The Marshal of Mesa City

When hooligans start shooting up mesa city, school marm virginia king (dale) has had enough and takes the wagon to yuma. But when the stage gets held up, retired marshal cliff mason (o'brien) comes to her rescue. But the sheriff and the judge are just as crooked, and no-one can stop the thugs. So back in town, it's going to be a showdown between mason and the sheriff. Leon ames always played the underhanded, smarmy cowboy or businessman. It's well done, and a typical western. But there's something about it that makes it a little more fun.. maybe it's the dedication mason has to his job. He keeps going, against a mostly crooked town. Only 163 votes so far, so turner classics doesn't seem to show this one. Directed by david howard, who died young at 45, just a couple years after making this film.

I thought I'd get your attention. This movie may not be any better than Stagecoach but I submit it's just as good and twice as entertaining.

Other reviewers have down a good job declaring the merits of this oater and particularly the obvious parallels it shows between its plot and the Wyatt Earp story. If you like Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer then you'll enjoy George O'Brien as Wyatt Earp, I mean Cliff Mason, and Henry Brandon as Doc Holiday, I mean Duke Allison. Duke has been hired to shoot down Marshall Mason but is taken by his character - and even reluctantly becomes his Deputy. Watch Mason Ala Wyatt Earp walk straight into the group of surly armed outlaws led by hulking Harry Cording and disarm them all with his icy gaze and fearless demeanor. The final shootout that takes place in a cloud of smoke and dust years before John Ford shot the OK Corral shootout in My Darling Clementine in a similar manner is very effective. Give this one a chance, western fans, and see what you think.

George O'Brien stars in The Marshal Of Mesa City as a Wyatt Earp type figure who is drafted reluctantly to cleaning up said town by the good citizens. The Doc Holiday of the film is Henry Brandon who plays a notorious gunslinger who aligns himself with O'Brien.

The corruption is systemic in Mesa City, the actual leader of the outlaws is sheriff Leon Ames, he's the county sheriff and O'Brien is the town marshal, just like John Behan and Virgil Earp in real life. Ames is a pretty shrewd villain and he's got quite a few tricks up his sleeve. He's also got a Snidely Whiplash like interest in the town school teacher Virginia Vale. That alone puts him in direct conflict with O'Brien.

Playing a nice role is the screen's greatest mother figure of the time Mary Gordon who runs the boarding house where Vale lives and who does her best to get O'Brien and Vale together. It seemed like Gordon who is known mostly for being Mrs. Hudson in the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes mysteries was everyone's dear little Irish mother on screen though she came from Scotland. She's quite the little cupid here.

The Marshal Of Mesa City is a nice no frills B western from RKO that holds up a lot better than some of the singing cowboys of the day in terms of structure and plot.

A low budget movie about a corrupt sheriff, a pretty school marm, and a drafted marshal is a likely recipe for the routine. MOMC not only avoids the routine but also raises itself above many "A" westerns of the 40's and 50's. The four principals are all excellent and bring life to their characters. Ames is convincingly detestable as the scheming suitor who can't understand "no", all the while maintaining his private gang of hoods. Vale, the co-star of a number of O'Brien westerns, has an appealing vivacity and makes one understand why Ames is infatuated. Henry Brandon has an interesting role as Duke Allison, a gunfighter brought in to handle O'Brien. His entrance in a saloon is a standout. Another nice moment is when he "turns in" his gun to O'Brien. If you look closely, you'll see he isn't completely comfortable handling his six-shooters but this is a minor quibble and doesn't detract from his performance. George O'Brien brings an easy going confidence to his role as an ex-marshal just trying to get on with his life. He's not non-violent in the Destry mold but he doesn't seek confrontation as many "B" western marshals would. I don't know how real western marshals acted but I would expect some would act with the quiet, low key manner of O'Brien's. Much of the credit for the standout moments in this movie go to the writers including the uncredited Academy Award winning writer Dudley Nichols. The script clearly is a cut or two above most movies of this ilk. A good cast and script can only go so far, however, without a director equal to them. As Howard proves, one doesn't need a big budget when provided good ingredients and recipe. He gets the most out of the characters and makes them real people, people with personalities you believe. The climactic showdown in the smoke is an inspired scene that brings a close to this worthy movie.

This isn't the greatest western ever or even a great western. It won't replace Josey Wales in my video library and people won't be comparing it to High Noon. What it is is an excellent example of how much can be accomplished on a low budget with second tier, but not second rate, actors. It is a fine little western, better than many Randolph Scott oaters, and well worth a look.

County Sheriff Leon Ames is stuck on schoolmarm Virginia Vale, and his henchmen slug anyone who speaks to her. She decides to leave town, but the henchmen hold up the stagecoach, only to be thwarted by well-mannered George O'Brien. He's a retired lawman on his way to his new ranch, but escorts the lady back to town, then stays over to the dance, and then gets cajoled by mayor Lloyd Ingraham into becoming town Marshal.

George O'Brien's western series for RKO in the late 1930s were arguably the best of the lot, even if he hated the way his career was going. This movie with a "Gunfight at the OK Corral" feel -- there's Henry Brandon slightly miscast as the gunslinger hired to kill him, but charmed into becoming his deputy -- is a remake of 1935's THE ARIZONIAN. Leon Ames makes a fine villain, and Miss Vale reminds me a bit of Loretta Young. Harry Wild's camerawork is well up to his usual standard. Mostly, though, it's O'Brien giving a fine performance as a man who knows his job and does it intelligently that appeals to me.