Buchanan Rides Alone

Making his way home to Texas, Tom Buchanan stops off at the little town of Agry for rest and refreshments. Quickly finding that the town is run by the family Agry itself, Buchanan falls foul of one of them straight away. His problems are further compounded when he steps in to stop a young Mexican from taking a beating. Something that finds him on the end of a rope with things looking rather grim.

How you fare with Buchanan Rides Alone may depend on how many (if any) Budd Boetticher and Randolph Scott collaborations you have seen prior. For this adaptation of Jonas Ward's novel "The Name's Buchanan" is lighter in tone than their other well regarded pieces. Not to decry this as a standalone picture of course, but although it's part of the "Ranown" cycle, it's a long way from the more "Adult Western" richness of The Tall T, Ride Lonesome and Comanche Station for example. Conversely the other way is also true, if this is the first one you sample from the duo, and you enjoy it, well you may not take to the deeper themed, harsher other films in their cannon.

Buchanan Rides Alone gets in a does a job without any fuss or boring filler play. Randolph Scott as Buchanan clearly is enjoying adding a bit of comic zip to proceedings, with Boetticher evidently happy to keep things smooth for the one hour and twenty minutes running time. Fine support comes from Barry Kelley, Tol Avery and the irrepressible L.Q. Jones, whilst Lucien Ballard was the obvious and right choice to photograph the Old Tuscon location. Not one to take too seriously, but enough drama to keep one interested, and certainly one that gives notice to what a fine and undervalued performer Randy Scott was. 6.5/10

Perhaps the only really unjustified feature of this Western is the title. They should have kept the original, "The name's Buchanan" - a line which crops up sufficiently often in the first five minutes to verge on becoming a catchphrase for the title character. One thing Buchanan *doesn't* do is ride alone. For a cowboy hero - particularly one played by Randolph Scott! - he's an unusually cheerful and sociable type, who picks up friends and allies almost everywhere he goes. I don't believe I've ever seen Randolph Scott smile so much in all the rest of his films put together - and it has much the same shock value as a grin on the face of Leonard Nimoy.

But it's mainly the humour that sets this film apart from a hundred other unpretentious B-Westerns. The plot twists don't hurt, either. This slender piece bears as many stings in the tail as the final chapters of a Hercule Poirot mystery. Tables are turned by one side upon the other so often that it verges upon the ridiculous; a point milked to wry appreciation by the script. The other interesting point is that Buchanan himself has little influence over the course of events. He merely (albeit adroitly) rides the tide, as the bickering Agry brothers provide the main engine for the plot. This film is far less of a one-man star vehicle than many Westerns of its era. To a degree, it might even be suspected of spoofing the genre.

I spotted only one technical blooper: as the sheriff(?) leaves the jail after demanding the keys, the far side of the street, for one brief aberrant moment, appears to consist of red-brick houses with paned-glass windows! Young de la Vega's horse really is a beautiful animal, on the other hand - the beast fully bears out the script's claim that the de la Vega horses are some of the best-bred in the country. Judging by the stunts, it was also presumably a trained performer - I wonder what its 'day job' was? :-)

To summarise: a cheerful, swift-moving Western with a touch of dry humour that helps it to stand out among a host of other B-movies. If you've watched 'Unforgiven' too many times, until your guts feel like treacle - if you can't take one more coarse joke from 'Blazing Saddles' - then try 'Buchanan' for a breath of fresh air, and watch Randolph Scott for once in his life having fun!

Arguably the least of the "Ranown" westerns (directed by Budd Boetticher, coproduced by Harry Joe Brown & Randolph Scott, and starring Scott) Buchanan Rides Alone eschews the thought-provoking adult premises of the other films and is satisfied being a standard potboiler devoid of deeper implications. All were shot on a modest budget but this one really looks it with a handful of drab sets and unremarkable outdoor locations. Other than Scott the cast is nondescript and the 79 minute runtime contains an inordinate amount of talking, an overly complicated narrative, and token action. However it is competently acted and professionally assembled by Budd Boetticher while existing as a proficient though unspectacular example of his work.

Tom Buchanan (Randolph Scott) rides into the mangy border town of Agry furnished with a pair of bandoliers, a money belt containing $2000, and a disarming smile. He immediately runs afoul of the corrupt local sheriff Lew Agry (Brian Kelley) who conspires to separate the stranger from his loot. Buchanan finds himself in hot water when Lou's wayward nephew Roy (Williams Leslie) gets gunned down by Juan de la Vega (Manuel Rojas) and the sheriff ropes Buchanan into the crime. They are saved from being lynched by Lew's brother Judge Simon Agry (Tol Avery), a man with political ambitions and father of Roy, who prefers to try the men in court and avoid the appearance of lawlessness. Juan is content to face the noose for his deed as Roy did something unspeakable to Juan's sister but Buchanan, pleading his innocence, is acquitted. Lew isn't satisfied with this outcome and, after confiscating Buchanan's money belt and guns, sends the unarmed man out of town accompanied by two goons who are obviously supposed to shoot him when they reach the wilderness. The plot continues to spin with plenty of intrigue including the brotherly squabble over a $50,000 ransom for Juan's life and Buchanan's efforts to retrieve his property and save the boy from the Agry clan.

Based on the novel "The Name's Buchanan" by Jonas Ward the screenplay is credited to Charles Lang but there is debate as to whom actually penned it and much of the dialogue was reportedly ad libbed on set. The fatal flaw is the characterization of Buchanan as a smiling, amiable man who seems content to have situations dictated to him. He consistently needs other people to bail him out of tough spots and displays a knack for placing himself in dire predicaments. Buchanan also exhibits a dubious personal code: he's fine seeing a woman (Jennifer Holden) get smacked, talks himself out of a hanging sentence and walks away Scott (pun intended) free content to let Juan swing, lets Lew rob him, and lies about his intentions during the climactic shootout. These are not the actions one would expect from a Randolph Scott character. Furthermore Buchanan is essentially a tumbleweed blown around by the plot; at the mercy of others and who plays a secondary role in resolving the story.

The crux of the narrative is the chess match between Simon and Lew Agry who are perpetually attempting to outwit one another for the $50,000 ransom. The villains of the piece (Lew, Simon, Roy, and henchman Waldo) - aka the White Guys - are depicted as greedy, crooked and untrustworthy while the Mexicans (Juan, Gomez, and Juan's father) are portrayed as noble and honorable. The brothers display minimal affection towards each other while Simon seems barely moved by the death of his son; instead he exploits the tragedy for financial gain. All are wily to various degrees but are quick to turn cowardly when the tables are turned against them. Agry is definitely a town you'd be wise to either pass through quickly or give a wide berth.

Directed by Budd Boetticher and lensed by the accomplished Lucien Ballard the film has a second hand look with cut-rate interiors and uninteresting location scenery. For example Simon's sprawling hacienda is reduced to a handful of drab sets giving the film a stagebound look. The narrative unfolds in a leisurely fashion with minimal tension or urgency as characters negotiate, connive, and conspire with a minimum of excitement. When events finally come to a head on a border bridge spanning the USA & Mexico and end with bodies littered everywhere it is difficult to feel satisfied as Buchanan's conflicts with Lew and Waldo are never resolved and, once again, he's more or less a bystander for the resolution. Ultimately when compared to Boetticher's other Ranown works this one resonates with a perfunctory feel as if he mailed it in. Ballard sadly falls into this category as well particularly when comparing Buchanan Rides Alone to his phenomenal work in Ride the High Country.

Randolph Scott lays on the charm in the curiously glib role; he rides into town wrapped in a pair of bandoliers for a truly badass entrance but all goes downhill quickly after that. Buchanan lets himself be pushed around, easily disarmed, and mocked on many occasions while cheerfully offering to turn over his guns to the corrupt sheriff at one point. Scott rarely seemed comfortable enacting such loquacious characters and was infinitely better as a taciturn man of action who did what needed to be done. Perhaps he and Boetticher were enamored with the prospect of trying a different approach (kudos for the attempt) but it simply doesn't work. Those expecting Scott to amble into a corrupt town and set things right will be sorely disappointed; he's more Roy Rogers than Clint Eastwood in that regard.

The supporting cast, comprised largely of undistinguished performers, are nonetheless solid. Barry Kelley handles his assignment as the despicable Lew with aplomb making him a most detestable character. Enacting his brother Simon is Tol Avery who is more subtle yet equally devious; Avery displays a tendency to be overly theatrical at times in accordance with his duplicitous character. Peter Whitney provides the yucks as the dim witted third brother Amos who spends much screen time out of breath "running around like a chicken with his head cut off" while playing his brothers off one another. Craig Stevens nabs second billing in the underwritten role of the pragmatic Carbo, Simon's bodyguard/confidant, who looks dangerous and intimidates most of the cast. The script neglects to definitively state his purpose which in turn adds some mystery to the character. Juvenile cast members LQ Jones and Manuel Rojas give the film plenty of heart as the amiable Pecos and the hotheaded yet righteous Juan, respectively.

In sum Buchanan Rides Alone is a curious mixture whose provocative title doesn't justify the activity in the film. The plot is overly complicated and too much time is devoted to its mechanizations at the expense of action. Compared to the other works by genre studs like Budd Boetticher, Lucien Ballard, and Randolph Scott this effort seems tossed off with the intention of making a profit rather than suitably entertaining its audience. Still it goes by quickly and is worth a viewing for fans of the big names involved in the production.

High quality Boetticher western that succeeds on almost every front.

Scott is first class, less taciturn than usual and displaying a gift for wry humour not always evident in his performances. The supporting cast is well above average and Barry Kelley, Tol Avery and Peter Whitney, in particular, are all excellent, playing their parts to near perfection.

The scenery, both in and out of the town is wonderfully evocative - cacti to die for! - the guitar music is hauntingly beautiful and the colours are bright and pleasing.

If I have a criticism at all, it is that the plot is a little too convoluted - too many twists and counter twists - but, in the face of so much that is good, this is but a minor quibble.

Incidentally, the only women in the production have such tiny roles, they are not even named in the cast list. So no-one "gets the girl" this time round!

Excellent and funny story of Agry-town, a place where everything costs ten dollars and a man can be hung for being on the right side of a fight -- but the wrong side of the law. Hypocrisy and the essential weakness of human nature are humorously juxtaposed with Scott and his friends' hardboiled masculine ethic. Only the ending is a disappointment -- rushed and somewhat confused. Lang's writing is good and very barbed but somewhat predictable as the famous Ranown cycle winds down with this film.

The Pacific Film Archive here in Berkeley CA has been showing these films for the last few years, and in 2000 I and my mother had the chance to meet the director, the very charming, funny, and intelligent Bud Boetticher, and also the people who are restoring these movies for Columbia. They're doing a wonderful job, and hopefully soon we'll all be able to enjoy restored, less yellowed prints of these classic films (especially the incredible "Seven Men from Now") on DVD. Put any pressure you can on Columbia, folks, let them know you want to see these films on DVD, because the restoration is already well underway -- we just need to let them know there's an audience out there!