Les Bannis de la Sierra

Bill Everson declared that most versions of Bret Harte's 1869 story were "strong on talk and dramatics, decidedly weak on visuals", which is a bit hard on Joseph LaShelle's atmospheric work on this instalment which resembles a film noir as much as a western.

You always know you're in for something special when it snows in a western, and this cross between 'Boule de Suif' and 'The Petrified Forest' doesn't disappoint, with Anne Baxter radiant in an early film in her transition from ingenue to lady with a past.

Bret Harte's "The Outcasts of Poker Flats" is one of his two best known stories (the other is "Luck of Roaring Camp") and while his reputation has receded over the past century, his humanism and warmth towards the unlikely inhabitants of Gold-Rush California are worth remembering and enjoying. But while the story and performances in this version are good, director Joseph Newman -- who got his start doing "Crime Does Not Pay" shorts for MGM -- never quite got over the need to drive every point through with a stake. So Joseph Lashelle's beautiful photography is over the top, the music by Lionel Newman -- no relation -- is overwrought and so forth. The result is a decent film, but the melodrama tends to overwhelm the characters.

Please don't get me wrong by this angry comments to see meagers five reviews only over this unusual western on noirish style, worst two of them have lowest ratings despite a fine description without harsh manner at least, it's a low budge production of Fox Studios brings the great leading actress Anne Baxter over an unlucky girl that made wrong choices on recent past, actually it has a nice casting as the already aged Miriam Hopkins as Mrs. Shipton a former Duchess looks like an older prostitute on duty, the infamous rough guy Ryker (Cameron Mitchell), the easy life & well-dressed gambler John Oakhurst (Dale Robertson) and the older drunkard Jack Watterson (William H. Lynn).

In few words the plot can be summarized as the title implied, in a promising mining town Poker Flat, in an one raining night the bleak Ryker's gang aided by the still dubious Cal Ryder (Anne Baxter) got blast a Bank's safe box in a muffled way got the pulpy content among money, promissory notes and valuable stocks, after the robbery be done, the bank's owner explains that if the money and all others papers didn't recover back, he would in bankrupt, also asking for the local hard-working dwellers ought expel those outcasts of the town otherwise it will becomes in an everlasting perdition.

So they follow such warning, all them are invited in uncongenial manner leaving the town without looking back, after a long journey upon a strong blizzard they find out a small forsaken cottage to stay for a while until the storm will be went away, to worsen the clumsy boozer Jack got by mistake unchains the horses letting them hopeless to catch them on that night in harsh environment, the came up the unexpected by all them the stealer Ryder appears to got his booty at Cal's hands, then it triggers a kind of acrimony between a regretting Cal over her shameful pastime with a scumbag like Ryder and also having a mutual romance interesting over the classy and handsome Oakhurst among others minors matter on peripherical characters, a sort of airing dirty laundry openly.

Finest entertainment of characters study upon a fine photography on menacing ambience, it was wrote by Bert Harte and adapted to large screen by Edmond H. North and having the strong directing of Joseph M. Newman in one's his best movie ever, worthwhile every single cent spent on this awesome and astonishing picture, be ready!!

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First watch: 2025 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5.

In the aftermath of a violent robbery, the "Ahm gonna clean up this town" mob are out in force targeting four miscreants; guilty by association, Anne Baxter, past her sell by date floozy, Miriam Hopkins, career drunk, Billy Lynn and dapper cardsharp, Dale Robertson, driving them away, in the direction of an icy wilderness, supplied only with a portion of chicken so scraggy, it would raise customer complaints on the Kids' Menu at KFC! With Craig Hill and heavily pregnant Barbara Bates joining the group, the chicken seems especially paltry.

Self styled leader of the pack, Robertson, locates a desolate, isolated cabin, affording only the meagrest refuge from the ensuing storm. From this point everything that could go wrong.....does! Amidst deepening snow and plunging temperatures, the blocked chimney creates a serious smoke hazard. Oh!......and did I mention that all their horses escape? No doubt in search of warmer weather.

Only a visit from the Abominable Snowman could further aggravate the situation and sadistic, gun toting Cameron Mitchell duly obliges, keen to lay hands on 'his' money and his moll. The treacherous, trigger happy outlaw proceeds to hold the woeful bunch hostage, but as blizzard conditions grow more severe, the last morsel of chicken disappears along with any likely chance of escape. As reality hits home, the gunman becomes increasingly edgy and agitated, while Robertson retains a cool, pragmatic exterior. Could the gambler now be holding all the cards?

The starkly beautiful black and white cinematography perfectly captures the bleak, sombre mood of this gritty, atmospheric, noirish western, with its pervading themes of rejection, isolation and confinement. Unusual and unappreciated, 'Poker Flat' is a minimalist classic of its genre.

A group of undesirable townsfolk are expelled from the town of Poker Flats in this Western. Where should they go? They get caught up in a storm and take shelter in a remote cabin. They have little food and their horses run off. The icing on the cake comes with the arrival of murderous robber Cameron Mitchell (Ryker). And he's got a gun.

It's all very predictable stuff and not that interesting a film. We have a good guy in gambler Dale Robertson (John) and I wonder who will win in the obvious impending showdown between the good guy and the bad guy? Robertson does miss a few obvious chances to get the upper hand which any viewer would have jumped at taking.

One question that arises out of this film is why would anyone choose to settle in Poker Flats when the next town along is called Beaver Town?