Le Courrier de l'or

During the American Civl War, an Army captain is tasked with ensuring the safe transport of government gold in the Old West. This is perhaps the weakest of the seven Boetticher-Scott Westerns, thanks to a so-so script that fails to evolve into a compelling narrative. The best of the series featured the writing of Burt Kennedy, and he's absent here. Scott plays a character similar to the others in the series, an easy-going fellow pushed to fight by the bad guys. Mayo plays the love interest, although she has a small role. Featured in a more prominent female role is Steele, who also appeared in two other Boetticher-Scott Westerns.

The not so good first. The use of weaponry by all of the characters years before it was available. Much of the clothing appears more appropriate for a modern day dude ranch rather than the 1860's west (although I always love Randy's dark blue shirt, dark blue pants and yellow bandanna). The writing and characterizations just were not on a par with the other Scott/Boetticher efforts.

The good news. This is a Randolph Scott western. None of the above matters. Enjoy!

As a fan of Virginia Mayo,I was disappointed :she has three or four scenes and that's it ;the real female lead is Karen Steele ,an OK actress but without her colleague's appeal.

"Westbound" is a very short western ,without a dull moment;some characters -not Mayo's ,too predictable- are interesting particularly the one-armed ex-soldier who keeps on repeating he is only the half of the man he used to be .Randolph Scott is good as usual as the loyal hero on a mission to send gold to the Yankees ,who takes under his wing the young couple exposed to a sinister-looking guy's violence.

Budd Boetticher made the best of an average screenplay,much to his credit.

Greeting.

I cannot recall exactly how many times I have watched the film, "Westbound." I saw it in the theaters with my dad in 1959, and on TV many, many times since then. I have always enjoyed Randolph Scott, and Virginia Mayo (from St. Louis)! I liked the story of gold shipments from Julesburg, Colorado to the Federal Treasury. Confederates are waylaying the gold, and Randolph Scott returns to Julesburg to fix the problem.

Great story. Great story within a story of the one armed Federal veteran running a relay station. The color was good too. HOWEVER, what grabbed my attention, and still does, is the musical score! The music, especially the theme for traveling stagecoaches, is perfect, and very melodic!

Music is for me one of the major elements in a film. It must all be taken in together. I want desperately to purchase a VHS or DVD of Westbound so I can view it sans commercials, with great enjoyability!!! One of my very favorite Westerns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Terry Klasek

Out of Warner Brothers and filmed in Warnercolor, Westbound is directed by Budd Boetticher & written by Berne Giler & Albert Shelby LeVino. It stars Randolph Scott, Virginia Mayo, Karen Steele, Michael Dante, Andrew Duggan & Michael Pate. The story is set in 1864 during the American Civil War where Scott plays John Hayes, the man charged with the task of running the Overland Stage Line between California and Julesburg, Colorado. The function of which is to transport gold and the mail to aid the Union war effort. In Julesburg, Hayes finds a host of problems with Confederate sympathisers led by Clay Putnam (Duggan), who also happens to be married to Norma (Mayo), an old flame of Hayes.

Of the seven Western film's that Boetticher and Scott made, Westbound is widely regarded as the weakest. Not part of the Ranown cycle they did that featured Harry Joe Brown on production and Burt Kennedy screen writing, it is a decent, if disposable, Western movie. The story is actually rather enticing, but with such a small running time and a condensed location shoot, the movie is never quite able to lay down some solid footings for the characters to flourish from. This leaves the supporting actors either exposed to their failings as thesps (Duggan is particularly bad), or playing underdeveloped participants (sadly the case with Mayo).

However, this being Boetticher & Scott it does have some nice passages to take in, unsurprisingly the best of which is when Scott is on screen. Be it cocking a rifle with one hand, throwing one of his best ever punches, squaring off against Pate's effective turn as henchman Mace; or laying on some reflective emotion around the two ladies of the piece, Scott is always captivating. What action there is is attention grabbing for the budget and David Buttolph provides a perky score that's at its best during the stagecoach sequences. With the exteriors primarily filmed at the Warner Ranch, J. Peverell Marley is able to photograph enough of the grassy hilled scenery to make an easy on the eye impact.

Enjoyable and safe fare for Western fans, but very much a low key affair from the normally dynamite partnership of director & star. 6/10