The Iron Sheriff

I was a bit disappointed when I discovered this feature. I expected more action. But It is no bad after all. A flat, somewhere oater western, with lots pf talk, trial, funny dialogue, and an inexpressive Sterling Hayden as ever.

But it seems to be a rare western.

Do not look for gunfights, violence or Indians in this one.

I must admit that Sidney Salkow used to show us more better action films such as Sitting Bull or Blood on the Arrow; I don't mention his pirates or other adventure movies.

In short, a unusual western that deserves to be seen.

Sterling Hayden plays a sheriff in the West whose son is accused to holding up the stage and murdering the driver. So many facts seem to point to this being true but what makes it so tough is that the sheriff needs to testify against his own kid! However, despite this, he spends his time trying to prove that, perhaps, this is still a mistake and some other person is actually responsible.

I watched this movie for one reason--Sterling Hayden. He was an amazingly talented and underrated actor who managed to bring a lot of toughness and realism to the parts he played--why he's pretty much forgotten today is beyond me. I am not just talking about his roles in bigger films like "The Asphalt Jungle", "The Killing" or "Dr. Strangelove"--but even his appearances in seemingly smaller films where he managed to make ordinary material seem extraordinary. However, this is a rare case where no matter the talents of Hayden, the film was a lifeless mess--thanks to a confusing and overly wordy script. It should have been a lot better and they should have trusted the actors to have been able to make the film work without all the needless twists and turns.

Westerns were all over the screen both big and little in 1957. Maybe that's why Sterling Hayden looks terminally bored as the "iron" sheriff. Too bad, because the script keeps us guessing-- who really did kill the stage driver. (Stage drivers are always getting killed in Westerns. But, more importantly, in most scripts they just amount to expendable story props. Nice to see some actual concern here.) Anyway, the screenplay (Seeleg Lester) shrewdly manages to stay one jump ahead of us in the guessing game.There's also real fire-power in the supporting cast. A lot of familiar faces of the time, from the always cranky Will Wright (the judge) to shabby aristocrat John Dehner (the kid's attorney) to professional hayseed Frank Ferguson (the other attorney), while even the young lovers manage not to cloy. There's even a Broadway actress, the formidable Constance Ford who mostly gets to stand around.

Okay, with these promising elements why did my rating service give the movie a one-and-a-half out of four, while I would give it a two. Well, there is Hayden who just can't seem to get interested in the story-line. I counted his changes of expression, but after an hour, stopped at two. Most of all, is director Sidney Salkow. He must have come cheap since there's little evidence he cares about building the suspense of the who-dunnit, or even getting the actors to move around when they speak their lines. It's sort of like a slow-motion result, always deadly for an action genre like the Western. Anyway, the movie was a payday for a lot of veteran performers, and a different kind of story-line, especially if you want to take up the cause of the lowly stage driver.

Iron Sheriff differs from most oaters or horse operas that feature wordless passages like long horse chases or showdowns performed under melodramatic music. I was reminded of western paperbacks I'd read in youth that, unlike those broad western film formulas, turned out to be thickly populated with characters with ambiguities, tics, or backstories. Instead of the films' standard linear revenge narrative, these novels' plots often involved confusion, discovery, and makeshift alliances. Correspondingly, this film's often-short scenes cut quickly to other settings and scenes.

Other posters are right that Iron Sheriff resembles a mystery--it uses a standard mystery-genre technique by introducing the actual culprit early and briefly but in the midst of distracting action, multiple characters, and a changing scene. Other posters are also correct that the extensive supporting cast is a prime attraction--another testament to the stable of talent developed by the late studio system.

Title actor Sterling Hayden looks great as ever but moves through the script on cruise control. After I identified the Sheriff's son Benjie as Darryl Hickman, elder brother of Dwayne Hickman of Dobie Gillis, my wife one-upped by identifying Kathi Nolan, the actress playing Benjie's girlfriend, as the future Kate McCoy, who would clang the triangle to summon The Real McCoys to dinner. Another treat is John Dehner, who dignified everything he appeared in.

The Iron Sheriff is directed by Sidney Salkow and written by Seeleg Lester. It stars Sterling Hayden, Constance Ford, John Dehner and Kent Taylor. Music is by Emil Newman and cinematography by Kenneth Peach.

As his son languishes in jail charged with the robbery and murder of a stagecoach driver, Sheriff Sam Galt (Hayden), in spite of the evidence suggesting otherwise, tries to prove his son's innocence whilst adhering to his duty to the law.

A compact black and white Western that is more about dialogue and character interactions than it is about action. Essentially a detective mystery, film puts Hayden's world weary lawman front and center as he battles family loyalty and that of his official duty and integrity. He's pretty much on his own in this town since almost everyone believes his son to be guilty, whilst simultaneously the town questions his ability to be Sheriff while under such duress. The suspects are many to keep the mystery element strong, the court case is well staged (John Dehner excellent), the following of a silver dollar clue is neatly written and the big reveal is a genuine surprise.

It's not big on production value and it certainly isn't one for the action seekers, but it's well thought out and Hayden fans get a good turn from him as his character finds himself emotionally conflicted. 7/10