Robbers' Roost

(1955) Robbers' Roost WESTERN

Adapted from the book by Zane Grey that showcases Tex (George Montgomery) seeking for a little work. But before he does that he checks on a couple of horses, and he sees a couple of them with the markings of RK. Tex manages to get accepted from one group led by Hank Hays (Richard Boone) while making the one angry led by Heesman (Peter Graves) when he was spotted cheating by sticking an ace up his sleeve. Hayes then says he is a foreman for a ranch owned by Bull Herrick (Bruce Bennett). By the time we see him, he is on a wheelchair with Heesman already their waiting for him. And just when you think their was going to be a shoot out between Heesman's men and Hayes Bull puts a stop to it and tells them they would have to work together. It was at this point, Hayes introduces Bull to Tex even telling him he does not care too much about women. And as a result of that info, it was enough to convince him to have him pick up his sister, Helen (Sylvia Findley) from the train station by using the wagon. When Helen arrives she then tries to convince Bull to get back surgery except that he has a ranch he does not want to abandon with the existing conspiracy that may happen between Hayes and Heesman in regarding stealing Bull's cattle.

The fact that it was based on a novel by Zane Grey that has never been made into a movie is enough for me to give this movie a thumbs up. Despite the original concept it bogs down three quarters of the way for I love the way it starts the way it ended there is no strong payoff, just a revelation.

Robbers' Roost (1955) is a nice Western with routine elements but providing an interesting screenplay that allowed director to keep thrilling at its own movement and relentless gallop. It contains attractive and charming images that , in the eyes of connoisseurs makes it enjoyable enough in his B-kind. Stars Jim Tex Wall (George Montgomery) who is searching for three men killed his wife and stole his horses and he then joins a band of cattle rustlers led by Hank Hays (Richard Boone). Both Hays' outlaws and a rival gang headed by Heesman (Peter Graves), have been hired as ranch hands by "Bull" Herrick (Bruce Bennett), a cripple in wheelchair-bound who owns a large cattle ranch and wants to get his abundant herd to market. Herrick theorizes that the two bands will be kept busy watching each other and neither will rustle his cattle. While his sister Helen (Sylvia Findley) has little faith in her brother's contrived plan, and hates and distrusts both groups. The only one Helen gets some confidence is with Tex, but when she discovers his dark past, she rejects him. Caught in the battle between the gangs when one crosses and double-crosses the other, Tex now finds the man he is looking for. Outlaw gang war!. The most savage killers lair in the West!... If You Rode In With A Badge On Your Chest---You Were Carried Out With A Bullet In Your Back!.One gun against hundred and the winner gets the woman!.The killers lair where women went to the fastest draw.. and vultures waited for the slowest !.

This exciting Western packs thrills, pursuits, spectacular struggles, crossfire , and lots of gutsy action. Brawling , sprawling , almost primitive action in which our starring is forced to carry out a merciless vengeance and go on the run, teeming across the screen by means of escapes, attacks, crosses, double-crosses and ambushes. The picture contains whirlwinds of manic action , fights , sustained energy and often commendable results. The film has a slickness and crude vigour, including impressive outdoors with rocky mountains stunningly photographed. This is a distinctive Western saga with a special look at Durango outdoors with its peculiarly chiseled rocks and canyons and other countryside landscapes. Features impressive as well as spectacular crossfire scenes punctuated with great action sequences. This is a stirring story about a revenger and his fight for find the nasty killers and director takes a fine penned script written by John O'Dea, Maurice Geraghty and himself, based on a story by prolific novelist y Zane Grey, a Western expert whose books have been very adapted, creating an agreeable tale that is far from ordinary, exploring the anguish and desperation of a man who seeks vendetta and villany of the murderers. The starring is a famous actor who starred B-series called George Montgomery. This good-looking actor George Montgomery gives an acceptable acting in his usual style as a stubborn revenger who finds himself working for a gang of cattle rustlers engaged in a turf war with a rival gang of outlaws. He was born to Ukranian immigrants and was a heavyweight boxer previously becoming an actor. Besides was a magnificent craftsman and built and designed houses, plus a self-taught artist, creating bronze busts for famed actors. He starred movies around the world and various genres: adventures (Watusi,Steel claw) , Warlike (Battle of Bulge, Hell of Borneo) and specially Western (Seminola uprising, Fort Ti, Last of badmen, Great duel in Durango). In the film, the large group of prestigious secondaries stands out, these include the following: Richard Boone, Bruce Bennett, Peter Graves, Warren Stevens, William Hopper, Stanley Clements and Leo Gordon.

Goldstein-Jacks Productions and United Artists took advantage of the unused as well as left sets from other A-movies by scripting and shooting a hastily assembled B-picture. This is a good-natured Technicolor romp with glamorous cinematography by Jack Draper from Durango, Mexico and evocative musical score by Paul Sawtell. The motion picture was professionally directed by Sidney Salkow, a craftsman who had already filmed other Westerns. He realized all kind of genres such as routine westerns (Sitting Bull , The great Sioux massacre , Pathfinder), Adventures (Prince of Pirates , Sword of the avenger), war films , Sci-Fi (The last man on Earth) , Terror (Twice-told tales) and melodramas (City without men) . Salkow first worked for Republic, after joining Universal . At Columbia , he handled , among other assignments, four installments of the popular Lone Wolf series . After 1953, Salkow was primarily active as director of episodic television. Rating : 5.5/10, acceptable Western movie , entertaining stuff. Enjoyable and run-of-the-mill B-Western with incidents and action enough to be charming. It will appeal to George Montgomery and Richard Boone fans.

I do not know very much about Director Sidney Salkow, but his films have not impressed me, including ROBBERS' ROOST which I find thoroughly mediocre.

Despite potentially beautiful vistas, including a rock hanging perilously high over other rocks, Jack Draper's cinematography looks shabby and pedestrian. Stunts are unmemorable, too.

I did not like the acting. Perahps because of the unbelievably stilted screenplay, lawman George Montgomery plays a cattle rustler joining two other rustler gangs, led by Richard Boone and Peter Graves respectively. Montgomery comes across as thoroughly wooden, Boone contrasts with an annoyingly over the top performance, Graves inexplicaby tries to cheat Boone at cards, and just keeps blundering right up to his stupid death. Pretty Sylvia Findley and her father, paralitically played by former great supporting actor Bruce Bennett, are the victims of the rustling gangs. Incredibly, Bennett's theory is that by engaging thieves his head of cattle are safe because there is so much dis-honor among thieves! In other words, if you want your property protected, keep pumping in crooks and it will be safe as a state bank... what BS, the more the merrier as they empty your goods!

That shows the (artificial) intelligence of the script by John O'Dea off the original book by Zane Grey.

I doubt I will rewatch this dud. 5/10.

Dick Boone is the only reason to watch this fairly typical shoot em up, He's a hulking, laughing, skirt chasing liar and that's just for starters.

My favorite is when washing up in the lake he makes sure to walk by the tent of Miss Findley waving his arms in circles, bare chested and grinning like crazy... Don't miss Boone in Hombre and The Tall T, where I think he wears the same baby blue scarf!

Robbers Roost also has Leo Gordon, another great baddy but he's wasted by having hardly any screen time.

George Montgomery was a great guy, used to hang out at Ben Franks coffee shop on Sunset Blvd. For years... and when I was a telephone installer, worked at his house in the Hollywood Hills, he was an artist and had carved wooden or maybe stone western pieces of cowboys ropin' and ridin'... They were beautiful!

I think he did most of his furniture too!

Jim "Tex" Wall (George Montgomery) is a man with a hidden agenda, he is after the men who raped his wife and stole his horses and nothing will stop him. When he arrives in a small town he joins up with a group of cattle rustlers lead by Hank Hays (Richard Boone) who are in constant battle with rival rustlers lead by Heesman (Peter Graves). But these two gangs find themselves in the unusual position of having been hired by recently crippled rancher "Bull" Herrick (Bruce Bennett) who figures they will be too busy making sure the others don't get a jump on them that they won't be interested in stealing his cattle. But it brings Tex in to contact with Herrick's younger sister Helen (Sylvia Findley) who whilst opposed to her brother's plans falls for Tex until she discovers a wanted poster with his face on it.

George Montgomery, an underrated western star, is really good in the role as the stranger with a vendetta and Richard Boone fit the Bill as the slimy and lusty villain. It's a well-made western with grand scenery and a rousing finale that is unleashed after the narrative is unravelled, maybe a bit too laboriously at times, and it ends satisfactory. A solid old-fashioned entertainment.