Seven Ways from Sundown

A little western ,definitely off the beaten track ; a ranger/outlaw relationship you do not see every day;when one first meets the renegade ,he's taking with a brat,near the water ;theIr conversation deals with the sturgeons,that provide the European crowned heads with caviar .Later ,the prisoner and his escort does not really act as you expect ; "Seven Ways of Sundown " (youthful Murphy)has probably never got over his big brother 's loss and is looking for a replacement ;his prisoner is a bon vivant , who tries to strike up a friendship with the ranger :together,they would almost rule the world ,should one believe him .

Although we guess very soon who's responsible for the death of the brother, the ranger/prisoner relationship is not derivative ,it's really endearing.

Good film with deft performances from all concerned with continual element of surprises , thrills , humour and turning of the tables . Revolving around a lawman : Audie Murphy , nicknamed "Seven Ways from Sundown" Jones- thus the title- joins the Texas Rangers , as he puts on a badge as a Texas Ranger , accompanying ranger-veteran Hennessey : John McIntire . As his first assignment is to capture the bad guy , skillfully played by Barry Sullivan. Catching him, in New Mexico, is not near the job that getting him back to a Texas jail . Along the way , Audie has to escort back to justice, while must fight and standing against impossible odds , as he has to confront outlaw Sullivan , gunmen and Indians . On the way back to town the two develop a special relationship and while turning-of-the-tables and passes up numerous chances to escape - but in the end Sullivan "asks for it" and Murphy obliges.

An intelligent and brooding Western with a great main and support cast giving awesome interpretations , concerning a curiously close relationship between amiable Audie and wily gunslinger Sullivan . Decent and enjoyable Western with magnificent interpretations from Barry Sullivan and Audie Murphy and a splendid plethora of secondaries . An intelligent , adult and impressively tense Western based on a story and screenplay by Clair Huffaker . The inventive storyline has the vein of humour that keeps this sort of movie going well , and of course , adding usual fights and shootouts , here with a subtle difference . A top-notch cast under superb direction by Harry Keller makes this movie notable in every aspect , being shot on Universal International Pictures scenarios and locations that serve to increase the mood of extreme tension .This acceptable , simple , powerful picture tells a peculiar and likeable relationsip , though , ultimately , things go wrong . Hollywood production full of interesting characters , shootouts and intense drama . This ¨Seven Ways from Sundown¨not the best Western ever,...but pretty darn close . Director managed to create a nice work of art with fine acting , appropriate scenarios , and attractive plot . It provides wonderful sociological lessons that are timeless and transcend the genre . Bursting with appealing , top-drawer characters, including adequate filmmaking and interpretation . The confrontation results to be tense , charged and riveting . This is one of a clutch of acceptable horse operas Universal International Pictures made in the forties , in the late 50s and the early sixties . Here Murphie is again the kid , giving an agreeable acting as ¨Seven ways from Sundown¨whose father numbered the kids and the mother embellished the numbers . While Barry Sullivan is Jim Flood, a famous outlaw who eluded the law for years . They are well accompanied by gorgeous Venetia Stevenson , and an extraordinary plethora of secondaries as John McIntire Kenneth Tobey , Mary Field , Suzanne Lloyd , Don Haggerty , Jack Kruschen , among others .

Thrilling and atmospheric music by Irving Gertz and William Lava . As well as colorful and brilliant Cinematography by Ellis W. Carter. The motion picture was efficiently produced by Gordon Kay and professionally directed by Harry Keller . Harry worked at Republic Pictures , specializing in westerns , where he shot a lot , such as : Phantom Stallion , Red River Shore ,Paso Stampede , Bandits of the West , Savage Frontier , Marshal of Cedar Rock , Thundering Caravans , Black Hills Ambush , Rose Cimarron , Fort Dodge , Stampede , Desert of lost men , Tarnished and most of them starred by Allan Lane and Rex Allen . When that studio folded he went to Universal, directing westerns again : Quantez , Gundown at Sandoval , 6 Black Horses , interspersed with some dramas/thrillers : Step Down to Terror , Man Afraid , Voice in the mirror , Female Animal , comedies : Tammy and the Doctor and war pictures : In Enemy Country. In the late 1960s he stopped directing films and started producing them, although he did keep his hand in directing TV shows. And making TV Westerns : Texas John Slaughter : Stampede at Bitter Creek ; Texas John Slaughter : Wild times . Keller gained some degree of fame as the director called in by Universal to reshoot scenes from Orson Welles' masterpiece Touch of evil (1958), and by most accounts -including Welles'- matched Welles' style quite well . Rating . 6.5/10 . Better than average western . Well worth watching , exciting stuff .

Seven Ways From Sundown Jones (Audie Murphy) must bring in outlaw Jim Flood, who tries to win Jones over to his side with charm and a fun loving personality. Does Jones put friendship over justice? Does Flood underestimate the green lawman? Watch and see.

Everyone should see at least one Audie Murphy western in his life. This one is as good as any. Audie's a lawman charged with bringing elegant bad guy Barry Sullivan back to town in order to have him hanged. The problem is that, for all their difference, these two men become friends; and in time good friends. Sullivan teaches Audie a thing or two about life, and Audie gives Sullivan a lesson or two in morality. These guy complement one another. The dialogue is, for a low-budget western, often quite good. Everything happens as it should. The ending, while not a shocker, truly resonates, and makes us think about what we have just seen.

Seven Ways from Sundown is directed by Harry Keller and adapted to screenplay by Clair Huffaker from his own novel of the same name. It stars Audie Murphy, Barry Sullivan, Venetia Stevenson, John McIntire and Kenneth Tobey. A UIP production in Eastman Color with music scored by William Lava & Irving Gertz (Joseph Gershenson supervising) and cinematography by Ellis Carter. Plot finds Murphy as Seven Ways from Sundown, a Texas Ranger who tracks and captures notorious outlaw Jim Flood (Sullivan). As the two men make their way back to Texas, a bond begins to form...

It's another Audie Murphy Western that rarely gets a mention when the talk turns to Murphy's best Oaters. On this occasion, though, it's not because it is operating suspiciously at the low end of the "B" Western scale, or that it is boorish in the formula department, this is actually a case of it being under seen by the last couple of generations of Western fans. A shame because it has much to recommend.

Film basically centres around the two (initial) polar opposite characters finding a mutual respect as they traverse the dusty land back to Texas. Along the way they encounter problems; Apache attack, bounty hunters et al, but they play cards, they fight, with both men getting ample opportunities to either escape or wound, but mostly they talk. Wonderful dialogue driven chat from the Huffaker (Rio Conchos/The Commancheros) pen. This isn't in the same league as the psychological smarts laden 3:10 to Yuma chatter between Heflin and Ford, no sir, but it's well scripted and boosted considerably by the chemistry between Murphy and Sullivan.

It's an odd couple physically, especially in the early parts as Seven has Greenhorn traits to overcome, but the guy's odd friendship does become believable. When Seven says late in the day that there's no man he trusts more than Flood, we understand why, because Keller (Day of the Bad Man/Quantez) and Huffaker have done great work in bringing the characters and actors to life. There's extra spice in the beans, too, with knowledge given to us of what Flood has done with his guns and what Seven is irked by in his past, he has a calling but is it a burden?

There's enough action in here to please the undemanding Western fan, with gun play, fist throws and show downs (look out for a nice stunt leap off of a wagon), while there's the odd smattering of heroism such as Audie saving a dog from a bird of prey! A potential romance angle (no not between the men) is very low key and not a hindrance, McIntire and Tobey impact nicely with their respective performances and Nevada's Red Rock Canyon forms a magnificent back drop (bravo Ellis Carter). But this is all about Murphy and Sullivan and the care and consideration afforded them by Messrs Keller and Huffaker. Far from perfect for sure, anyone will find holes in this sort of production, but forgiveness is not hard to come by when it plays out so damn well. Hey! The ending is a real beaut as well. 8/10

Footnote: I viewed the film from British TV, Dave Channel. A lovely print that only makes me lament there's no widespread DVD release for this film. There is a very expensive Region 2 French DVD available from certain outlets, the quality of which I can't vouch for.