Einer gegen alle

The review by Tom Slaback (tom-374) from Prescott, AZ says that he's only seen this film in black & white and wanted to know if a color version is available. Well, I rented the DVD and it IS is color, though the DVD indicates that there is no surviving negative and the copy is not optimal. In other words, while it's in color, the colors are a bit off (everybody appears sunburned because of the over-saturation of reds) and the print is a tad fuzzy.

The film begins with a new federal circuit judge (Joel McCrea) arriving in a western town. The first thing he notices is that all the businesses in town are owned by a man named Bannerman. The second thing he notices is that the sheriff and prosecuting attorney in town are bought and paid for by Bannerman--and he and his family can pretty much do as they please. It's obvious that there will soon be a showdown between the judge and Bannerman--and it's a fairly typical sort of plot for a western.

At times the plot is a lot like a lower budget "5:10 to Yuma" as well as "High Noon"--awfully good company in which to place any film. Despite having many familiar elements, Joel McCrea is so good in the film and the movie is made economically (not just cost but a lot of bang in such a short film), it's well worth seeing.

According to the Films of Joel McCrea series book, McCrea liked so much working with Jacques Tourneur on one of his best films Stars In My Crown that he signed eagerly to do this adaption of a Louis L'Amour novel of a western circuit riding, gun toting judge. This is a man who backs up his decisions.

No one has been to this town recently when McCrea rides in and he quickly discovers the place is run top to bottom by the local Ben Cartwright played by John McIntire. McCrea discovers quickly enough that McIntire's punk son has been responsible for several non-natural deaths and no one has seen fit to prosecute. McCrea orders cynical marshal Emile Meyer to arrest Kevin McCarthy. Soon enough though it's pretty obvious that no fair trial can be obtained in McIntire's town so a change of venue is ordered. The rest of the film is McCrea, Meyer, McCarthy and a few others making the journey for said change of venue with McIntire on their heels.

Stealing every scene he's in is John Carradine playing a rather cheerfully corrupt prosecutor in McIntire's town. He reminds me so much of Cassius Starbuckle the cattleman's mouthpiece in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. His role here could be a younger version, a dress rehearsal for the John Ford classic.

Playing McIntire's niece is Czech/Mexican actress Miroslava who would do only one more film before committing suicide at the age of 30. She was one sexy alluring creature who tries her ways on McCrea. He's tempted to be sure.

Stranger On Horseback is short and taught western with maximum editing skills applied by its director. McCrea's character might well have been transferred to television for a series about a circuit riding judge. I'm surprised no one saw the possibilities.

McCrea glows as the circuit judge attempting to deliver to justice the murdering son of a wealthy cattle baron. the routine tale is uplifted by a superior cast including a rare appearance by International star, the late Miroslava, John Carradine, John McIntire, Roy Roberts, and a pre-Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) Kevin McCarthy. The story moves at a rapid pace to a furious and unpredictable conclusion. This is truly a great western, and it is a shame that the only copy to make it to VHS is from film that is obviously deteriorated. C'mon Turner or AMC...this is one that deserves restoring!!!

Stranger on the Horseback is the first and less seen of the three westerns Jacques Tourneur directed in the 1950s, the other two being Wichita and The Great Day in the Morning. And in my opinion is the best of them.

This time the main character is not a sheriff, but a judge Rick Thorne (Joel McCrea) who comes to the small town in the west with the intent of establishing the thing that simply didn't exist there before - the law. Very soon he's joined by Colonel Streeter (John Carradine) who offers Rick his help.

The town is completely under control of a rich and powerful cattle baron Josiah Bannerman and his family gang. But Rick's determination is unshaken.

Soon Rick discovers that a little time before his arrival into town a man was killed by Josiah Bannerman's son - Tom. Tom claims that it was self defense, but Rick begins to conduct his own investigation with the intent to find witnesses and bring Tom to trial. Meanwhile he meets a beautiful Josiah Bannerman's daughter - Amy (Miroslava Stern) who falls in love with him.

Stranger on the Horseback is the best western Jacques Tourneur ever directed. Smoothly paced, with interesting characters, finely acted and with intelligent and witty dialogs it's a pleasure to watch from the beginning to the end. 8/10

This excellent , meaty Western contains interesting plot ,thrills , brawls , shoot'em up and is quite entertaining . This outstanding Tourneur Western balances action , suspense and drama . During the early days when civilisation was pushing its frontiers farther and farther West, there roamed a special creed of men , neither outlaws nor officers of the law, yet more feared than either ; then there appears a circuit judge in the old west and he attempts to bring a suspected killer to justice .¨The stranger judge¨ arrives in a town and the powerful owner gives him 12 hours to live . The judge runs afoul of the killer's rich cattle baron father in the process . The judge meets a motley group of characters : ¨The wildcat¨ (Miroslava) , when she couldn't outshoot a man she used other weapons ; ¨The killer¨(Kevin McCarthy) , a kid who liked to play with lives ; ¨The land baron¨ (John McIntire) the owned the town , hardware , lock , livestock and gun barrel ; ¨The Colonel¨(John Carradine) , he liked his cigars for him and his killings done for him .

This grand Western in the tradition of ¨Red River¨ and ¨High Noon¨ contains a thought-provoking screenplay , emotion , violence , go riding , double crosses , shoot'em up and results to be quite enjoyable .It's a classic recounting about an upright man seeking justice and attempting to detain killers . The public likes big Westerns and here to satisfy them is a big adventure , starring a big box office favorites of the 50s , Joel McCrea , with the kind of high pitched excitement that pay off . The traditional story and exciting screenplay by Herb Meadow and and Don Martin based on the story written by specialist Louis L'Amour . Photographed in Ansco Color by Pathe , being necessary a good remastering because of the copy of film is worn-out . Top-notch Joel McCrea as a relentless judge who seeks justice and magnificent John McIntire as a proud baron land . Support cast is frankly excellent such as Kevin McCarthy as Tom Bannerman , John Carradine as Col. Buck Streeter , Nancy Gates as Caroline Webb and Emile Meyer as Sheriff Nat Bell .

This is another superbly powerful triumph from producers Leonard and Robert Goldstein who brought other Westerns as ¨The duel of Silver Creek¨, ¨The Battle at Apache Pass¨, ¨The Great Sioux Uprising¨, and ¨The good guys and the bad guys¨. It is probably one of the best Western in the fifties and sixties . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Jacques Tourneur . Jacques was an expert on Noir cinema such as the classic ¨Out of the past¨ , terror cinema such as ¨Cat people¨ , ¨Leopard man¨, ¨I walked with a Zombie¨, ¨Night of demon¨ and adventures as ¨Flame and the arrow¨ , ¨City under the sea¨ . In Western genre he made 5 films : The masterpiece titled ¨Canyon passage¨(1946) , ¨Star in my Crown¨(1950) also with Joel McCrea , ¨Wichita¨(1955) with Joel McCrea as Wyatt Earp formerly to OK Corral duel and ¨Great day in the morning¨ with Robert Stack dealing with facing Union and Confederation . He finally directed episodes of ¨Norhwest passage¨ (1958) titled Frontier Rangers , Fury River and Mission of danger . ¨Stranger on horseback¨ rating : Well worth watching and it will appeal to Joel McCrea fans .