Der Geisterschütze

Ignored even when it was released this B western is akin to Audie Murphy's "No Name on the Bullet" as it is a different kind of western, actually a suspense/mystery in a western setting, not a horse opera at all. The cast is an ensemble of reliable character actors doing what they do.

This one is probably lost for ever, but it is an example of what can be accomplished on a starvation budget when a little creativity is applied.

IT'S THE WRITING, STUPID!

After a rattlesnake bites his horse, a cowboy named "Tom Harvey" (James Millican) has to walk alone along a dusty trail in a remote part of New Mexico, where he sees a stagecoach being held up by bandits. Skilled with a gun, he surprises the outlaws and, with some help from a stagecoach passenger called "The Abilene Kid" (Reed Hadley), manages to chase them away. Grateful for his help, the stagecoach driver offers him a ride to the nearest town. Once there, he is offered a job as a deputy sheriff, which he performs exceptionally well. Sadly, a short while later, his colleague, the Abilene Kid, is falsely accused of cheating at cards and is tried and sentenced to death. But things don't end there as, not long after he's hanged, a series of murders occur, and the townspeople start to believe that the ghost of the gambler, seeking revenge for his death, is behind them--with Tom Harvey becoming one of his main targets. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will simply say that this was an odd, grade-B Western that managed to hold my attention, mainly due to the mystery surrounding the murders. On a more critical note, although the acting was mostly solid, I didn't particularly like Fuzzy Knight's comedic performance as "Porky Hodges." He just wasn't that funny. However, this film was made during a different era, and comedy of this type was quite typical at the time. So, I guess it's to be expected. Be that as it may, although it's not a great Western, I suppose this film was decent enough to pass the time, and I have rated it accordingly.

The Abiline Kid is set up and convicted by a Kangaroo court for using marked cards. Executed by hanging, he seemingly returns as a ghost to terrorize and wreak vengeance on the guilty town that murdered him.

Rimfire is loaded with great character actors, including James Millican, Reed Hadley, Jason Robards Sr., and Fuzzy Knight, alongside two previous Universal monsters, The Werewolf Of London's Henry Hull and Glen Strange, the last of the classic Frankenstein monsters!

Although it's running time could (and should) have been stretched a little for greater suspense, this is still an entertaining, if compact, western whodunit with lots of great scenes.

It can also be viewed as sort of a forerunner (along with Django Il Bastardo) to Clint Eastwood's High Plains Drifter. In fact, the three would make a great triple feature.

Army officer James Milican comes to the small western town. He's undercover, looking for federal gold that went missing three years earlier. Sheriff Victor Kilian swears him in as a deputy to hide his true purpose. So, however, he is distracted by Kilian's niece, Mary Beth Hughes, and the entire town is distracted when gambler Reed Hadley is tried and hanged for cheating at cards. He pronounces a curse on the town, linking gold and death before he goes. Soon people are being shot by gold bullets fired from a rimfire gun, and a playing card is always found near their bodies.

B. Reeves Eason last big-screen feature as director has a lot going for it. There's a compelling story, the sort of cast that Lippert Pictures could assemble -- Henry Hull, Chris-Pin Martin, and Jason Robards Sr. All show up -- and some nice camerawork and brisk editing. Unfortunately, it's got a lousy conclusion to the plot, indicating the editing was a mite too brisk to make sense.

"Rimfire" is an almost forgotten little gem of a western. In fact, I hadn't heard of it until it's recent DVD release. It was produced by the Lippert Company and directed by the veteran B. Reeves Easton. Easton had been around films since 1915 and this was his final directorial effort. Running at a scant 63 minutes it boasts a fairly large cast of recognizable western players and contains an interesting story line.

Tom Harvey (James Millican) foils a stagecoach holdup and comes into town and takes a job as a deputy sheriff. Heroine Polly Jordan (Mary Beth Hughes, who was on the coach turns out to be the niece of the town sheriff Jim Jordan (Victor Kilian). Harvey confides int the sheriff that he is in fact an under cover army officer in search of some stolen government bullion. Harvey and Polly meanwhile, become attracted to each other.

Gambler, The Abilene Kid (Reed Hadley) who had also been on the coach, is falsely framed for cheating in a card game by saloon owner Barney Bernard (Ray Bennett) and his two henchmen Blazer (John Cason) and Toad (I. Stanford Jolley). Harvey believes in the Kid's innocence but is unable to prove it. In a trial Bernard and his two henchmen testify against him and Judge Gardner (George Cleveland) finds him guilty and sentences him to hang.

Following the Kid's execution, several of the Kid's accusers begin to be murdered by a ghostly figure believed by some to be the ghost of the Kid. A playing card in sequential order is found at the scene of each murder leading all to believe that the Kid is somehow involved. Finally Harvey discovers the identity of the murderer and.............

This was a rare opportunity for veteran character actor Millican to play the lead and romance the heroine. He had been around films since the early 1930s but is probably best remembered for his western roles (on both sides of the law) and for his distinctive speaking voice. His career was cut short by an early death in 1955 at the age of 45.

Others in the cast include Fuzzy Knight and Chris-Pin Martin as the comic relief, Henry Hull as newspaper editor Nathanial (Horace??) Greeley, Glenn Strange as the stagecoach driver and Margia Dean as Lolita a saloon girl.

Take a look at this one if you get the chance.