Die Geier warten schon

I have always had difficulty watching Rock Hudson getting into physically grittier parts; somehow he just doesn't ever quite convince me - he is just a bit too "clean cut" to be seen in a muddy outfit, or be in a fist-fight... This film sees him as the sheriff ("Chuck") out on the trail of old pal Dean Martin ("Billy") who has - almost playfully - helped a gang of outlaws rob a train. Things start to go south shortly after that and soon Hudson is on his trail and a local posse is on the trail of them both! It's not the most complex storyline you will ever see, and the stars - alongside a rather feisty Susan Clark as Hudson's wife provide a nicely paced western adventure. Apparently the two men were a bit like rutting stags during filming, but it doesn't cross into the production - it's a decent, if largely forgettable, 100 mins.

Though it breezes along at an amiable pace, there's really nothing special about this particular western. It has a lot of stuff that ends up being irrelevant, such as with the character of the sheriff's wife, and the multiple flashbacks. Though the technical side is professional, it resembles a made-for-TV movie of the time. Still, there is some interest here. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Hong Kong director John Woo saw this, because there are elements and themes here that can be found in his movies.

Old friends and partners Rock Hudson and Dean Martin unwillingly collide when Martin is wanted for train robbery and Hudson is the sheriff who has to catch him, which he does when his wife, Susan Clark, stands between the two men.

George Seaton's first western and last movie is an oddly paced affair. Both men seem to be uncomfortable at all time, and Miss Clark very relaxed. I attribute this to the idea that it seems a more more calculated to show off Ernest Laszlo's stunning cinematography than a story film. True, westerns, the most conservative of movie genres, was always more about the camerawork and vistas of the old western than stories; western writer Frank Gruber said there were only seven plots for westerns, so what else was a western movie supposed to be about other than the pictures? Yet even the great color westerns of the 1950s always had an artificial look to them. Laszlo's camerawork is seemingly more casual and gorgeous for that.

The print and transfer I saw were both carefully done. That always helps.

Showdown is another version of the two buddies who take different turns in the road of life. It borrows elements from George Marshall's supremely enjoyable Texas which starred two very young players named Glenn Ford and Bill Holden.

The buddies here are Dean Martin and Rock Hudson. They're a little older than Bill and Glenn were. Rock Hudson is now a solid respectable citizen ranch owner, married to Susan Clark, and who also happens to be the sheriff.

Dino cleared out from the ranch they had and has been gone for two years so he doesn't know that Hudson is the new sheriff. Maybe he wouldn't have decided to rob that train with some very serious outlaw types. Unfortunately Dino was recognized and Hudson has to bring him in.

This turned out to be the last western film for both Dean Martin and Rock Hudson. Martin, starting with Rio Bravo in 1959, did a whole string of westerns of varying quality. But making them is hard work, a fact Dean discovered one day out in the desert heat making these films. The rest of his movies were done in modern dress.

Also for some reason two of the most agreeable stars to work with as attested to by numerous co-stars of both did not get along during the making of Showdown.

Yet this Damon and Pythias story is still good entertainment and nothing either Rock or Dean had any reason to be ashamed of.

It may not be an amazing script, but the couple great actors of Martin and Hudson make it well worth the watch. It's a decent western, even if there's no great "action" to speak of. You won't find any memes from it, and it's not even really blog-worthy beyond the hour and a half of relaxing tv watching. Both Martin and Hudson play their parts in an understated way, which makes it more believable.

There's enough chemestry between Rock and Dean that they're comfortable to watch. There is some subtle humor here and there, and the story doesn't offend. Personally I enjoyed it, if you like westerns and buddies on opposite sides you may like it too.