Captain_Augustus_McCrae

This surprisingly enjoyable Western clearly uses the shootout near the OK Corral as both inspiration and springboard for creating a character very reminiscent of Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday from Tombstone. Rory Calhoun's Bret Wade is clearly a cinematic ancestor of Kilmer's Doc, deadly but sophisticated, playing Moonlight Sonata on a tinny saloon piano. The shootout at the stockyard (stand-in for the OK Corral in this film) is a launching pad for a series of events that showcase the drama between the well-drawn characters. Calhoun is terrific as Wade, David Brian is effectively oily and vindictive, and Piper Laurie is not only breathtakingly lovely, but also wistful, empathic, and sensitive. This film is so much better than the run of the mill B oater that one might expect from the time it was made. Just goes to show that, given good material to work with, the cast of usually supporting actors can give excellent performances. 9 out of 10 for this gem of a film.

I have one major problem with this film. Set in the late 1840's or early 1850s, it highlights the introduction of the "Colt .45 revolver". Actually, the gun depicted in the film is a Colt's DRAGOON .44 cap & ball sixgun. I don't know why the title, "Colt .45" is stuck on this film, when "Colt .44" would have been just as sexy-sounding, and would have been historically accurate, as well. The introduction of a reliable, durable and accurate revolving pistol did really revolutionize things in the Old West, as depicted in the film but still, the name of the gun is wrong. I guess the film maker either didn't know or didn't care about the inaccuracy. All that being said, This is still a film worth watching. The reason is Randolph Scott, of course. I have been a huge fan since viewing "Ride the High Country" about 25 years ago. Over time I have seen most of his Westerns and while the films themselves vary in quality, the performance of Mr. Scott is almost always excellent. This is a lesser offering, granted, but the presence of Mr. Scott makes it worth the time. I'd rate it a 7.

I have lately been revisiting these black and white B-Westerns, for a variety of reasons. For one thing, the story of William Boyd, and how he made the character of Hopalong Cassidy his own (not to mention how the Hoppy role changed Boyd) is more interesting to me now as an adult than when I first watched these films in the 1950s. Second, I've been reacquainting myself with a broad spectrum of retro/nostalgic film/TV/radio media generally, and these films are excellent examples. Also, Watching the B-Western films of John Wayne (especially the Republic/Lone Star films), the early work of Roy Rogers, and the Hoppy films themselves all have a common element in the sidekick persona of George "Gabby" Hayes, one of the character actors who defined the sidekick role. This particular Hoppy story features some unusual elements, like Hoppy's kid brother Buddy, an apple-chomping villain, a wheelchair-bound good guy, but especially a "woman gone wrong" who falls for Hoppy in a big way, even to the point of letting her feelings endanger the criminal empire she's built for herself. Excellent acting performances also make this film above average for the Hopalong Cassidy body of work. I guess I'd have to say I like them all, but I love this one.