Duell mit dem Teufel

Express company agent Lex Barker and sheepman Stephen McNally are reluctant allies and rivals for the hand of Mara Corday. Allies they have to be against three brothers John Dehner, Myron Healey, and Warren Stevens who not only are responsible for a whole lot of crimes, but Dehner is an ambitious man. He's embarked on a political career that has him running against local sheriff Trevor Bardette. A lot of what they're robbing is for his campaign expenditures, not for this, but because Dehner wants to be governor. Can't say he's not ambitious. Dehner's the brains and Healey and Stevens are the muscle end of the organization.

It's your average shoot 'em up western with an interesting political twist to the proceedings. The climax involves a shootout where the whole town seems to be involved. It's putting a real crimp into the scheduled election for sheriff.

Western fans should like this.

We already had many western movies where have a clash between Cattlemen and Sheep-farmers, what's hell its happened on old west I had a slight hint, the sheep harming the grassland, however they coming together in this picture starred by the personable and spotlessly well-dressed Lex Barker as Jeff Car after a long rider his horse is stolen by a gang member (Ray Teal) afterwards almost hanged by keen chasers, actually he has been accused to make part of a stagecoach's assault hours ago, witnessed at hill by the eye candy Mara Corday as Holly Kenton also on charming and clean outfits side by side her applicant Alec Black (Stephen McNally), they are sheep-farmers, when Jeff arrives at Tomahawk city the townsfolk wants a hanging, meanwhile Jeff has a robust alibi and introduces himself as owner stagecoach line's nephew and is there as research work to solve the recurrent robberies which ravage the enterprise, at dark alley Jeff was taken aback by the man with red branded boots, among the fray Cattlemen against Sheep men Jeff meets his most lethal enemy the Ranse Jackman (John Dehner) and his eager brothers, the Sheriff election will be in two days, Rance already spreading all around that all stagecoach's assault were done by the Sheep farmers, he is running for the charge to banish at once their contenders, meantime Jeff and Alec compete for Holly's love, guess will win? Well a standard B western, predicable although highly enjoyable directed by craftsman Jack Arnold!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2013 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

I am awarding this film 6/10 i.e. Somewhat above average. The first detail to catch my eye was the direction by Jack Arnold, far better known for his sci-fi exploits.

BITTER RIDGE posts some good sequences, a strong cast with Barker, McNally (one of my favorite supporting actors in Westerns), Dehner in fine form, generally effective cinematography and editing by Russell Metty and Milton Carruth, respectively - all that helps, even if some of the stunts are distinctly second rate.

Add to that the exceedingly beautiful Mara Corday, who any man would find tough not to love at first sight, as Barker confesses - and you know you won't be wasting your precious time with BITTER RIDGE.

Credible antagonisms among the male leads definitely help, even if the best scenes in the film involve the growing emotional ties between Barker and Corday.

The single major flaws reside in the repetitive script. BITTER RIDGE would have benefitted from 10-15 minutes less. At any rate, I enjoyed it.

Jeff Carr, a special investigator, arrives in Tomahawk. His assignment is to discover who has been holding up the local stagecoach and is guilty for a series of killings that terrorize the town. Sheepman Alec Black is suspected by the local population but it is not long before Jeff realizes the man is innocent. Alec even becomes a good friend although he is in love with the same woman as him, Holly. Jeff will manage to arrest the real culprits but not before the latter try to compromise him down.

Lex Barker starred in a few westerns, the Man from the Bitter Ridge is one of his best ones- it's fast-paced, has loads of action, fistfights - the fight in the alleyway between Myron Healy and Barker is well choreographed with some judo locks - and good dialogue and cinematography. Stephen McNally stars as a sheepman, Mara Corday adds some glamour and John Dehner lends some villainy in this colourful oater.

Good-looking Lex Barker will probably always be known as one of the best of the Tarzans, but he shows here he was also one of the best Western actors.

He is accompanied here by some of the finest actors -- not necessarily best known, but extremely talented performers -- ever to grace the Western screen.

Mara Corday was simply gorgeous, but she was also an excellent rider and an actress who should have received more adulation.

Stephen McNally was usually an excellent city slicker, and he frankly surprised me in this Western role. "Cowboy" is not strictly apt since his character was head of the sheepmen, but he looks as if he had been a cowboy all his life. This is an eye-opening performance.

My favorite in "The Man from Bitter Ridge" is Trevor Bardette, as the incumbent sheriff. This might be his best role ever, and it is one of his best performances. He is so completely watchable as the left-handed sheriff, you will want to watch and re-watch this movie just to watch his expressions and gestures. Extraordinary!

Surely one of the slimiest Western villains of all time, and another really excellent actor, is a man I've loved to watch for, really, decades, Myron Healey. "Slimy" is just the perfect description of his character, but he is so much more in this role.

I remember Myron Healey playing the prosecuting attorney in a Durango Kid movie and being astonished at his ability to play one of the good guys. It merely proved Mr. Healey was a by gosh actor!

As the brains heavy, John Dehner was another surprise. What a calm and controlled portrayal of the most villainous of the villains. His IMDb bio reads in part, "A tall and distinguished looking man with a rich voice and somewhat flamboyant demeanor, Dehner often was cast as an outlaw leader ..." Well, yes, he was the outlaw leader, but, to repeat, his character was far from "flamboyant," being calm and controlled and in charge. Excellent characterization.

There is good dialogue, and excellent directing. Director Jack Arnold might be best known for science fiction, but he won awards for TV and his Westerns earn high praise.

"The Man from Bitter Ridge" is a blah generic title but an exciting and beautifully presented movie. I urge you to see it, and you can at YouTube.