Black Patch

George Montgomery is a Civil War Veteran and it shows in the black patch he wears over one eye. He's also the local sheriff and works hard at maintaining the peace. So it's a pleasant reunion when old army buddy Leo Gordon comes to town, and he invites him home to dinner with his wife, Lynne Cartwright; they had competed over her affections.

However, it's not so amusing when Gordon tries to rob the local bank and Montgomery stops him by shooting him. Suddenly, that's who he is: the man who shot his best friend in the back. That Miss Cartwright is one pretty woman, isn't she?

The growing disrespect for Montgomery threatens to break out into gunplay, and that's the story. It's the sort of late 1950s B Western that Montgomery was trapped in, one that wished to show how people would react; however, it showed the modern reaction, and so looks false and heavy-handed.

Montgomery was a good actor, but given the shrinking opportunities in Hollywood, it was either this profitable but unregarded oaters, or get out of town by sundown. Montgomery stayed, and continued to make westerns until 1969. In all, he appeared in 93 movies over more than half a century, dying in 2000 at age 84. But the grace he showed in what was to have been the movie that got him out of B Westerns permanently, THE BRASHER DOUBLOON, never led anywhere.

Well, maybe I am wrong, this little western is not totally a waste, just a predictable plot, already seen dozens of times before. Two former friends from the civil war, one sheriff and one outlaw, love the same woman.... But this is an Allan H Miner's western, a B production, and any B western - and I don't mean the Roy Rogers or Allan Rocky Lane flicks - is worth watching. This one is truly agreeable, but not a masterpiece, as also was THE RIDE BACK, also from the director. And it is written by Leo Gordon, who also plays in the film. If you have one hour and twenty minutes to waste, go for it.

In the 1950s and 60s, Leo Gordon was a very busy actor...mostly playing villains. What I didn't know until I saw "Black Patch" was that in addition to acting, Gordon wrote screenplays...and so he not only appears in the film but wrote it!

When the film begins, Hank (Gordon) and Helen Danner arrive in town. Soon, he and the marshall, Clay Morgan (George Montgomery), meet up to talk about old times. Morgan is also surprised to see that Hank married Helen...a woman who once loved Clay.

Soon after this meeting, a sheriff and his deputy arrive in town....looking for a bank robber. Well, the robber ends up being Hank...and Clay is loathe to get involved. Soon Hank is jailed...and he apparently DID rob the bank. What's next? Well, a LOT!

While I generally liked the film, the end of the story left me a bit let down. It just felt abrupt and hard to believe...which is a shame, considering the movie is rather original and worth seeing otherwise.

An offbeat Western. Scripted by Gordon, who also takes the role of the friend turned bankrobber that marshal Montgomery is accused of murdering for the Money, Black Patch is directed with verve by Miner, a protégé of Robert Aldrich. Pittman contributes a distinctly modern interpretation of his role as the distraught teenager who faces up to Montgomery at the climax.

Phil Hardy

Black Patch is directed by Allen H. Miner and written by Leo Gordon. It stars George Montgomery, Diane Brewster, Tom Pittman, Leo Gordon, Strother Martin and Sebastian Cabot

A veteran of the Civil War, Clay Morgan (Montgomery), minus an eye, decided not to return to his home town and started afresh in Santa Rita, New Mexico. Working as the town marshal, and keeping very good order, his equilibrium is upset when an old friend and his wife arrive in town. When news comes about a bank robbery in a nearby town, it signals the start of events that will see Clay forced into dark corners…

Sometimes a Western fan will stumble upon a movie and wonder why it isn't better known. Black Patch is one such Oater, which in the grand scheme of things is criminal. More so when you consider the cast list, the cinematographer and the musical scorer (it was Goldsmith's first movie score and his fans will spot the early strains of some future work).

Beautifully photographed through a black and white film noir filter, Black Patch is big on mood. Be it oppressive as Miner works wonders within the confines of the Monogram Ranch locale, or psychologically pungent as the principal players battle their hang-ups and heartaches, there is not a single frame in the picture that isn't laced with adult Western textures.

The characters are presented with emotional depth, not as some Western shoot-out roll call of cannon fodder. The romantic angle is nicely etched, never cloying the story but adding to the bubbling enigma of the human condition. Gordon writes himself a good part, but he isn't interested in writing a Yee-Haw Good Guys Vs Bad Guys genre piece, there's a lot of interesting characters here who are all damaged or hurting in one way or another.

Having Montgomery in the lead helps, he was always a real good brooder, and he does it with considerable pathos here, and with Colman (Walk a Crooked Mile) and Miner (The Ride Back) favouring film noir techniques, Monty is often framed in classic noirish style. Brewster (The Young Philladelphians) blends both sultry with sincere regret, Cabot (Terror in a Texas Town) has a good old time of it as the town weasel, while young Pittman (The Proud Rebel) gives his young character the requisite pangs of confusion as he tries to make sense of everything around him.

This is very much one for the psychological adult Western crowd, not one for those who prefer stunts and fights every ten minutes. It has a few faltering moments, such as a turn of events involving the Pittman and Brewster characters, but this particular black patch is actually gold for the like minded adult Western fan. 8/10