La folie de l'or

Ray Nazzaro the director was not that lousy after all, or only for his first part of career. This little western is agreeable though very predictable too. You have George Montgomery as the lead, as well you could have had Rory Calhoun or Sterling Hayden. Beautiful settings and landscapes, not too long, and a never boring story. So, for western fans, this movie is worth the watch. Of course, if you search something very unusual and different, you may be a bit deceived. Good efficient scenes, very surprising in such a B western. Good ending twist too. Yes, an above average Ray Nazzaro western. I highly recommend it. Go ahead now !

Set in Colorado in 1893. The plot about a supposed outlaw and his sidekick going undercover (with the usual emphasis on gunplay and fisticuffs) is pure 'B' western; with it's smiling, well-dressed senior villain flanked by cold-eyed henchman John Dehner.

However it displays an occasional sardonic humour, is considerably spruced up with Technicolor and is occasionally dramatically staged by director Ray Nazarro (with a scene depicting Russian Roulette over a quarter of a century before 'The Deer Hunter').

Set in the 19th century West, we have lawmen trying to catch some outlaws who have been a little too crafty to catch.

This is one of those "darkness before the Dawn" films that aren't that common. It's a story of a person in a situation where it looks totally hopeless and full of horror, with all allies destroyed, all hope of help from outside gone, and nothing to fight with.

In this case, it's an undercover cop in the old West, infiltrating a gang. We get a feeling of what is to come, and since most movies are stereotypical "all nice guys have to die" plots, the only thing that makes us think it's possible the undercover cop will live is because tough guy Montgomery portrays him. That makes it suspenseful, because now we feel it is an even money chance he will pull out alive some how.

The script sprawls some, but the oater's well cast and entertaining. Three Secret Service agents led by Ivers (Montgomery) go undercover to break up a gold smuggling ring in Cripple Creek, headed by a smug city slicker, Silver (Bishop). Two sequences are real nail-biters—the Russian roulette scene that's really well done, and the smelter scene that pays good attention to detail. Then again, there's the silly barroom brawl that suggests the influence of a kids' matinée feature. Really, George Cleveland's crusty old grouch is all the comedy relief that's needed. Anyway, the western's uncommonly well cast with familiar faces up and down the line. The script even manages a good surprise at the end. As a former resident of the real Cripple Creek, however, I'm surprised at how much that mountain town is supposed to resemble LA's San Fernando Valley, as though that matters entertainment-wise. Anyway, it's a pretty good western somewhere between an A and B production.

(In passing-- the Cripple Creek gold camp was a boom town for several decades; then became a near-ghost town in the 1950's after the price of gold was frozen; but has lately revived with casino gambling and a and a return to market pricing. It's got a magnificent scenic view across a hundred miles of South Park to the main range of the Rockies. So visit there if you can.)

George Montgomery, Jerome Courtland and Richard Egan are undercover agents in the old west trying to break a gold smuggling ring working out of the town of Cripple Creek.

This is good, solid western entertainment. It's a buddy- western, shoot-em-up, fist-fight, and midnight rides type movie. I found it to be well paced, written and acted. It has some plot twists that make it more adultish than the usual kid-western fodder.

For the western movie fan, there's alot of other familiar faces among the cast, and everyone gives a fine performance.

This has been on Encore's Western Channel. Catch it if you can without commercials, it's so much better.