The Silver Star

The Silver Star is one of that slew of westerns that came out after High Noon about the job of a sheriff and the responsibilities and risks that go with it. Although done on a C picture budget The Silver Star is not a bad film with a nice ensemble cast brought together by producer/directors Earle Lyon and Richard Bartlett who also star in the film as the hero and one of three gunfighters looking to take him out.

Old sheriff Edgar Buchanan has retired and the town mostly on his say so has chosen young Lyon who has a law enforcement pedigree from his father and grandfather gets the job over Lon Chaney, Jr. who ran against him. Then three killers headed by Bartlett ride into town and plant themselves in Morris Ankrum's and Marie Windsor's saloon and said they're here to kill the sheriff whom they've never met.

Poor Lyon just doesn't feel he's up to a job that killed both his father and grandfather and it takes a lot to prod him into action. But when the action does come it's explosive.

In the tradition of High Noon which had a former movie cowboy and country/western singer Tex Ritter do the immortal ballad associated with the film, The Silver Star has Jimmy Wakely singing the title song which serves the same function as Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling. The song moves the story narrative along quite nicely.

Although this kind of stuff was being seen on the small screen more than the big by this time, The Silver Star is a nice no frills B western like they don't make any more.

Although this nifty little western drama is seldom available for viewing, it remains as one of the better western character studies of the 50s. Perhaps the lack of action, and the stark reality of the picture account for the poor reviews it received upon it's release, however, in hindsight, it remains one of the better "High Noon" inspired quickies, and is perhaps in some respects even better than it's insparation. Lyon shows signs of real acting brilliance as the cowardly Sheriff, only willing to fight when he is shamed into it. The great title song by Wakely is unforgettable.

THE SILVER STAR is a Western about fear. Lon Chaney Jr wants to be sheriff to run the town as he likes but Lyon, whose granddad and dad died in office as town sheriffs, steps up to the plate... until King Daniels (Bartlett) blows into town, accompanied by two murderous sidekicks, and that is when Lyon decides to go for a long ride around, meeting here and there with former sheriff Edgar Buchanon (as spelt in the credits).

Chaney is scared to show his hand. Bartlett is scared enough to come with henchmen. Lyon is obviously scared not just because of past family losses but because he feels the town should be involved, it should not be up to the sheriff alone.

Throw in the ultimate femme fatale in noir films, Marie Windsor, here playing the role of goody two shoes girlfriend who tells Lyon she will not have a coward for her mate, and will not leave town on the train with him.

Which is a reversal of the situation in HIGH NOON, done three years earlier, in which a train brings four bandits to town intent on killing Sheriff Will Kane.

Meanwhile, Lyon keeps going around on his horse while Jim Wakely sings a tune that is not so very different from "Please don't forsake me oh my darling" in HIGH NOON. And so the Hamlet-like young sheriff wanders about before finally deciding to turn in his badge to his predecessor, who is man enough to go out and start the vital showdown that makes Lyon realize that he has to do something, not just stand around.

And so some cosmetic complexity is added to a pointless story whose sole moral lesson is that the sheriff should never have to act alone. What is more, this sheriff portrayed by Lyon cannot shoot straight enough to hit an elephant, let alone moving human targets.

B cinematography, unconvincing direction, laughable script, and one decent performance from the ever reliable supporting actor Edgar Buchanon, better known as Buchanan, here in the leading role. Waste of 73 minutes.

There is a lot going on in this little low budget western drama, and there is absolutely NO WASTE OF TALENT! Lyon plays the sheriff, who's father and grandfather were both gunned down while wearing a badge. It seems that he has just taken over from Buchanan, who has let a lot slide during the 15 years he was wearing the badge.

I think that many viewers, especially immature ones, will have a tough time with this tale...it deals with the fear of cowardice. All men and women experience it at some time, however it is not considered macho to talk about it, hence we have more movies with Cooper and Wayne portraying the fearless, card board cut-out protagonist, rather than real life characters.

The scene where Windsor and Buchanan berate and grind Lyon into action is unforgettable.

The movie could have benefited from a more rugged realistic conclusion, however after all these years, this one remains a minor classic.

November 1954 saw the swift completion of "The Silver Star," the last of Lon Chaney's three releases from Lippert Pictures, this one from a short-lived outfit formed by producer Earle Lyon and director Richard H. Bartlett. A pedestrian ripoff of the superior "High Noon," partially conceived by actor/co-producer Ian MacDonald (main villain Frank Miller from "High Noon"), producer Lyon taking the lead as newly elected sheriff Gregg Leech, while director Bartlett opposed him as top henchman King Daniel, riding into town with two comrades, challenging Leech to face them at 8PM or get out fast (obviously, HIGH 8PM doesn't have the same ring!). Where its inspiration featured a plethora of interesting characters in support, such as Katy Jurado and Lloyd Bridges, this ultra low budgeter falls flat with non descript characters, only top billed Edgar Buchanan, in the retired sheriff role essayed by Chaney before, getting much of a chance to sink his teeth in (there's even a similar theme song, done by Jimmy Wakely rather than Tex Ritter). The cowardly Leech was recommended to replace Buchanan because both his father and grandfather were lawmen, but he simply wanders from one end of town to the other, unable to make up his mind until a certain amount of running time is used up, while the three hired gunmen take over the saloon, a steady supply of whiskey evidently ruining their shootin' eyes for the predictable outcome. Lon Chaney plays crooked attorney John W. Harmon, on the losing end in the election for sheriff, whose smiling demeanor fools absolutely no one, all convinced that he is the one responsible for those hired guns, entering at the 25 minute mark, almost 5 1/2 minutes screen time but a weak villain that hardly taxes his abilities. In cahoots with Chaney is fellow veteran Barton MacLane, again joining together the following decade for the A.C. Lyles Paramount Westerns. Producer Earle Lyon and director Richard H. Bartlett probably did the leads as a budget saving device, but their nonacting isn't helped by the sketchy characters they portray, robbing this modest effort of any possible tension. Lyon continued after their partnership dissolved, while Bartlett moved into television, after directing Chaney once more in a Universal oater starring Jock Mahoney, 1958's "Money, Women and Guns."