Robbers' Roost

This movie wasted a good cast and film stock.

George Montgomery and Richard Boone should have switched roles. Boone would have brought out the subleties of a good man masquerading as a bad guy.

Montgomery's career might have profited by playing a slick bad guy.

Who the heck was Sylvia Findley? why was she given the female lead? You've got Montgomery, Boone, William Hopper and Peter Graves all lusting after her. I don't see what the big deal was.

It also makes little use of Leo Gordon. When you have a big, intimidating guy like that, use him! He made a bigger impression opposite John Wayne in "Hondo" or as a convict in "Riot In Cell Block 11".

They should have given the guy with the guitar some better songs to sing.

At least the colors were good.

George Montgomery has as his source for this western no less a western writer than Zane Grey in Robber's Roost. Two outlaw gangs, one headed by Richard Boone the other by Peter Graves are employed at the ranch owned by brother and sister Bruce Bennett and Sylvia Findlay.

Bennett who is now a paraplegic for reasons not really explained in the story has hired two outlaw gangs as ranch hands, the theory being that one will watch the other especially since Boone and Graves hate each other's guts. It actually works for a while.

Into the mix comes Montgomery who joins up with Boone's gang. He's got his own agenda for mixing in all of this business. And he too is a wanted man.

The Zane Grey story translates well to the big screen. This is definitely one of George Montgomery's better B westerns.

That line, declared by at the end by a lawman, sums up the entire film, which belies its lively title.

Despite taking an original novel by Zane Grey (already filmed once before in 1933), a good cast and a stash of Eastmancolor stock all the way to Monterey for the use of veteran local cameraman Jack Draper, the result is tinny, talky and dull, the colour muddy and dull. The final shoot-out against a majestic backdrop of rocks takes an awfully long time a-coming and when it finally does is needlessly drawn out (even having a character run out of bullets at a critical moment to prolong it still further).

In a better film Richard Boone's grinning villain could have been really memorable; but this isn't that film.

Or George Montgomery vs Richard Boone for a nothing special but effective and taut western which will please all western buffs. It is rather rare and made by a good professional: Sidney Salkow who also gave us THE IRON SHERIFF, GUN DUEL IN DURANGO, GREAT SIOUX MASSACRE and many other good and solid westerns. So that's a pretty good reason not to miss it, though nothing exceptional here, just a good drecting and acting, good character symphony too. Richard Boone is far more interesting for me than the wooden George Montgomery in a role that brings nothing at all to his career. So focus on Leo Gordon, Dick Boone and you'll plenty enjoy it.

I do not know very much about Director Sidney Salkow, but his films have not impressed me, including ROBBERS' ROOST which I find thoroughly mediocre.

Despite potentially beautiful vistas, including a rock hanging perilously high over other rocks, Jack Draper's cinematography looks shabby and pedestrian. Stunts are unmemorable, too.

I did not like the acting. Perahps because of the unbelievably stilted screenplay, lawman George Montgomery plays a cattle rustler joining two other rustler gangs, led by Richard Boone and Peter Graves respectively. Montgomery comes across as thoroughly wooden, Boone contrasts with an annoyingly over the top performance, Graves inexplicaby tries to cheat Boone at cards, and just keeps blundering right up to his stupid death. Pretty Sylvia Findley and her father, paralitically played by former great supporting actor Bruce Bennett, are the victims of the rustling gangs. Incredibly, Bennett's theory is that by engaging thieves his head of cattle are safe because there is so much dis-honor among thieves! In other words, if you want your property protected, keep pumping in crooks and it will be safe as a state bank... what BS, the more the merrier as they empty your goods!

That shows the (artificial) intelligence of the script by John O'Dea off the original book by Zane Grey.

I doubt I will rewatch this dud. 5/10.