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THE MAN BEHIND THE GUN (listed as 1952 in Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide) is a Warner Bros. western starring Randolph Scott and set in Los Angeles, California in the early 1850s. The script is okay, the pace is fast and it has a large, colorful cast. There are a number of interesting elements in it that are worth noting. The Southern California setting enables the script to name-check landmarks in the area: San Pedro, Santa Monica and the LaBrea Tar Pits—which two characters visit at one point. (No sightings of woolly mammoths, though.) They even mention San Luis Obispo, which is further up the coast. The plot involves manipulation of the water supply to L.A. with a corrupt politician trying to take control of it. As such, it looks forward to Roman Polanski's CHINATOWN (1974), 22 years later. There's even a direct casting connection. The actor who plays a California senator here, Roy Roberts, plays L.A.'s mayor in CHINATOWN.

There are two significant Latino characters. One is female nightclub owner Chona Degnon, played by singer Lina Romay. She's the film's resident femme fatale and she tries to recruit Scott to help out with her gun-running sideline. She sings a couple of numbers, too. Some of you may remember her from her delightful live-action cameo in Tex Avery's cartoon, "Señor Droopy" (1950). The other Latino character is famed California bandit and folk hero Joaquin Murietta, well played by Robert Cabal, an actor I'm otherwise unfamiliar with. Other movies have been made about Murietta, including the TV movie, "Desperate Mission" (1971), starring Ricardo Montalban. Murietta is seen here on the cusp of his outlaw career and he becomes an ally of the hero. He's quite handy with both guns and knives and kills seven opponents, often quite casually.

The cast includes Patrice Wymore (looking quite beautiful) as the fiancée of a military officer (Philip Carey) assigned to work with Scott. She soon finds herself falling for Scott, an undercover officer sent by Washington to put down a planned secessionist revolt. Wymore and Romay have a pretty convincing catfight at one point. Dick Wesson and Alan Hale Jr. (taking up where his dad, a longtime Warners contract player, left off) play ex-soldiers who'd served with Scott in the Mexican War and who act as his reluctant sidekicks here. They provide much of the (forced) comic relief. Dependable heavy Morris Ankrum has too small a part as a die-hard secessionist. Other dependable heavies in the cast include Douglas Fowley and Anthony Caruso.

It's all mostly shot on studio sets, with location work saved for the action finale—a spectacular raid on the water pirates' camp. In a few sequences, the film uses stock footage culled from an earlier Warner Technicolor western. IMDb says it was SAN ANTONIO (1945). I'm more inclined to say it was DODGE CITY (1939)—and it's quite possible that the footage used in SAN ANTONIO was indeed taken from DODGE CITY as well. If anyone wants to watch all three of these films back-to-back just to get this straight, be my guest.

This isn't the best Randolph Scott western I've ever seen, but it's certainly above average for him.

Hey I liked this flick more than I would have thought given it's from Scott's earlier block of films. An interesting plot with lots of characters, many of who standout. I liked Alan Hale as Olaf and sidekick Monk (Dick Wesson). They provided comic relief not usually present in a RS flick. Scott is his usual coxcomb, cool self. Romancing two lovely ladies (a first?) and not too shabbily. He takes his uniform off to provide a look at his less than ripped (but not too shabby frame) The film unfortunately lacks a compelling villain. Some nice California scenery (not as good as One Eyed Jacks) They kinda threw the kitchen sink into this B movie. Hey it even has a catfight where the two kittens in question manage to do no damage. Lina Myway per favor.

Enjoy.

"The Man Behind the Gun" is another of a series of 80 minute little westerns churned out by Randolph Scott during the 1950s. As with most of these films, there's plenty of action and a stellar supporting cast.

Major Rance Callicut (Scott) poses as a disgraced army officer who is sent to work undercover to foil secession threats which would take Southern California out of the Union. The time is the 1850s. On the stagecoach to Los Angeles he meets Lora Roberts (Patrice Wymore) who is on her way to LA to marry army Captain Roy Giles (Philip Carey). Also on board is bandit Vic Sutro (Anthony Carouso) whose holdup attempt is foiled by Callicut.

With his two side kicks, Sgt. Monk Waller (Dick Wesson) and Cpl. Olaf Swenson (Alan Hale Jr.) Callicut at first posing as a school teacher, sets out to discover who is behind the troubles. He learns that there are two opposing factions, one headed by Bram Cregan (Morris Ankrum) and the other by Senator Mark Sheldon (Roy Roberts). Calicutt is not trusted by Giles, who tries to arrest him before learning his true identity. Calicutt becomes attracted to the lovely Lora (of course).

Also in the mix is saloon owner Buckley (Douglas Fowley) and his singer Chona Dregnon (Lyna Romay). Calicutt is assisted by a young Mexican bandito, Joachim Murietta (Robert Cabel) whom he had earlier befriended. When Senator Sheldon is shot, and Cregar rescued from the hangman's noose, Calicutt thinks he has it all figured out...or does he?

As in most of Scott's westerns there is a major shoot out and plenty of fast paced action. Alan Hale Jr. basically picked up where his late father left off playing similar roles until he hit it really big as the Captain in TVs "Gilligan's Island". As an item of interest, Hale Sr. had appeared with Scott in one of his last films, "Colt 45" (1950). Patrice Wymore was one of Errol Flynn's wives. Robert Cabel is best remembered as "Hey Zoos" on TV's "Rawhide" for several seasons.

Not one of the best Scott westerns but entertaining nonetheless.

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.

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!