Stranger on Horseback

1954's "Stranger on Horseback" was shot in Sedona AZ in the rarely used Ansco color process, rather than the far more popular Cinecolor. Joel McCrea is the star, playing circuit judge Richard Thorne, arriving in a town ruled by the Bannerman clan, investigating a shooting death where no arrests have been made. Trouble begins when Thorne learns that Tom Bannerman (Kevin McCarthy) was the shooter, his father Josiah (John McIntire) unwilling to allow any lawman to bring his offspring to trial. The beautiful Miroslava commands the screen as Amy Lee Bannerman, whose allegiance wavers under the judge's influence. Although a star in Mexico, she was actually Czech-born, a sad suicide only two weeks prior to this film's release. A year away from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," the amiable Kevin McCarthy just isn't the right actor to play a slimy villain (all the bad guys are rather colorless). Legendary scene stealer John Carradine is in typical form, playing the tailor-made role of Colonel Buck Streeter, indeed a trial run for his Cassius Starbuckle in 1962's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," seedy Southern prosecutor aiding the judge while staying close to the Bannermans (he disappears from the film once the cross country journey begins).

Federal circuit judge Joel McCrea rides into town. Amiable and pompous John Carradine greets him, and sheriff Emile Meyer says there's no call for his service. It turns out that Kevin McCarthy, son of local land baron John McIntire has shot someone and the man died, but since it was self-defense, he isn't being held. McCrea sees things differently; that's for a jury to decide. So McCarthy is jugged, much to the displeasure of McIntire and cousin Miroslava. McCrea must investigate on his own, along with Carradine, who has gotten himself appointed prosecutor, despite turning up at McIntire's dinner table.

It's one of the standard western plots and starts out like the better remembered RIO BRAVO, but with less star power. Still, McCrea is, as always, very solid in his western roles, Carradine always watchable, and McIntire excellent in what turns out to be a very complicated character. I don't think the ending quite works, but getting there is a pleasure, especially in the third act, where they leave town and the open country around Sedona Arizona is revealed by Technicolor specialist Ray Rennahan --- who's shooting in Ansco Color.

According to the Films of Joel McCrea series book, McCrea liked so much working with Jacques Tourneur on one of his best films Stars In My Crown that he signed eagerly to do this adaption of a Louis L'Amour novel of a western circuit riding, gun toting judge. This is a man who backs up his decisions.

No one has been to this town recently when McCrea rides in and he quickly discovers the place is run top to bottom by the local Ben Cartwright played by John McIntire. McCrea discovers quickly enough that McIntire's punk son has been responsible for several non-natural deaths and no one has seen fit to prosecute. McCrea orders cynical marshal Emile Meyer to arrest Kevin McCarthy. Soon enough though it's pretty obvious that no fair trial can be obtained in McIntire's town so a change of venue is ordered. The rest of the film is McCrea, Meyer, McCarthy and a few others making the journey for said change of venue with McIntire on their heels.

Stealing every scene he's in is John Carradine playing a rather cheerfully corrupt prosecutor in McIntire's town. He reminds me so much of Cassius Starbuckle the cattleman's mouthpiece in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. His role here could be a younger version, a dress rehearsal for the John Ford classic.

Playing McIntire's niece is Czech/Mexican actress Miroslava who would do only one more film before committing suicide at the age of 30. She was one sexy alluring creature who tries her ways on McCrea. He's tempted to be sure.

Stranger On Horseback is short and taught western with maximum editing skills applied by its director. McCrea's character might well have been transferred to television for a series about a circuit riding judge. I'm surprised no one saw the possibilities.

Circuit judge rides into town and finds that a killing has taken place that no-one wants to investigate. He soon finds that the killer is the son of the local landowner who basically owns the town. The film relates the story of the judge's attempts to bring him to justice. Although this is a fairly cliched story, it is made with panache, and with a running time of a little over an hour, it does not outstay it's welcome. Miroslava, with her eastern European looks and accent, is a striking presence in the film. Her tragic death after the film was completed was a sad loss. I saw this movie on Movies4Men and wouldn't mind having a DVD of it, and having found that it is available as part of a box set called Darn Good Westerns 1 I have ordered it through amazon.

Stranger on the Horseback is the first and less seen of the three westerns Jacques Tourneur directed in the 1950s, the other two being Wichita and The Great Day in the Morning. And in my opinion is the best of them.

This time the main character is not a sheriff, but a judge Rick Thorne (Joel McCrea) who comes to the small town in the west with the intent of establishing the thing that simply didn't exist there before - the law. Very soon he's joined by Colonel Streeter (John Carradine) who offers Rick his help.

The town is completely under control of a rich and powerful cattle baron Josiah Bannerman and his family gang. But Rick's determination is unshaken.

Soon Rick discovers that a little time before his arrival into town a man was killed by Josiah Bannerman's son - Tom. Tom claims that it was self defense, but Rick begins to conduct his own investigation with the intent to find witnesses and bring Tom to trial. Meanwhile he meets a beautiful Josiah Bannerman's daughter - Amy (Miroslava Stern) who falls in love with him.

Stranger on the Horseback is the best western Jacques Tourneur ever directed. Smoothly paced, with interesting characters, finely acted and with intelligent and witty dialogs it's a pleasure to watch from the beginning to the end. 8/10