La Taverne des révoltés

All the things that made the Scott movies the most agreeable matine fare are present - an opening shoot out in foggy San Francisco streets, a stage hold up, historical plotting about stealing the L.A. water supply (well before CHINATOWN), false identity, opening an empty grave and hard riding and shoot outs in the great out of doors. On top of that it's delivered in Technicolor by some of Warners' most assured technicians, complete with stock shots from the Flynn movies and snatches of earlier Warner scores.

The reason it's so mechanical must be the routine direction of Felix Feist who fades away as Scott takes on sure hands Andre de Toth and Budd Boetticher as directors. The scene with Lina Ronay against the studio sky is particularly lack lustre. Randy grins his way through events and is doubled in the final river punch out while villain Roy Roberts does his own stunts - like I mean - really!

Randy is an army deserter (or is he?--not terribly original plot point but workable)involved with separatist gun runners out to control the water supply & thereby the whole of Southern California. The exact time frame is uncertain: after the Mexican War & before California became a state, General Zachary Taylor is mentioned (his picture hangs in Phil Carey's office) in the present tense but not his being president--so who knows & who cares. This isn't a history lesson; it's a Randolph Scott western where everybody carries a six-gun (even if at that time--most did not) and the Cavalry are wearing the completely wrong uniforms. Anyway, the first half sets up a decent premise and is pretty entertaining but once a certain cat is out of the bag so to speak it devolves into a very standard a rather dull outing for Randy. Patricia Wymore is very attractive & a decent actress. Phil Carey, Roy Roberts, Alan Hale, Jr., Douglas Fowley, Morris Ankrum and Anthony Caruso lend good support but the less said about Dick Wesson's more or less comedy relief role, the better. The script by John Twist has giant plot holes & is very clunky and Felix Feist's direction is alternately pedestrian and sloppy. Oh well, the Techincolor is quite nice. All I really ask from a Randy Scott western is to be entertained, this one only got me halfway there.

It is good action entertainment for those who like their westerns action filled. An Easy-Going Gent with Deadly Guns...and a Reputation to Match! This undemanding western in which a counterespionage agent attempts to discover who's behind a Southern conspiracy , as it is plenty of suspense as the dreaded final attack . This exciting picture tells the story of an upright officer , Randolph Scott , who gives a perfect acting in his usual stoic style . A nice Western with frantic action , intrigues , thrills , fights , crossfire , suspense , wonderful outdoors , all of them keep things lively . Here Randolph Scott goes undercover to find a ring of treacherous rebels who are working in cahoots with the Confederacy and posing as a schoolteacher . As undercover government agent Ransome Callicut (Randolph Scott) arrives in 1850's South California . As he gradually gains trust the townsfolks to uncover their plans and reveal the dark objectives ; then he discovers a hidden cache of rifles . Aided by his underlings : Monk Walker (Dick Wesson) and Olaf Swenson (Alan Hale Jr) he fights political assassination and other adventures to unmask the ringleader of the plot and keep the Golden State in the Union . Along the way , he falls in love for a gorgeous woman , Lora Roberts (Patrice Wymore), who is already engaged with a cavalry officer , Capt. Roy Giles (Philip Carey) .

Well made film, though not outstanding , I loved the scenery and the cinematography by expert director of photography Bert Glennon is beautiful. It also has strong direction, a charming music score from David Buttolph that compliments the film perfectly, an attractive story with an interesting structure and themes and sharp dialogue. However, while it is not an exceptional movie it is a very acceptable and enjoyable one, and I also think overrrated . Not that it's a bad film, but a fairly routine western which even kind of gives away who the inside man is way too early in the film. This agreeable tale is almost rudimentary though a few clichés , containing an interesting as well as stirring screenplay by John Twist , based on a story by Robert Buckner . Being breathtakingly photographed in Technicolor ; In addition , good pacing is also at hand, and the cast are great . Randolph Scott has done better work perhaps, but still gives an engaging performance. Randolph Scott gives a decent acting in his usual style as the undercover army officer to gather intelligence about an insurrectionist plot to have the southern part of the state secede to become a slave state , subsequently revealing his true identity and assuming command of the local army post. Nice supporting actors largely hang around waiting for something to do , and with plenty of familiar faces , such as : Dick Wesson , Philip Carey , Lina Romay , Roy Roberts , Alan Hale Jr , Morris Ankrum , Douglas Fowley , Katherine Warren and Anthony Caruso.

Furthermore , a moving and rousing musical score by the classical composer David Buttolph . As well as glimmering and shimmering photography by Bert Glennon , shot in studios and exteriors from Bell Ranch, Santa Susana, California . This thrilling chronicle of espionage and counter-espionage during the American Civil War was decently directed by Felix F. Feist . It is a typical Western professionally directed with lavish production design and enough budget . At his beginning Felix Feist entered the Hollywood film industry, obtaining work as a writer, and producer , before finally becoming a director , filmmaking several Shorts and documentary . His first feature films were : All by Myself and You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith . After that , he made a lot of films of all kinds of genres , getting hits and flops ; such as : ¨Deluge¨, ¨George White's scandals¨, ¨The Winner's Circle¨ , ¨The reckless age¨, ¨The devil thumbs a ride¨, ¨The Golden Gloves Story¨, ¨The threat¨, ¨Guilty of treason¨ , ¨The Basketball Fix ¨, ¨Tomorrow is another day¨, ¨The Man Who Cheated Himself¨. And his two greatest successes : ¨Big trees¨and ¨Donovan's brain¨.

The Man Behind The Gun is a Randolph Scott western with Randy on a most serious mission. He's going undercover in southern California just before the Civil War to prevent a secessionist plot from taking California out of the union or at a very least splitting off southern California as a separate state for the southern Confederacy to be.

Scott's only got two allies from his previous army service Alan Hale,Jr., and Dick Wesson whom he can rely on. The situation is such that he can't tell who's on what side, least of all the army commander in the Los Angeles area, Philip Carey.

The film boasts a top notch cast of players that include Roy Roberts, Douglas Fowley, Anthony Caruso, Katharine Warren, Morris Ankrum, and as a young Joaquin Murietta, Robert Cabal. The two female leads are Patrice Wymore better known as the third Mrs. Errol Flynn and band singer Lina Romay who formally was with both the Xavier Cugar Orchestra and the Bing Crosby radio show at different times. Romay gets to sing a couple of sultry songs in Spanish. Also since this was a Warner Brothers film, Some Sunday Morning which was introduced in the Errol Flynn film San Antonio gets interpolated here.

Telling you who the head of the secessionist group would spoil things, but I will say it's one very deadly individual.

The Man Behind The Gun is a very good Randolph Scott western which would please his still devoted legion of fans.

Randolph Scott is Major Ransome Callicut, who goes undercover as a school teacher in 1850s California to hopefully thwart separatist plotting as secessionist fervour starts to boil over.

The Man Behind The Gun is directed by Felix E. Feist and adapted to screenplay by John Twist from a story by Robert Buckner. It is shot in Technicolor by Bert Glennon (Wagon Master) out of Bell Ranch, Santa Susana, California. Joining Scott in the cast are Patrice Wymore, Dick Wesson, Philip Carey, Lina Romay & Alan Hale Jr.

It's true enough that material such as this, well more the themes and basic story, deserves a better movie than what this ultimately is. Yet to shout down this film for not being a finely tuned politico piece is a touch harsh one feels. This is after all, a modestly budgeted Oater out of Warner Brothers that comes at a time when Randolph Scott was knocking out Oaters for both WB and Columbia at a rate of knots! Scott was three years away from starting a run of films with Budd Boetticher that would finally realise his talents, whilst simultaneously giving the serious Western fan some gems to shout about from the saloon rooftops. So where does The Man Behind The Gun sit in the pantheon of 50s Westerns? Well a better director than Felix Feist would have helped since the material called for someone interested in the more psychological aspects of the characters. The afore mentioned Boetticher is a given of course, while another of Scott's 50s directors, André De Toth, would have enjoyed the intrigue and underhand core for sure.

Still, given its short running time, Feist does manage to craft an action packed movie that's led by Scott's protagonist playing it rugged, sneaky and tough to get the job in hand done. There's gun fights, whip-cracking, chases, explosions; and even pretty gals scrapping it out in a crash of chairs, tables and pottery. For an 82 minute movie it doesn't fall short as an action piece. If viewed on those terms it holds up very well, even if there's so much going on it can be hard to follow at times. There's even nice dashes of humour, none more so than with the entertaining turn from Wesson. Be it whipping off some saloon gal's dress or playing it in drag, his Sergeant 'Monk' Walker gives the piece a lift when it threatens to be bogged down by good guy-bad guy character turns that come and go all too frequently. Scott is as ever straight backed and as cool as a cucumber, while Hale Jr, Carey and Wymore each leave a favourable impression.

Yes it could have been a deep and potent piece, but that it's not does not make it a bad film. It's a ripper of an action movie backed up by a couple of strong turns from Scott & Wesson, even if the film that surrounds them is just a little chaotic at times! 7/10