Contrabbando per l'oriente

The script sprawls some, but the oater's well cast and entertaining. Three Secret Service agents led by Ivers (Montgomery) go undercover to break up a gold smuggling ring in Cripple Creek, headed by a smug city slicker, Silver (Bishop). Two sequences are real nail-biters—the Russian roulette scene that's really well done, and the smelter scene that pays good attention to detail. Then again, there's the silly barroom brawl that suggests the influence of a kids' matinée feature. Really, George Cleveland's crusty old grouch is all the comedy relief that's needed. Anyway, the western's uncommonly well cast with familiar faces up and down the line. The script even manages a good surprise at the end. As a former resident of the real Cripple Creek, however, I'm surprised at how much that mountain town is supposed to resemble LA's San Fernando Valley, as though that matters entertainment-wise. Anyway, it's a pretty good western somewhere between an A and B production.

(In passing-- the Cripple Creek gold camp was a boom town for several decades; then became a near-ghost town in the 1950's after the price of gold was frozen; but has lately revived with casino gambling and a and a return to market pricing. It's got a magnificent scenic view across a hundred miles of South Park to the main range of the Rockies. So visit there if you can.)

Set in Colorado in 1893. The plot about a supposed outlaw and his sidekick going undercover (with the usual emphasis on gunplay and fisticuffs) is pure 'B' western; with it's smiling, well-dressed senior villain flanked by cold-eyed henchman John Dehner.

However it displays an occasional sardonic humour, is considerably spruced up with Technicolor and is occasionally dramatically staged by director Ray Nazarro (with a scene depicting Russian Roulette over a quarter of a century before 'The Deer Hunter').

Cripple Creek is directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Richard Schayer. It stars George Montgomery, Jerome Courtland, Richard Egan, Karin Booth, John Dehner, Don Porter and William Bishop. Music is by Mischa Bakaleinikoff and Technicolor cinematography by William V. Skall.

Two secret service agents go undercover as gunmen in the mining town of Cripple Creek, Colorado. Someone has been smuggling gold ore out of the country at a time when gold reserves are critically low.

Harmless, colourful and vigorous, Cripple Creek is solid Western entertainment. It packs a lot into its relatively short running time, with chases, gunfights, robberies and an almighty barroom brawl. The narrative is not without brains, with a healthy mystery element ticking away throughout, and in amongst the shifty shenanigans perpetrated by denizens of Cripple Creek there's some surprises in store. The acting is the standard fare for such a production, which is OK as the cast all engage with their efforts, while set designs and colour photography score favourably as well. 6.5/10

Ray Nazzaro the director was not that lousy after all, or only for his first part of career. This little western is agreeable though very predictable too. You have George Montgomery as the lead, as well you could have had Rory Calhoun or Sterling Hayden. Beautiful settings and landscapes, not too long, and a never boring story. So, for western fans, this movie is worth the watch. Of course, if you search something very unusual and different, you may be a bit deceived. Good efficient scenes, very surprising in such a B western. Good ending twist too. Yes, an above average Ray Nazzaro western. I highly recommend it. Go ahead now !

I can see why Westerns eventually withered after seeing this one. It was competently produced and had a surprisingly good and familiar cast, especially of the bad guys. George Montgomery sure looked the part.

What bothered me the most is the facile and unbelievable way the characters followed and watched each other, moved about and sneaked in and out of hideouts. The heroes conveniently and luckily see so much from their second floor room. … … They follow a horse-drawn wagon undetected and see so much (also undetected) from a high-up perch.

The best example of this: twice George Montgomery sneaks undetected into a highly populated bad-guy mine-smelting operation, quickly sees and grasps the entire operation and has the great luck of being next to a shipping stencil that shows the place (San Francisco) and pier number where the contraband is shipped out of the US. Then a secret service agent goes to the pier and happens to see a Chinaman depositing an envelope into a postal collection box. What luck, the agent has the post office examine all the letters in the box, and they find a letter going to a reputable citizen in Cripple Creek telling him to pay off the bad guys for the gold delivery. That bit of "luck" solved the case.

And then the dialog was filled with so many trite clichés.

The big surprise ending (which I won't divulge) wasn't important, but was unbelievable and unnecessary.