The Lonesome Trail

This is the third, and perhaps the weakest, entry from L&B(Lyon and Bartlett)Productions for Lippert Pictures Inc. Agar is competent as Johhny Rush, a returning vet that finds his land and girl taken by a rich cattle baron. When Rush is wounded in a gunfight, he must learn to use bow and arrow to compensate for his bad gun arm. Routine plot, with this added twist is assisted by support of Lyon and Bartlett as cattle baron and henchman, respectively, and Wayne Morris as a sympathetic bar tender.

It is a very good little western made by Richard Bartlett, a director who gave us unusual stuff such as JOE DAKOTA and MONEY WOMEN AND GUNS...This one is not that bad, really, despite a overused scheme; only read the topic. There were thousands of plots like this one: one good hero vs a cattle baron and also small town owner. The last part is worth the ride, so are the supporting characters - for instance Wayne Morris absolutely exquisite. This western is one more example of what B movies can provide from time to time. It is short, never boring and no western buffs will deny it. Nor any John Agar fan. Sterling Hayden used a harpoon in TERROR IN A TEXAS TOWN, here John Hagar uses bow and arrows. Maybe the only western in history where a white dude uses this kind of weapon. Peter Fonda also used bow and arrow in Jonathan Demme's FIGHTING MAD, back in 1976, but it was not a western.

A veteran of the Indian wars, Johnny Rush returns to his home to find that it has been confiscated by a cattle baron taking over in the valley. Rush also finds that his girl is engaged to the baron, because the girl's fathers' ranch is in financial jeopardy. When Rush loses the use of his gun arm in a fight with the barons henchmen, he learns to use a bow and arrow for defense...with deadly consequences.

The Lonesome Trail reminds me of TERROR IN A TEXAS TOWN, and not just because the heroes toted an unconventional weapon ( John Agar uses a bow and arrow against the bad guys in this one), but because there's a similar starkness and grimness in the characters- nothing glamorous here. The town street is rutted, the close-up shots of visages are oily and the action is exciting and a little violent. One guy gets a nasty cut on his face by a bullet. Well-acted and quite tense, though the old man can rabbit on too much. This good western ends with a brilliantly tense showdown.

The Lonesome Trail is a no frills adult western done in the last years of Lippert Pictures. This kind of material was being done more and more on television. In fact with a little reworking I could easily have seen this story as a Gunsmoke episode.

John Agar is home from the Civil War and finds his father dead and the land taken over by Earle Lyon and a gang of gunslingers he's gathered to enforce his will. Other neighboring properties like those belonging to Douglas Fowley and Edgar Buchanan have been taken as well. And Buchanan's daughter Margia Dean is set to marry Lyon mainly to save the family ranch.

An ambush leaves Agar nearly dead, but Ian McDonald an Indian and Fowley save Agar and teach some skill with a bow and arrow. That sets up a really interesting and unique climax as Agar faces down the bad guys.

Adele Jergens is also on hand as a saloon hostess who's seen her best days gone by. Her scenes have some real bite to them. And Wayne Morris for some reason has top billing though he plays a supporting role as a supportive bartender to Agar.

The Lonesome Trail may be no frills and lack a whole lot of production values, but the cast all give a real good ensemble performance. Western fans will approve.

I have always felt sorry for John Agar. After marrying Shirley Temple, he went into the movie business and in his first film, the director (John Ford) kept referring to him as 'Mr. Temple'! Then, following their divorce, the quality of Agar's roles began to drop steadily. By the 1960s, he was starring in films which were downright embarrassing...they were really THAT bad. Don't believe me? Try watching "Night Fright" or "Invisible Invaders"! But occasionally, he made a decent film...mostly because not every film was made by a cut-rate filmmaker! "The Lonesome Trail" is one of his decent, if undistinguished, films.

The story is set just after the US Civil War. Following his discharge, Johnny Rush (Agar) returns home to find his ranch burned to the ground and a local baddie claiming the property for his own. Johnny is naturally upset and when he goes to confront the bad guy, one of his deputies shoots Johnny in the shoulder from behind! Left for dead, the local Natives rescue him and nurse Johnny back to health. But with his shooting arm damaged in the attack, Johnny tries his hand at a bow and arrow...both as physical therapy AND a quiet way to confront the baddie and his minions.

This is not a particularly great film but it is good. Agar is just fine and the story is a decent time-passer. Worth seeing.