Taggart

Director R.G. Springsteen spent many years at Republic Pictures turning out efficient little B westerns, and his expertise is evident in this crisp, sharp little western. From around 1960 to about 1966 Universal churned out a stream of quickie westerns, most of them run-of-the-mill at best and low-grade junk at worst. This tight little oater, however, falls into neither category. A cast of western veterans like Emile Meyer, Ray Teal, Dick Foran and the great Dan Duryea, and a more than competent leading man in Tony Young, combine with a good story and Springsteen's firm hand to make this one of the best B westerns to come out of Universal in that period. Young plays Taggart, a man who gunned down the son of a powerful local rancher who led a gang that attacked his camp and murdered his parents. The dead son's dying father sends hired killers out to track down and kill Taggart. Fleeing through Apache territory, he comes to the aid of an old man and his daughter defending their gold mine against rampaging Indians. Young reminds you of Gary Cooper in his early years, although a bit more animated, and it's a shame his career never really went anywhere, as he's quite good in this (he also shot another western around this time, "He Rides Tall," and is equally as good in that one). Long-time cowboy actor Dick Foran plays the father, and the gorgeous Jean Hale--who years later married actor Dabney Coleman--is his daughter. The story is interesting, the scenery is pretty and Duryea is--as always--tremendous fun to watch. There's some sharp action, although a good chunk of it is obvious stock footage from other westerns, and things are resolved satisfactorily--though somewhat abruptly--at the end, something that didn't always happen in Universal's westerns of the period. All in all, a very watchable little B picture. You could do a lot worse than spending some time on this one.

This is a mediocre low budget movie. The acting is OK including Tony Young as the lead but personally I find Dan Duryea really annoying in this one. As mentioned in other reviews there are a few familiar actors from the era. An abundance of stock footage takes away from the continuity and limits some of the action scenes. The plot starts out OK but then becomes somewhat weak and the ending rushed. It has a TV movie feel and definitely is a bottom rung B movie. OK to pass the time but that's all.

Tony Young's family is killed and his cattle stampeded by Emile Meyer, Young gets him in a fair fight, but since he's the villain, he doesn't care about the niceties. He offers gabby gunslinger Dan Duryea a lot of money to kill Young, driving him into the desert and Apache attack.

Although Young is top-billed, it's Duryea who commands the audience's excellent attention. This late Shaky A western is well directed by R. G. Springsteen, with some great Technicolor camerawork by Wiliam Margulies. It's the penultimate film for former B heart throb Dick Foran, and the first for David Carradine.

Kent Taggart's family, with their cattle stampeded, are killed by those who started it. In a fair gunfight, he kills the man's son responsible for it all and is on the run. Before the rancher dies he hires three bounty hunters headed by Dan Duryea to avenge him with the promise of $5000 as a reward. Taggart must flee into Apache territory to escape the wrath of the trio of hired killers.

Based on a Louis L'amour novel, this western moves at a steady clip, getting into one perilous situation to the next - it has the right modicum of action and drama. There's some decent performances from Dan Duryea as the hired gunslinger out to kill the hero Tony Young. Dan is at his usual manic self, oozing with reptilian glee and saying dry one liners. Dick Foran as a miner and Elsa Cardenas as his opportunistic wife also turn in decent performances. Yes there's some mismatched stock footage during the action sequences, but it isn't too bad. Overall a solid western with some fine twists.

This violent revenge western directed by perennial action workhorse R. G. Springsteen benefits from the handsome colour production you'd expect from Universal in the fifties and sixties, reflected in the sixties glamour of the female contingent; which includes Elsa Cardenas, who five years later got the Peckinpah treatment in 'The Wild Bunch'.

Originating in a novel by Louis L'Amour, the meaner, uglier westerns that were soon to follow are anticipated by the trio of heavies led by Dan Duryea flanked by Tom Reese and a young David Carradine, the latter making his screen debut.

It doesn't make a lot of sense but you keep watching.