more McGraw raids, the more Sanders and Cook cry that the army has to stay in Texas. Just about anything is blamed on McGraw and his men.

There's also a domestic crisis of sorts with newly arrived captain Lex Barker, an arrogant sort who was on duty in Washington and would like to get back there. Barker's bored and he makes a play for Phyllis Kirk who is married to Randolph Scott. Since they don't like each other from the beginning that only increases the problem.

Andre DeToth who did several westerns including a few with Randolph Scott brought home a good one here. With themes like an attempt at adultery here, this was not a western for the Saturday matinée kiddie trade. DeToth's best in my opinion is one called Ramrod with Joel McCrea and his then wife Veronica Lake, but this one is pretty good too.

DeToth also learned from the best and the final shootout scene with Scott against four men bears no small resemblance to High Noon, released a year earlier.

Definitely one of Randolph Scott's best westerns of the Fifties.