Hell Bent for Leather

Audie Murphy plays Clay Santell ,a horse dealer whose hospitality to a stranger who stumbles on foot and on the verge of collapse into his camp is to have his horse stolen by the man in question.Santell wounds his assailant who drops his lavishly embossed shotgun as he flees Santell's camp.The man is Travers ,a wanted outlaw .and the local townsfolk believe Santell is Travers,based on his having the gun .Corrupt Marshall Deckett (Stephen Mc Nally)takes him into custody ,knowing full well he is not Travers but hoping to pass him off as the outlaw ,and boost his reputation as the man who saw Travers hung.

Santell escapes ,taking with him a young woman ,Janet Gifford ,and Deckett and a posse set out in hot pursuit. Can Santell avoid capture and clear his name ?That is the central issue of this modest but brisk Western that benefits from some striking location shooting and some decent performances especially from McNally and that splendid character actor Robert Middleton .

Based on a novel by pulp Western maestro Ray Hogan this moves briskly and energetically and will appeal to most devotees of the genre.

Fans of Western movies will not be disappointed. While not a great or even distinguished Western, it also LACKS the faults of so many other Westerns. On the plus side it can boast good colorful outdoor mountainous locations and cinema-photography , leading and supporting actors, a believable situation and a literate imaginative script. On the negative side: zero; I can't think of anything laughable, offensive or jarring. Audie Murphy looked and acted good. Felicia Farr looked better, even gorgeous. And Stephen McNally stole the movie with his acting chops. Robert Middleton was his usual excellent self in a brief suspenseful scene during Murphy's chase from McNally. Jan Merlin did well as a villain.

I thought it was an interesting and unusual motive for Sheriff McNally's lying that Murphy and not Merlin was the criminal being chased. I won't reveal it in this review, though it is spelled out in most of the other reviews here. The reason puzzled me throughout watching the film, and it was finally revealed at the conclusion. Also intriguing was how Murphy would extricate himself from his predicament. Finally, kudos for Farr's back story. Surprising that there were no romantic scenes (embraces, kisses, etc.) between the two leads, Murphy and Farr, though the last scene had then leave hand in hand.

Very entertaining western directed by George Sherman (who did Big Jake with John Wayne and produced The Comancheros 1961). The actors are excellent. We get Audie Murphy and Stephen McNally back altogether 8 years after Duel at silver creek 1952, but here they are enemies. Felicia Farr acts in her last western. And very good supporting cast with Jan Merlin as Travers, John Qualen and Bob Steele among others.

With a very good screenplay, I really liked the character, Stephen MacNally plays. The three main actors are perfect, and they carry the movie. So if you have the luck to have the opportunity to see this movie: GOOOOO!

Behind the lurid title lies a moody, good-looking psychological western shot in colour & CinemaScope against the imposing backdrop of the Alabama Hills.

There moody, good-looking Audie Murphy gets a less than warm welcome from ferrity-faced Jan Merlin, doll-faced widow Felicia Farr, saturnine Sheriff Stephen McNally and mean-looking Robert Middleton; never quite sure who it's safe to do a deal with.

Audie Murphy is a horse trader. He wanders into town on his latest assignment, where Marshall Stephen McNally accuses him him of being a dangerous criminal. At first Murphy thinks it's a gag to get him out of town before the townfolk can hang him, but it turns out that McNally is a glory hound who intends toshoot Murphy and take the credit.

McNally tries to steal the movie with his sweating lunatic, but Murphy's low-key approach ande the approval of Felicia Farr ake the cake. Director George Sherman does his usual competent job, and cinematographer Clifford Stine shoots the Alabama Hills so they are instantly recognizable, and beautiful in a new way. It's a standard psychological western, but very well done.