Les ranchers du Wyoming

Guns of Wyoming (AKA: Cattle King) is directed by Tay Garnett and written by Thomas Thompson. It stars Robert Taylor, Robert Loggia, Joan Caulfield, Robert Middleton, Larry Gates and William Windom. Music is by Paul Sawtell and cinematography by William Snyder.

A range war looms large in Wyoming...

Fronted by the ever reliable Western presence that was Bobby Taylor, this pic follows a familiar and slight formula. Which ultimately is fine for those who love the prolific line of Westerns produced in the 50s and 60s.

Thematically it's strong, where we find Taylor's hard working and honest cattleman desperately trying to protect his land from the free grazing movement - something which brings into play nefarious characters. Sam Brassfield (Taylor) fences off his land and Clay Matthews (Middleton) - with henchmen in tow - cuts them down, simultaneously putting the word out that it's Brassfield who's doing the snipping! Naturally there's romance in the air, which causes friction from more than one quarter, and into the mix comes a visit to this part of Wyoming by President Chester A. Arthur. Who, as it happens, is a key player in spite of his limited screen time (Gates regally excellent).

There's a dark edge bubbling away in this one, which is capitalised upon with a genuinely shocking turn of events. If only the finale could have given us a barnstormer of the kind the story kind of demands. Elsewhere there's no problems in the cast, all perform goody/villain/pretty gal characters with measured form, the location photography in Kernville, California is most appealing, whilst the screenplay is without fuss and pointless filler. True enough to say it's hardly essential viewing for Western fans, and action junkies will be left hankering, but Taylor fans are appeased and it remains watchable from first frame to last. 6/10

It's 1883 in the Wyoming Territory. Sam Brassfield (Robert Taylor) is owner of a giant cattle ranch (in fact the American title of the movie is Cattle King , and also titled Guns of Wyoming) , living along with Ruth Winters (Virginia Christine) , her husbad Ed Winters (Ray Teal) and his Mexican right hand man, a tough , two-fisted foreman named Johnny Quatro (Robert Loggia) . Sam took in his now young adult nephew and niece , Webb (Robert Ivers) and June Carter (Maggie Pierce) , upon the distressed circumstances concerning his sister . Webb is learning to be ranch hand thanks to Quatro , but his hotheadedness often hinders his right way . But someone cutting Sam's wire fences , as hired killers plunge Wyoming into ranch-war and then Sam joins his underlings to go into action . They contend Clay Mathew (one of the screen's best oily villains , Robert Middleton) , a Texas cattle baron who wishes open range all the way from Texas to the Canada border. Sam believes Clay's self interest is driven by he having purchased too many cattle for what his own land can support, as Sam stubbornly determines to stay put , though warned of a hired gunslinger . One other smaller neighboring ranch which has split priorities is that owned and operated by the Travers brothers . As Harry Travers (William Windom) , is a man with no backbone who is easily controlled by others farmers . On the other side is Henry's sister , Sharleen Travers (Joan Caufield) , who does most of the work on the ranch in Henry's uselessness, and who is in love with Sam . As the confrontation seems to become more and more personal between Sam and Clay , once the hero's best friend . Another factor influencing what happens in the matter is the visit to the region of President Chester A. Arthur (Larry Gates ) who attempts to keep peace and order . Land-robbers , hired killers!...the whole Wyoming territory wasn't big enough to hold those gunslingers and the "CATTLE KING" .'Rip down his fences ! Gun down his woman! but then they must answer to the man who walks like a giant and fights like a fury!

It deals with the usual western plot : Range War , as Sam/Robert Taylor who owns and operates the Teton cattle ranch alongside his foreman and housekeeper , husband and wife . On the other hand is Clay Mathews, a Texas cattle baron who wants that open range all the way from Texas to the Canada border resulting in a range war . Despite promising -not just Tay Garnett and big star Robert Taylor , but a nice camerawork- this MGM Western is pretty much a non-starter . The first half is efficient but slow and predictable , at the beginning a couple being attacked by a band of renegades secretly in pay of a land baron . Overall, though , this is a mighty slow ride through familiar pasture . Therefore , the script going in circles producing some boring incidents as appearance by US President himself , stoutly fighting for peace but losing any sense of dramatic process . Robert Taylor gives a passable acting in his habitual style as a wealthy landowner of Wyoming fighting to prevent the Texas herds from trampling his rich meadows . Robert Middleton plays splendidly a powerful cattle baron wanting eventually to oversupply the market with his inferior product at the end of the season to make millions . William Window is an alcoholic person , he is a man with no backbone who is easily manipulated . On the other side is Henry's sister , Sharleen Travers well played by powder-pluff blonde Joan Caufield , who does most of the work on the ranch in Henry's uselessness , and who is in a relationship with Sam . As well as Robert Loggia who likes his girls a little too much and delivers the hardness and bravura necessary to take down villains . And it is nice to see an important plethora of secondaries such as : Ray Teal , Virginia Christine , Robert Ivers , John Mitchum , Don Beddoe , Woodrow Parfrey , Malcolm Atterbury, Richard Devon as the hired gun in the form of badman Vince Bodine to execute his dirty work , as he seems to enjoy the character as the heavy for being the heavy's sake and , finally , Larry Gates who provides a plum role as true President Chester A. Arthur .

The picture was professional -though with no enthusiasm- directed by Tay Garnett . Following his service as a naval aviator in WW I, Tay Garnett entered films in 1920 as a screenwriter. After a stint as a gag writer for Mack Sennett and Hal Roach he joined Pathe, then the distributor for both competing comedy producers , and in 1928 began directing for that company. Garnett garnered some attention in the early 1930s with such films as On way passage (1932) and Her man (1930), but his best work came in the mid-'30s and early 1940s with such films as China Seas (1935), and Slave ship (1937) . He directed all kinds of genres as Wartime , Drama , Westerns , Musical , Adventure , such as : Challenge to be free , The big push , Main street to Broadway , One minute to Zero , Cause of alarm , The valley of decision , Mrs. Parkington , Cheers to Miss Bishop , Seven sinners , Slightly honorable , Eternally yours , Joy of living , Stand-in , The flying fool . His best known film would have to the John Garfield/Lana Turner vehicle The postman always rings twice (1946), although his version of A Connectticut Yankee in King Arthur's court (1949) was a hit , as well as his successful warlike movie : Bataan , that had a well-deserved critical and commercial applause , as well . Garnett journeyed to England in the early 1950s for several films, but upon his return made only a few pictures before jumping enthusiastically into television. Rating : 6/10 . Passable and decent western but not extraordinary.

"Cattle King" is the last film Robert Taylor made under his MGM contract. His full-time contract had ended in 1959 but he agreed to do three more pictures. "Cattle King" is the third. Mr. Taylor plays a large scale cattle rancher whose living is being threatened by a Texas cartel who want to build a cattle highway from Texas to Canada. This would bring thousands of undesirable cattle to Mr. Taylor's Wyoming home. It's a nice twist on the old cattle ranchers vs. sheep herders story. Instead of wanting to leave the range free for cattle to roam, Sam Brassfield (Mr. Taylor) wants to fence in land for the controlled breeding of high quality bovines. The only sheep herder in the picture ends up siding with Brassfield. The cinematography is outstanding with a palette that brings out the beauty of the area near Yellowstone Park. There are numerous scenes of groups of people riding which must have looked wonderful on the big screen.

The acting is done by seasoned professionals like Robert Middleton, Ray Teal and William Windom and a newcomer, Robert Loggia. They are all excellent. As usual in westerns, Joan Caulfield as the love interest for Sam isn't given enough to do. President Chester A. Arthur (Larry Gates) plays a pivotal role. In many ways Robert Taylor's colleagues at MGM made this a warm farewell. The name Robert Taylor fills the screen from top to bottom in the credits. He is photographed lovingly with numerous close-ups. There's a wonderful scene where Mr. Taylor stands proudly, legs apart in the western stance facing his enemy when the camera slides into a screen filling close-up. Robert Taylor was very good at playing characters who were larger than life, people who made a difference without losing their integrity. There's even a bit of humor as he spends a fair amount of time fussing with his various ties. "Cattle King" is a solid, well-acted, beautifully photographed western.

This western uses plot #5 out of the usual 5 or 6 plots in practically every film of the genre. And because of this, it's not exactly a must-see film--even if there is an appearance by President Chester Arthur a couple times during the film.

So what is plot #5? It's the big boss who insists on keeping the range free for cattle--even if this means pitting ranchers and sheep herders and practically everyone against each other. What makes this a bit difference is that one of the cattle men (Robert Taylor) is actually set up by another cattle men--mostly because Taylor thinks everyone CAN peacefully coexist. The bottom line is that the entire film seems very, very , very familiar. The acting isn't bad but the overall effort is imminently skip-worthy.

Oh, and the guy who played Arthur really looked very little like the real Chester Arthur.

Probably the 3456th western about war that existed between cattle lords, or between cattle kings and rustlers, or between ruthless landlords, owners of thousands and thousands acres properties and colons in search of a better life. In short, this scheme exists since western genre exists, and I am sure it will continue in the future, even in 2050, because this is the story of America. So, here, in this 1963 western directed by an uninspired Tay Garnett and starring a bland Robert Taylor - whose only presence counts, not his performance - it is just interesting for a movie buff to see Robert Taylor fighting against a pure evil Robert Middleton, who seemed to exist only for this kind of character. And the hired gun, his sidekick, Richard Devon, is also better for me than Taylor. Good little western.