5.000 dollari vivo o morto

This is a mediocre low budget movie. The acting is OK including Tony Young as the lead but personally I find Dan Duryea really annoying in this one. As mentioned in other reviews there are a few familiar actors from the era. An abundance of stock footage takes away from the continuity and limits some of the action scenes. The plot starts out OK but then becomes somewhat weak and the ending rushed. It has a TV movie feel and definitely is a bottom rung B movie. OK to pass the time but that's all.

Director R.G. Springsteen spent many years at Republic Pictures turning out efficient little B westerns, and his expertise is evident in this crisp, sharp little western. From around 1960 to about 1966 Universal churned out a stream of quickie westerns, most of them run-of-the-mill at best and low-grade junk at worst. This tight little oater, however, falls into neither category. A cast of western veterans like Emile Meyer, Ray Teal, Dick Foran and the great Dan Duryea, and a more than competent leading man in Tony Young, combine with a good story and Springsteen's firm hand to make this one of the best B westerns to come out of Universal in that period. Young plays Taggart, a man who gunned down the son of a powerful local rancher who led a gang that attacked his camp and murdered his parents. The dead son's dying father sends hired killers out to track down and kill Taggart. Fleeing through Apache territory, he comes to the aid of an old man and his daughter defending their gold mine against rampaging Indians. Young reminds you of Gary Cooper in his early years, although a bit more animated, and it's a shame his career never really went anywhere, as he's quite good in this (he also shot another western around this time, "He Rides Tall," and is equally as good in that one). Long-time cowboy actor Dick Foran plays the father, and the gorgeous Jean Hale--who years later married actor Dabney Coleman--is his daughter. The story is interesting, the scenery is pretty and Duryea is--as always--tremendous fun to watch. There's some sharp action, although a good chunk of it is obvious stock footage from other westerns, and things are resolved satisfactorily--though somewhat abruptly--at the end, something that didn't always happen in Universal's westerns of the period. All in all, a very watchable little B picture. You could do a lot worse than spending some time on this one.

One of those movies where you get the impression you would have been better off reading the (Louis L'Amour) book. Shoot a gun, the horse throws his rider. Crack shots from people firing a revolver. Often while riding a horse. I watched it because I was reading David Carradine's Endless Highway autobiography, and it's his first film. He looks sufficiently evil, so I did enjoy parts.

Tony Young's family is killed and his cattle stampeded by Emile Meyer, Young gets him in a fair fight, but since he's the villain, he doesn't care about the niceties. He offers gabby gunslinger Dan Duryea a lot of money to kill Young, driving him into the desert and Apache attack.

Although Young is top-billed, it's Duryea who commands the audience's excellent attention. This late Shaky A western is well directed by R. G. Springsteen, with some great Technicolor camerawork by Wiliam Margulies. It's the penultimate film for former B heart throb Dick Foran, and the first for David Carradine.

"Taggart" was an enjoyable little western from "B-plus" department of Universal. It has the look and feel of an Audie Murphy western, however an excellent story and the crisp direction by R.G. Springsteen, make it a cut above the average.

Tony Young plays the title character, a man wrongly accused of murder. Dan Duryea in yet another of his "smiling cad" portrayals, plays the chief villain. The biggest and most pleasant surprise is the casting of screen veteran Dick Foran as the heroine's father. Foran turns in an excellent performance, a fitting epitaph to his long career.

The cast also includes Jean Hale as the heroine, Emil Meyer (Shane) as the town boss, Peter (son of Dan) Duryea and David Carradine as gunslingers and western favorites Ray Teal, Harry Carey Jr. and Bob Steele in other roles.

"Taggart" is a good western.