I giustizieri del Kansas

I've admired James Griffith as a shady character actor for some years but he shines in this little B western. He appeared in around 200 film & TV shows but this is the best I've seen him. He plays Doc Holliday, friend of Wyatt Earp, but this time he's mainly squaring up to Bat Masterson, played by George Montgomery. William Castle directs and Nancy Gates is the romantic interest. The plot is formular for this period in Hollywood -1954- famous lawman meets famous gunslinger meets pretty girl. Bad guys try to act menacing but fail miserable. George Montgomery plays George Montgomery again and in wide screen which is nice. Some poor acting from supporting cast and weak script lines keep this from ever becoming a good western. OK for 10 year old children though.

William Castle Directed this Awful Story that Never Seems as Urgent as the Screenplay Pretends.

It is a Talk-Fest Interrupted at Regular Intervals with a Lot of Gun-Fire.

But the Whole Movie seems Off.

George Montgomery Delivers Every Line with the Same Inflection and Two Facial Expressions...Not Smiling and Smiling.

It's a Slog that Tries to Ramp Up the Story of a Murder-Trial that may Result in an Indian War.

Wyatt is taken Out of the Action by a Thrown Rock.

None of this is Convincing.

The Trial is Stiff and Boring as is most of this Misfire.

Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Virgil Earp...it's one of those "Name-Droppers" that Proliferated Pictures in the 1950's.

It Takes More than Famous Name-Tags to Make a Movie Entertaining.

Filmed in Technicolor so that's Something.

Once more, I had to endure a Sam Katzman's production, this time a western, supposed to tell the story of Bat Masterson, a conquest of the West figure, authentic character, who would have deserved better than being evoked by this awful Sam Katzman producer. William Castle, the future horror gimmick films genius, could not do anything against this plague named Katzman who condemned him to mediocrity in the studio; such a talented, gifted director. It is a good time waster though, but you have to keep out of your head the idea that such a plot would have been ten times better, produced by an Harry Joe Brown or Howard Christie. Well, we have to deal with it, we have no choice.

Brings together Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday in an ol western... the usual cowboys and Indians. Stars George Montgomery, James Griffith, and Bruce Cowling. In Dodge City, it's the cattlemen against Merrick, the man helping the native americans, and Masterson is determined to bring justice if he can. kind of ironic that part of it is filmed in Griffith Park, but doesn't seem to be connected to James Griffith. it's the usual western shenanigans. pretty good... very linear story-line. nothing too new here. Directed by William Castle; he had started in westerns... ended up as the horror movie king in the 1950s and 1960s. Castle also directed House on Haunted Hill ( and lesser known The Tingler !) with Vincent Price.

Bat Masterson (George Montgomery) is a gunslinger. Masterson, Wyatt Earp (Bruce Cowling) and Doc Holliday (James Griffith) work together to protect an impending land exchange between honest rancher Merrick (John Maxwell) and peace-seeking Indian chief Yellow Hawk (Jay Silverheels) against the crooked chicanery of land baron Clay Bennett (David Bruce). Nancy Gates ( Comanche station) is the daughter of Merrick, who is sentenced to hang, but believes him innocent ...

A fairly good shoot-em up, which does what it says on its tin and offers good entertainment. James Griffith as Doc Holliday is a scene stealer, and gives this nifty B-programmer some gravitas, and Montgomery is his usual likeable and stalwart self as Bat Masterson.