Les Proscrits du Colorado

A very good performance by a young John Derek, an outstanding performance by veteran Bob Steele, beautiful scenery stunningly photographed, and action-packed, razor-sharp direction by an old pro at the top of his form make this one of the best "B" westerns to come out of Republic Pictures, which specialized in them and did them better than any other studio did. Derek plays a young man who returns home after his father dies to claim the ranch that was stolen from him, and runs into more trouble than he bargained for. Steele, a major western star in the '30s and '40s, had aged out of leading man roles and settled into character parts, often playing--as he does here--a cold-blooded gunman (watch Humphrey Bogart's 1951 "The Enforcer" to see Steele as a hired killer par excellance). He was such a good actor that he was as effective in these roles as he was in his younger days as a cowboy hero. The cast is full of familiar western faces--Jim Davis, Ben Cooper, James Millican, Slim Pickens--and ace director William Witney uses them all to their best advantage. The blazing gun battles are expertly staged, and the film as a whole moves like lightning. All in all, an expertly made, thoroughly enjoyable little "B" western, more entertaining than many films that cost 50 times as much. Highly recommended.

In this tight little western which has a complex part John Derek is out to get his rightful inheritance of the ranch he feels should have been his. Instead the will lawyer Taylor Holmes drew up left the property to Derek's uncle Jim Davis. Davis is expecting Catherine McLeod a new bride and the stagecoach that brings her also brings Derek.

Derek unfortunately hired a bunch of gunmen led by Bob Steele. His hands aren't clean because of that.

Republic Pictures assembled a real good cast of familiar players to support Derek and Davis. Derek wages war on all fronts making a play for McLeod at the same time he's courting Joan Evans who is a neighboring rancher's daughter. Not exactly a move for a cowboy hero.

In its last years Republic was going in for western stories with an adult theme. The Outcast is not a film you would see Gene or Roy in. But it's a good one.

Colton, Colorado - the 1880s. Jet Cosgrave and a gang of hired gunmen ride into town, intent on taxing back Jet's inheritance, the wealthy Circle C Ranch. But the owner - his uncle - is not going to give it up without a fight....

Filmed mainly on location in Colorado, this fast-moving western is based on an Esquire magazine story by Todhunter Ballard, and directed efficiently by B-western legend William Witney, and fuses good characterisation with a plethora of action sequences- stampedes, gunfights and fisticuffs.

This is a solid western starring John Derek, who does a fine job here as a young man who wants to get back what was taken from him.

Spectacular western with emotion, gunfire, go riding, twists, shoot'em up and, of course, loads of action. It stars John Derek as a young avenger who figths against his uncle, nasty rancher Jim Davis, to win his rightful inheritance of his deceased father. As he attempts to take the family ranch wrongfully held by a conniving uncle and even hiring ominous gunfighters . Along the way he finds love : Joan Taylor opposite his father Frank Ferguson, as well Derek enjoys fistfights , crossfire and ordinary final duel.

Exciting and thrilling western with thrills, brawls, stampedes and lots of gunfire. John Derek is acceptable as a tough young who takes justice on his own hands. Derek is mainly known for his marriages to gorgeous actresses as Ursula Andress, Linda Evans and Bo Derek. In The Outcast John Derek provides a nice role as a violent revenger who struggles to win his rights, though he is hardly ever macho man fo his character, usually battering his knuckles and fingering his pistol. Support cast is pretty good, such as : Ben Cooper, Frank Ferguson, the always sympathetic Slim Pickens and Jim Davis later famous for his roleas patriarch Ewing in Dallas series.

Produced by Herbert j. Yates from Republic Pictures in medium budget, it was efficiently directed by William Witney, in one of the last films for Republic. This director Witney was a prolific craftsman who worked a lot for Republic, the studio where he laboured for many years churching out a series of low budget westerns, many of them starred by singing cowboys as Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. Witney was a fine professional who made 140 titles from the 30s .By 1936, he was script supervisor on serials and his own directorial career began the following year. The favorite shooting was the 1936 serial Zorro's fighting legion. After WWII service with US Marines, he moved to Roy Rogers films and Western genre such as : Shadows of Tombstone, Heart of Rockies, Border saddlemate, Bells of Coronado, The painted stallion, The lone ranger, Home in Oklahoma, On the Old Spanish trail, Hig time in Nevada, Gay ranchero, Helldorado, Rex Ryder, Eyes of Texas , among others. Furthermore, his television work wich included some quite trilling episodes of succesful series such as : High Chaparral, Bonanza, Laramie, Zorro, The Virginian, Wagon train and he followed to work for cinema and was capable of making acceptable movies in budget enough, such as Santa Fe passage, The Bonnie Parker story and Escaped from Devil Island. Rating : 6/10. Decent and passable western.

An early performance by Derek is the main attraction here, in this action packed tale of a young man, returning home to reclaim his ranch from a dastardly cattle baron. A good supporting cast, and a director that doesn't let the romance scenes get in the way, make this good fare.