Die Draufgänger von San Fernando

Frank Lovejoy plays the title role of Cole Younger in this western from Allied Artists and proves that even outlaws have a code when it comes to paying a debt.

When both James Best and Jan Merlin are running from the carpetbagger Texas State Police they come across Lovejoy. Best stops Merlin from turning in Lovejoy for the reward. After that Best and Lovejoy start riding the trail together.

In the end Lovejoy finally repays the debt.

Jan Merlin stands out in the supporting cast. In his younger days when he wasn't starring on TV in the Rough Riders he played various punk roles. He's a real low life here.

The Texas State Police have come down in history as one corrupt group. I've no doubt they were. But in Reconstruction Texas the main objection to them was that they included black people in their ranks.

Still this western is a good if not wholly accurate.

Not a bad western, among the best from RG Springsteen, whose films made for AC Lyles in the early sixties were purely childish and lame, nearly awful to watch. Here, this is a Allien Artists - former Monogram - production, some kind of a guarantee of quality, I mean not a lousy film. The directing skills are very limited, it is not a Budd Boetticher's film, nor a Joseph H Lewis' one, but let's not be too hard with RG Springsteen, who did his very - James - best here. So, please don't despise this honorable western, it deserves it. And keep in mind that RG Springsteen has made here one of his best westerns.

Two young men, fleeing from carpetbagger justice in the 1870s, come upon a scary, bitter Frank Lovejoy. Is this guy really COLE YOUNGER, GUNFIGHTER, or just some other guy framed up on phony charges who has a skin of iron, and a heart of cornmush?

By the time 1958 rolled around, the B-Western had shuffled off to television, and had been replaced by the serious "adult western". This shuffling allowed serious actors approaching a career hiatus -- like Frank Lovejoy -- a chance to work for studios like Monogram (er, "Allied Artists") and retain some shred of reputation. This is good -- because Lovejoy, not a Western actor by any stretch, gives a good performance of the character called "Cole Younger" here. Younger, alas, is pretty much an old softie as portrayed here, and consistently puts his neck on the line for the young hero, in ways that are implausible for any historically accurate outlaw. But Lovejoy (who has a great voice for urban and gangster parts) brings some bite to the role, and at least projects a sense that this guy might have held up a stage or two, because mean people drove him to it.

The rest of the film is standard fare -- reminiscent of an episode of the "adult" TV westerns of the day (Not as good as Gunsmoke...more like Bonanza or the Big Valley). If you like westerns, you won't waste your life by watching this.

This movie's totally awesome with excellence all around. There's no way this should be 6 out of ten. Watch it and see. Love it!

You must take this film with a wheelbarrow of salt. Two young men get in dutch with the Texas state police during the 1870's and are forced to go on the lam. One teams up with Cole Younger, and winds up being framed for a crime he didn't commit. A good western, but I never figured Cole Younger to look like a middle aged insurance agent or to be so mellow hearted. Hollywood really did a job on this old west badman. And that courtroom scene near the end! No way!