The Man from Bitter Ridge

The Man from Bitter Ridge is directed by Jack Arnold and collectively written by Lawrence Roman, Teddi Sherman and William MacLeod Raine. Cinematography is by Russell Metty. It stars Lex Barker, Mara Corday, Stephen McNally and John Dehner.

Jeff Carr (Barker) is a special investigator who arrives in Tomahawk to seek out who has been holding up the local stagecoach with murderous intent.

It's your standard rank and file "B" Oater of the 1950s, but one of worth to the discerning duster fanatic. Beautifully photographed by Metty out of Conejo Valley and Skeleton Canyon - in Eastman Color (check out those blues) - the pic never lacks for action (dynamite play, shoot-ups, rounds of knuckles) and mysterious political intrigue.

Characterisations are boosted by the presence of McNally and Dehner (as usual), and Corday is socko beautiful enough to off-set what is - and was - often a standard Western female role. There's some neat touches in the screenplay, such as a black sheep metaphor, the fact our hero quite often is easily disarmed! And some good old false imprisonment.

It doesn't shake your boots off but it does ruffle them regardless. Good fun. 6.5/10

It's Not Often that Sheep-Headers are at the Center of the Heroics in a Cow-Boy Movie.

In Fact, Emphasizing the Point, Steve McNally's Head Herder Nicknames' Lex Barker "Cowboy" and Uses it Relentlessly Throughout.

There's Much Going On in this Overpopulated Picture...

Stage-Coach Robberies of Targeted Gold Shipments.

The Town Celebrating, Complete with Marching Bands, Banners and Placards, the Election of the Town Sheriff with One Seriously Corrupt Candidate.

A Love Triangle Between a "Tarzan-Like" Hunk, Lex Barker, a Rough and Ready to Fist-Fight at the Drop of a Hat, Steve McNally, and the Stunningly Beautiful Tom-Boy and Crack-Shot, Mora Corday.

There are Many Battles with Fisticuffs, Dynamite, and Guns-Blazing.

The Climax is so Riddled with Gun-Play in the Middle of Town and Hundreds of Bullets Flying Everywhere, its Difficult to Tell Who's Shooting Who and it Resembles a Circular Firing Squad.

Certainly a Big-Bang for the Buck, with a Big-Budget,

and Direction from a 1950's icon of Pulp Entertainment, Jack Arnold.

Certainly makes this Big Colorful Entertainment...

Worth a Watch.

I am awarding this film 6/10 i.e. Somewhat above average. The first detail to catch my eye was the direction by Jack Arnold, far better known for his sci-fi exploits.

BITTER RIDGE posts some good sequences, a strong cast with Barker, McNally (one of my favorite supporting actors in Westerns), Dehner in fine form, generally effective cinematography and editing by Russell Metty and Milton Carruth, respectively - all that helps, even if some of the stunts are distinctly second rate.

Add to that the exceedingly beautiful Mara Corday, who any man would find tough not to love at first sight, as Barker confesses - and you know you won't be wasting your precious time with BITTER RIDGE.

Credible antagonisms among the male leads definitely help, even if the best scenes in the film involve the growing emotional ties between Barker and Corday.

The single major flaws reside in the repetitive script. BITTER RIDGE would have benefitted from 10-15 minutes less. At any rate, I enjoyed it.

Good-looking Lex Barker will probably always be known as one of the best of the Tarzans, but he shows here he was also one of the best Western actors.

He is accompanied here by some of the finest actors -- not necessarily best known, but extremely talented performers -- ever to grace the Western screen.

Mara Corday was simply gorgeous, but she was also an excellent rider and an actress who should have received more adulation.

Stephen McNally was usually an excellent city slicker, and he frankly surprised me in this Western role. "Cowboy" is not strictly apt since his character was head of the sheepmen, but he looks as if he had been a cowboy all his life. This is an eye-opening performance.

My favorite in "The Man from Bitter Ridge" is Trevor Bardette, as the incumbent sheriff. This might be his best role ever, and it is one of his best performances. He is so completely watchable as the left-handed sheriff, you will want to watch and re-watch this movie just to watch his expressions and gestures. Extraordinary!

Surely one of the slimiest Western villains of all time, and another really excellent actor, is a man I've loved to watch for, really, decades, Myron Healey. "Slimy" is just the perfect description of his character, but he is so much more in this role.

I remember Myron Healey playing the prosecuting attorney in a Durango Kid movie and being astonished at his ability to play one of the good guys. It merely proved Mr. Healey was a by gosh actor!

As the brains heavy, John Dehner was another surprise. What a calm and controlled portrayal of the most villainous of the villains. His IMDb bio reads in part, "A tall and distinguished looking man with a rich voice and somewhat flamboyant demeanor, Dehner often was cast as an outlaw leader ..." Well, yes, he was the outlaw leader, but, to repeat, his character was far from "flamboyant," being calm and controlled and in charge. Excellent characterization.

There is good dialogue, and excellent directing. Director Jack Arnold might be best known for science fiction, but he won awards for TV and his Westerns earn high praise.

"The Man from Bitter Ridge" is a blah generic title but an exciting and beautifully presented movie. I urge you to see it, and you can at YouTube.

Jeff Carr, a special investigator, arrives in Tomahawk. His assignment is to discover who has been holding up the local stagecoach and is guilty for a series of killings that terrorize the town. Sheepman Alec Black is suspected by the local population but it is not long before Jeff realizes the man is innocent. Alec even becomes a good friend although he is in love with the same woman as him, Holly. Jeff will manage to arrest the real culprits but not before the latter try to compromise him down.

Lex Barker starred in a few westerns, the Man from the Bitter Ridge is one of his best ones- it's fast-paced, has loads of action, fistfights - the fight in the alleyway between Myron Healy and Barker is well choreographed with some judo locks - and good dialogue and cinematography. Stephen McNally stars as a sheepman, Mara Corday adds some glamour and John Dehner lends some villainy in this colourful oater.