The Last Bandit

Another fine outing from Republic and Bill Elliott. Tucker is the crooked brother that tries to lure Elliott back into a life of crime by robbing a train full of gold. The TRUCOLOR is great and so is the supporting cast featuring Andy Divine. Plenty of action, this one moves along swiftly.

About to marry Jim Plummer, Kate Foley runs off to Nevada when Ed Bagley convinces her a quick fortune can be made robbing gold shipments that are being transported by the railroad. In Bannock City she meets reformed-bandit Frank Plummer, posing as Frank Norris, brother of Jim Plummer, who has being going straight and working as an express shipment guard. Jim also shows up and plans a robbery by stealing a train and hiding it in an abandoned tunnel. The two brothers are on opposite sides of the law with the now-reformed Kate caught in the middle.

Colourful western with good production values stars Will Bill Elliot, a reformed outlaw who is now guarding a gold train, and of course, his brother - the underrated Forest Tucker - is trying to rob it. Soon they lock heads. Hence some neat conflicts gets aroused. There's some good nifty pace and romance, however the film really picks up mid-way with the train sequence and the robbery. Overall engages but second half is the best part. There's some interesting characters played by Lorna Grey and Minna Gombell.

The highlight in in this western is the very inventive train robbery, so exciting and never shown before, as far as I know. That reminded me the heist scheme of THEY CAME TO ROB LAS VEGAS. For the rest, nothing special but a good time waster pulled by solid performances. Bill Elloitt and Forrest Tucker, Republic "house" stars were unavoidable in this movie, only Rod Cameron or Vera Ralston were missing.

The Last Bandit is a pretty standard western that feels a lot longer than its running time. Bill Elliot did better in the 50s in his Allied Artists and Monogram westerns with Thomas Carr and Lewis Collins directing. Some of those westerns were a bit more complex....or had better dialogue...and better direction.

The cast is very good and the acting is certainly not an issue. If you like action, there is enough to keep you satisfied. I just never really cared about the proceedings.

Joe Cane directed soooo many films - and he did them quickly and efficiently - but this one never really goes anywhere interesting.

The Last Bandit which is a remake of an earlier Republic western that starred Bob Steele called The Great Robbery involves the story of Wild Bill Elliott and Forrest Tucker, a pair of outlaw brothers named Plummer who have gone their separate ways. Elliott has left their Ozark turf and gone west to Nevada and now works for a railroad express company making an honest living. But when Tucker hears that he figures he's got an inside man for a really big score. He brings the whole gang with him from Missouri to Nevada and that includes Adrian Booth who flirts between the two brothers.

Still a film aimed at the juvenile trade, The Last Bandit is a great deal more intricately plotted than most westerns out of Republic Studios. Herbert J. Yates even splurged for a color process called TruColor and the DVD I have it shows it has aged well or been nicely restored. The color may make this the most expensive Wild Bill Elliott western ever done.

Such stalwarts as Jack Holt, Andy Devine, Virginia Brissac, Martin Garralaga, and Grant Withers are all in the cast in roles suited to them. Charles Middleton the famous Ming the Merciless makes his farewell appearance in The Last Bandit as a circuit riding preacher at the beginning of the film. But the one to watch is Minna Gombell who plays the proprietress of the saloon where all the plots are hatched and she's sitting on the nest. The film also hints ever so gently at her real profession as madam of a bordello, also unusual for a film marketed to juveniles.

The final 20 minutes or so deals with the robbery and Elliott's attempt to foil same. It was expertly done and a close run thing.

The Last Bandit is definitely a must for Wild Bill Elliott fans.