The Nevadan

Probably not enough excitement for today's kids because of the lack of explosions, etc; but it is the type of movie that is well suited for the entire family so if you you can hogtie the kids, do it!. Randolph Scott is, as always perfectly cast in the role he plays in the movie. Seeing him change from Eastern Dude to Western cowboy was surprising to say the least. Dorothy Malone plays the heroine and it was refreshing to see her play the type of girl that would definitely interest any man of good character. I was surprised to see Jock Mahoney who plays a minor role as one of the villains. He was a cowboy on a television series way back in 1951 called the Range Rider which ran for 78 episodes.

In an era of overbearing deep, so deep, psychological westerns, it's nice to know Hollywood still knew how to put together these shoot 'em ups. This A-grade production with the very good direction by Gordon Douglas behind it is not much, if not entertaining. Randolph Scott who was to begin an era of a-b grade westerns and make some so-called classic westerns with Budd Boetticher shows his interpretation of the gun-man with few words that he would use effectively later on to good effect. The plot has something to do with Scott being an Undercover marshall, gold and yes, bad guys who need to be gunned down. Anyway, it's all a mcguffin for a final sequence in a mine shaft that is breath-taking. Nice entertainment, at the least.

"The Nevadan" is a standard but enjoyable Western with that ever-dependable icon Randolph Scott in the lead role. He plays a mysterious loner who bends over backwards to assist an outlaw (Forrest Tucker), who's hidden a large amount of stolen gold. The trouble is that Tucker isn't the only person out there who wants to get to this stash; other pathologically greedy types want to claim it as well. The main nemesis is a rancher (George Macready) who also owns the nearby town, lock, stock, and barrel. And the rancher has a variety of henchmen (Frank Faylen, Jeff Corey, Jock Mahoney) to help him out. Conveniently, Macready also has a lovely daughter (a radiant Dorothy Malone) who takes a shine to our tight-lipped hero.

Although "The Nevadan" holds absolutely no surprises, it makes for generally agreeable entertainment, complete with an interesting protagonist role for Scott and some appropriately odious bad guys. (Faylen and Corey are a standout as they bicker while carrying out Macready's wishes.) The scenery is quite nice, the Arthur Morton score is effective, and the action well-executed. The director is the capable journeyman filmmaker Gordon Douglas; although no master stylist, he knew how to craft a good film. The giant-ant classic "Them!" is one of his best. Best of all is the finale, divided into two parts: a shootout among some rocks, and an intense fight sequence (with Mahoney doubling for Scott) inside an abandoned mine. The interplay between the irascible outlaw and the oft-smiling, amiable loner helps to create enough chemistry to keep us engaged until the end.

As I already said, this is plenty predictable, but formula tales do have their place in cinema along with the more unconventional ones.

Seven out of 10.

The calibre of this slick Cinecolor Randolph Scott western is already signalled by the presence of George Macready's name in the opening credits, here playing the father of Dorothy Malone in her early brunette days in buckskin and stetson.

Both they and most of the cast (including Frank Faylen & Jeff Corey as a pair of bickering siblings) and crew had experience of working in film noirs, particularly evident in the interior scenes.

For Randolph Scott, the 1950s started with the Columbia film The Nevadan, co-starring Forrest Tucker, George Macready and Dorothy Malone. Scott and Tucker have a marvelous give-and-take relationship that anticipates the rivalries to come in the Boetticher films. Frank Faylen and Jeff Corey give colorful performances as henchmen who are brothers, and have a rivalry of their own. Jock Mahoney has a small role, and doubles for Scott in the fight scene at the end. Only the cheap Cinecolor process betrays the slight budget, excellent direction by the unsung Gordon Douglas.