Desperados

Robbers' Roost (1955) is a nice Western with routine elements but providing an interesting screenplay that allowed director to keep thrilling at its own movement and relentless gallop. It contains attractive and charming images that , in the eyes of connoisseurs makes it enjoyable enough in his B-kind. Stars Jim Tex Wall (George Montgomery) who is searching for three men killed his wife and stole his horses and he then joins a band of cattle rustlers led by Hank Hays (Richard Boone). Both Hays' outlaws and a rival gang headed by Heesman (Peter Graves), have been hired as ranch hands by "Bull" Herrick (Bruce Bennett), a cripple in wheelchair-bound who owns a large cattle ranch and wants to get his abundant herd to market. Herrick theorizes that the two bands will be kept busy watching each other and neither will rustle his cattle. While his sister Helen (Sylvia Findley) has little faith in her brother's contrived plan, and hates and distrusts both groups. The only one Helen gets some confidence is with Tex, but when she discovers his dark past, she rejects him. Caught in the battle between the gangs when one crosses and double-crosses the other, Tex now finds the man he is looking for. Outlaw gang war!. The most savage killers lair in the West!... If You Rode In With A Badge On Your Chest---You Were Carried Out With A Bullet In Your Back!.One gun against hundred and the winner gets the woman!.The killers lair where women went to the fastest draw.. and vultures waited for the slowest !.

This exciting Western packs thrills, pursuits, spectacular struggles, crossfire , and lots of gutsy action. Brawling , sprawling , almost primitive action in which our starring is forced to carry out a merciless vengeance and go on the run, teeming across the screen by means of escapes, attacks, crosses, double-crosses and ambushes. The picture contains whirlwinds of manic action , fights , sustained energy and often commendable results. The film has a slickness and crude vigour, including impressive outdoors with rocky mountains stunningly photographed. This is a distinctive Western saga with a special look at Durango outdoors with its peculiarly chiseled rocks and canyons and other countryside landscapes. Features impressive as well as spectacular crossfire scenes punctuated with great action sequences. This is a stirring story about a revenger and his fight for find the nasty killers and director takes a fine penned script written by John O'Dea, Maurice Geraghty and himself, based on a story by prolific novelist y Zane Grey, a Western expert whose books have been very adapted, creating an agreeable tale that is far from ordinary, exploring the anguish and desperation of a man who seeks vendetta and villany of the murderers. The starring is a famous actor who starred B-series called George Montgomery. This good-looking actor George Montgomery gives an acceptable acting in his usual style as a stubborn revenger who finds himself working for a gang of cattle rustlers engaged in a turf war with a rival gang of outlaws. He was born to Ukranian immigrants and was a heavyweight boxer previously becoming an actor. Besides was a magnificent craftsman and built and designed houses, plus a self-taught artist, creating bronze busts for famed actors. He starred movies around the world and various genres: adventures (Watusi,Steel claw) , Warlike (Battle of Bulge, Hell of Borneo) and specially Western (Seminola uprising, Fort Ti, Last of badmen, Great duel in Durango). In the film, the large group of prestigious secondaries stands out, these include the following: Richard Boone, Bruce Bennett, Peter Graves, Warren Stevens, William Hopper, Stanley Clements and Leo Gordon.

Goldstein-Jacks Productions and United Artists took advantage of the unused as well as left sets from other A-movies by scripting and shooting a hastily assembled B-picture. This is a good-natured Technicolor romp with glamorous cinematography by Jack Draper from Durango, Mexico and evocative musical score by Paul Sawtell. The motion picture was professionally directed by Sidney Salkow, a craftsman who had already filmed other Westerns. He realized all kind of genres such as routine westerns (Sitting Bull , The great Sioux massacre , Pathfinder), Adventures (Prince of Pirates , Sword of the avenger), war films , Sci-Fi (The last man on Earth) , Terror (Twice-told tales) and melodramas (City without men) . Salkow first worked for Republic, after joining Universal . At Columbia , he handled , among other assignments, four installments of the popular Lone Wolf series . After 1953, Salkow was primarily active as director of episodic television. Rating : 5.5/10, acceptable Western movie , entertaining stuff. Enjoyable and run-of-the-mill B-Western with incidents and action enough to be charming. It will appeal to George Montgomery and Richard Boone fans.

This movie wasted a good cast and film stock.

George Montgomery and Richard Boone should have switched roles. Boone would have brought out the subleties of a good man masquerading as a bad guy.

Montgomery's career might have profited by playing a slick bad guy.

Who the heck was Sylvia Findley? why was she given the female lead? You've got Montgomery, Boone, William Hopper and Peter Graves all lusting after her. I don't see what the big deal was.

It also makes little use of Leo Gordon. When you have a big, intimidating guy like that, use him! He made a bigger impression opposite John Wayne in "Hondo" or as a convict in "Riot In Cell Block 11".

They should have given the guy with the guitar some better songs to sing.

At least the colors were good.

George Montgomery has as his source for this western no less a western writer than Zane Grey in Robber's Roost. Two outlaw gangs, one headed by Richard Boone the other by Peter Graves are employed at the ranch owned by brother and sister Bruce Bennett and Sylvia Findlay.

Bennett who is now a paraplegic for reasons not really explained in the story has hired two outlaw gangs as ranch hands, the theory being that one will watch the other especially since Boone and Graves hate each other's guts. It actually works for a while.

Into the mix comes Montgomery who joins up with Boone's gang. He's got his own agenda for mixing in all of this business. And he too is a wanted man.

The Zane Grey story translates well to the big screen. This is definitely one of George Montgomery's better B westerns.

Or George Montgomery vs Richard Boone for a nothing special but effective and taut western which will please all western buffs. It is rather rare and made by a good professional: Sidney Salkow who also gave us THE IRON SHERIFF, GUN DUEL IN DURANGO, GREAT SIOUX MASSACRE and many other good and solid westerns. So that's a pretty good reason not to miss it, though nothing exceptional here, just a good drecting and acting, good character symphony too. Richard Boone is far more interesting for me than the wooden George Montgomery in a role that brings nothing at all to his career. So focus on Leo Gordon, Dick Boone and you'll plenty enjoy it.

(1955) Robbers' Roost WESTERN

Adapted from the book by Zane Grey that showcases Tex (George Montgomery) seeking for a little work. But before he does that he checks on a couple of horses, and he sees a couple of them with the markings of RK. Tex manages to get accepted from one group led by Hank Hays (Richard Boone) while making the one angry led by Heesman (Peter Graves) when he was spotted cheating by sticking an ace up his sleeve. Hayes then says he is a foreman for a ranch owned by Bull Herrick (Bruce Bennett). By the time we see him, he is on a wheelchair with Heesman already their waiting for him. And just when you think their was going to be a shoot out between Heesman's men and Hayes Bull puts a stop to it and tells them they would have to work together. It was at this point, Hayes introduces Bull to Tex even telling him he does not care too much about women. And as a result of that info, it was enough to convince him to have him pick up his sister, Helen (Sylvia Findley) from the train station by using the wagon. When Helen arrives she then tries to convince Bull to get back surgery except that he has a ranch he does not want to abandon with the existing conspiracy that may happen between Hayes and Heesman in regarding stealing Bull's cattle.

The fact that it was based on a novel by Zane Grey that has never been made into a movie is enough for me to give this movie a thumbs up. Despite the original concept it bogs down three quarters of the way for I love the way it starts the way it ended there is no strong payoff, just a revelation.