The Marauders

One of the more refreshingly different "B" westerns of the 50s. Instead of the usual set up: western town, hero with a past, dubious locals, saloon girl with the heart of gold, we get a bleak, low budget affair with a great over-the-top performance by Dan Duryea as a psychotic frontier bookkeeper. Yes, bookkeeper. But he becomes one of the more memorable villains of the genre. Keenan Wynn gives an equally bizarre but effective performance as Hook, you can take a guess why he's called that. Jeff Richards is a squatter defending his right to develop a piece of land. The cabin is set with its back to a mountain which makes for a claustrophobic setting that is used creatively. Creative is the key word as there are innovative action scenes throughout including Richards, a stranded mother and annoying child, building a medieval looking bomb tosser. This is a fun, fun movie and its unique story, colorful bad guys and noirish feel made it a must see for the western fan.

Corey Everett (Jeff Richards) has dug a well on a barren patch of land owned by wealthy land-baron John Rutherford (Harry Shannon) who so far had no interest in the property. But thanks to the new found water the land's value has increased considerably. This is enough reason for Rutherford to get rid off Everett. With a bunch of gunmen he sets out to get the dirty job done. Everett argues that having dug the well gives him the right to stay and work the place. Rutherford eventually accepts Everett's position but his second-in-command Avery (Dan Duryea) will stop at nothing to get the well for himself.

Dan Duryea shines in this gritty little western movie. He's a great villain in this one as he was in plenty of other films. Check out his performance in the classic western "Winchester '73" with James Stewart directed by Anthony Mann or in the seminal film-noir "Scarlet Street" with Edward G. Robinson directed by Fritz Lang.

It is obvious that this film here was shot on the cheap but that actually helps to give it the right feel. The barren dusty landscape reflects the mood of this western: live and let die.

I recommend "The Marauders" to fans of Dan Duryea, to lovers of tough westerns and film buffs who enjoy little known B-Movies.

This Western gives an effort, but the writing is sorely contrived by the mind of someone wanting to accuse the wrong sort of people of being deranged. It smacks of modern dark ages Psychiatry that "mob mentality masses" want to believe, but in fact are opposite of reality. The "lunatic" of the story just isn't reality based. In fact, the writing of his character is dangerously misleading. Dan Duryea portrays a man who is insane. The reasons given are "silly", and made by idiots who think they understand human behavior. The story begins with the characters usually designated as identifiable all being massacred in the usual Hollywood contrived way. Hollywood has always been big on this device, although it really became the "cliché" after the mid sixties. But don't be fooled. Even in 1955, when this mess was made, it was still the "formula", not the exception that today's liars like to pretend it was. It was not "risk taking", but "safe" procedure. Leaving the audience with nothing but hateful characters has always been the Hollywood device to try to make you root for a minor sicko over a major sicko. It does fool the feeble minded, but it won't fool anyone else. The biggest problem is that Duryea's character is contrived to fit the hate mongering of the writer and director. Only a moron would believe an accountant would dress up in his dead brother's Confederate uniform and become an unexplainable psycho. It looks like someone trying to make a false story to explain something he doesn't want to admit really happened.

The Marauders is directed by Gerald Mayer and adapted to screenplay by Earl Fenton and Jack Leonard from the novel written by Alan Marcus. It stars Dan Duryea, Jeff Richards, Keenan Wynn, Jarma Lewis, John Hudson and Harry Shannon. Music is by Paul Sawtell and Eastman Color cinematography is by Harold Marzorati.

Arizona Territory, 1875 and Richards plays Corey Everett, a rancher who fights back when a greedy land baron rounds up a group of ragamuffins to extract him from the property.

There's obviously not a lot of production value on show and some of the acting is eyebrow raising for the wrong reasons, yet this is an entertaining romp of a Western.

The siege set up is made interesting by the location, which is a small ranch with a water well backed up against a mountain, and the fact that it will ultimately be one man, one woman and one child against a whole gang. As the gang come to be led by Duryea's clearly unhinged Avery, they find Everett a most resourceful foe. With cunning tactics of war, including the manufacture of a grenade launcher, there's a fascinating battle between brains and brawn.

Extra bite comes from the respective character dynamics at work in the two camps. In the Everett ranch a turn of events offers up a neat twist that scores high for dramatic impact, while in the Avery camp his General Bastardo/Napolean Complex has the men under his charge thirsting for his blood. There is very much more than one battle being staged here, more so as water becomes the integral commodity of proceedings.

Sawtell provides a dramatic musical score and the Mecca, California locale is well used by Mayer and Marzorati for claustrophobic and sweaty peril purpose. Characterisations are colourful, especially Duryea on overdrive villainy and Wynn as the hook handed second in command who finds himself caught between loyalty and fear. It's classic B Western stuff and firmly of interest to fans of such productions. 7.5/10