Il figlio di Texas

I have always liked Director Delmer Daves, who helmed such remarkable films like THE HANGING TREE, THE LAST WAGON, A SUMMER PLACE, among others.

Here Daves' quality shines through again, thanks mainly to a superb performance from the much maligned Walter Brennan - repeatedly labeled "evil" for allegedly celebrating Luther King's demise, which no one has confirmed beyond reasonable doubt. Infinitely sad that some people have nothing better to do with their lives than to tarnish the good name of deceased persons unable to defend their good name.

Beautiful Joanne Dru also steals the show, as does the beagle canine hanging around Brennan's grandsons. Sadly, I found Dale Robertson wooden and unable to convey significant emotions, apart from beating up Richard Boone, who also underwhelms in this film: usually a bad guy, here he is a generally good fella determined to catch Brennan hunting deer in his property, and he is late paying his dues.

Disappointing cinematography by the usually top notch Lucien Ballard, good script by Dudley Nichols. 7/10.

Although not very promising on paper the presence of the names of Dudley Nichols and Delmer Daves in the credits bodes well. Combining elements of the westerns Daves was then making and his later soap operas it is an early example of a modern western which the presence of Walter Brennan as gramps could have placed at any time between the thirties and sixties.

A young Dale Robertson in one of his first leads - inevitably playing a widower - makes a rather bland hero, and Lucien Ballard's photography is far from his best, but Sol Kaplan contributes a sensitive score, the presence of a young Richard Boone promises drama, while Joanne Dru in jeans provides a worldly heroine.

A "modern" western by a specialist of the genre,"return of the Texan" is an endearing film,if only for its simplicity and for Dudley Nichols's interesting script.The writer walks a fine line between drama and a happy-go-lucky attitude,epitomized by the rather dull hero (the Texan who returns home after his wife's death in the city) and his reckless grandpa ,roguishly portrayed by Walter Brennan.The generation gap in reverse.Besides ,every time the plot seems to turn tragic (shots in the woods,the old man's stroke,the threat of seizure -the banker's letter is not what we expect-),dramatic impact is immediately defused.The rivalry between the hick and the doctor always remains friendly,never the two men show any animosity or hard feelings.The villain,Richard Boone,is the only real flaw of the story,the part being underwritten to a fault.

The tragedy only happens at the very end ,but all in all ,it's not really one,after all,c'est la vie.The next to last scene is the best:Delmer Daves' s love for nature -which was radiant in "broken arrow"-shines as grandpa explains to his two little boys,Steve and "Yo-Yo" how precious life is.

It's ironic that this movie -- one of those brisk, efficient products designed to be shown on a double-bill -- features three future stars of TV westerns: Dale Robertson of "Wells Fargo" and "The Iron Horse," Richard Boone of "Have Gun Will Travel," and Robert Horton of "Wagon Train." After all, it's TV series such as these which put an end to movies such as "The Return of the Texan."

As an example of its soon-to-be-extinct genre, this movie exhibits the expected strengths and weaknesses. On one hand it tells its story in an economical 88 minutes so it avoids needless padding and slow pacing. On the other hand its plot and characters, though pleasant enough, have a bland, predictable quality. And while the use of b&w photography gives the movie a certain nostalgic tone, it also limits the visual appeal of all those Texas vistas.

Dale Robertson makes an appealing hero, holding back on his usual twinkle-in-the-eye heartiness, and he looks mighty good with his shirt off when he's sweating under the hot sun while putting up a fence. (There's such an innocent quality about early 1950's "beefcake.") Joanne Dru is one of those women who comes off even better in jeans than she does in a wedding dress. Rounding out the cast are veteran actors Walter Brennan and Tom Tully.

Although this one (20th CF) was obviously made for a double bill, I class it as an "A" given the production contributors, viz.: Delmer Daves, Dudley Nichols, Sol Kaplan, Lucien Ballard, Lionel Newman, Ray Kellogg; and the cast inc. Dale Robertson (who inexplicably resists initially the gorgeous and very ripe Joanne Dru!), Robert Horton, Richard Boone, Walter Brennan (in his usual Gramps role as an increasingly annoying ol' coot persisting in poaching, but he has a very moving death scene)...

Few anxious moments, despite the presence of the always ambivalently menacing Boone; a nice little "family" film reminiscent of those gentler 1950s TV series that those of us of a certain age grew up with. I enjoyed it a lot.

Once again, I must credit UK's Talking Pictures channel for finding this virtually "lost" movie.