5.000 dollari vivo o morto

The original L'Amour novel -- good. (I've read it -- you should to.)

This screen play -- sketchy; the performance, story line not much better.

I'm amazed this saw the light of the projection booth -- even in the mid-60's.

Good character actors & D. Duryea turned in his patented wise-ass villain performance.

If you're storm-stayed somewhere, trapped in your iron lung or otherwise immobilized -- it's better than infomercials (just).

Otherwise, get a library card.

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.

Kent Taggart's family, with their cattle stampeded, are killed by those who started it. In a fair gunfight, he kills the man's son responsible for it all and is on the run. Before the rancher dies he hires three bounty hunters headed by Dan Duryea to avenge him with the promise of $5000 as a reward. Taggart must flee into Apache territory to escape the wrath of the trio of hired killers.

Based on a Louis L'amour novel, this western moves at a steady clip, getting into one perilous situation to the next - it has the right modicum of action and drama. There's some decent performances from Dan Duryea as the hired gunslinger out to kill the hero Tony Young. Dan is at his usual manic self, oozing with reptilian glee and saying dry one liners. Dick Foran as a miner and Elsa Cardenas as his opportunistic wife also turn in decent performances. Yes there's some mismatched stock footage during the action sequences, but it isn't too bad. Overall a solid western with some fine twists.

This violent revenge western directed by perennial action workhorse R. G. Springsteen benefits from the handsome colour production you'd expect from Universal in the fifties and sixties, reflected in the sixties glamour of the female contingent; which includes Elsa Cardenas, who five years later got the Peckinpah treatment in 'The Wild Bunch'.

Originating in a novel by Louis L'Amour, the meaner, uglier westerns that were soon to follow are anticipated by the trio of heavies led by Dan Duryea flanked by Tom Reese and a young David Carradine, the latter making his screen debut.

It doesn't make a lot of sense but you keep watching.

"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.