Cord il bandito

Plot-- Trail-driver Cord (McCrea) is blamed for letting his cattle crew wreck a town. After prison, he consents to head up a trail drive that will save the same town's finances. But the town's in competition with an outside cattleman to be first to arrive at the buyer's base and get the contract. So who will win, and can Cord be trusted.

Despite the great Joel McCrea and a grabber opening, this is a bland western. The only action, until the showdown, is loping cattle going here and there and who knows where. The rambling script fails to gel into any kind of suspense, with one talky scene after another to accommodate the many characters and subplots. Meanwhile the large supporting cast flounders getting no help from director Warren. The one compensation —the scenic eastern Sierras— is marred by contrast with poorly designed nighttime sets that take us back to the studio. Considering this was a TCF production, I'm surprised it was so poorly put together. Maybe they were trying to capitalize on the McCrea name. But by this time, he was in his mid-50's, still quietly commanding, but aging, nonetheless. At least they don't have him riding into the sunset with one of the girls. Mostly he sits astride his horse and gives orders. As a fan of the ace cowboy, I wish there were more to compliment. But unfortunately, there isn't.

Joel McCrea stars as a trail boss falsely imprisoned for his men's misdemeanours. Released and suffering at the hands of an unforgiving and irate town, he's hired by a blind Don Haggerty to drive his herd - but Haggerty has his own agenda's on this trip.

A routine Western that is chiefly saved from the bottom rung by the presence of Joel McCrea. McCrea was a real life cowboy type who owned and worked out of a ranch in California, thus he gives this standard Oater a naturalistic core from which to tell the story. If only they could have given him some decent actors to work with, and, or, a bolder script, then this might have turned out better than it did.

Directed by Charles Marquis Warren (more famed for TV work like Gunsmoke and his writing than movie directing), the piece is scripted by Daniel B. Ullman, a prolific "B" western script specialist of the 1950s. This, however, is far from being a good effort from his pen. Shot in CinemaScope with colour by DeLuxe, it thankfully at least proves to be most pleasing on the eye. Brydon Baker proving to be yet another cinematographer seemingly inspired by the Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, locations.

Away from the turgid story there's a classical big Western shoot-out to enjoy, while a Mano-Mano shoot out set among the Alabama rocks towards the end is nicely handled. But the good technical aspects are bogged down by the roll call of by the numbers gruff cowboy characters, and worse still is a two-fold romantic strand that is so weak it beggars belief. All of which is acted in keeping with such an unimaginatively put together series of sub-plots masquerading as a revenge thriller. For McCrea this film is worth a watch - as it is for its beauty (the print is excellent), but in spite of the old fashioned appeal, and a couple of action high points, it remains borderline dull.

McCrea and the audience deserve far better. 5/10

Acceptable western with good cast dealing with the Blazing Story of the Ranch Kings Who Drove New Roads of Empire Across the Untamed West . Concerning some cowboys fighting in hopes a better life , being run by Joel McCrea as John Cord , a trail boss who attempts to stifle conflicts , but encounter problems instead . The film provides interesting and attractive roles and as the opening credits states : The characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictional , any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. It is a medium budget movie with thrills , fractic action, shootouts , stampedes as well as fine players , nice production design and pleasing results. It is still a run-of-the-mill entry in Western genre, in which Joel McCrea leading cattle hoping in achieving fortune . Actually shot in Arizona with adequate interpretations and solid sets . Released from prison and after spending 5 years for allowing his men to destroy a town in a drunken spree , a trail boss is contracted by the blind cattle baron Ralph Hamilton (Don Haggerty) to drive their cattle to Fort Clemson . Complicating issues , a rival cattle baron also hires the cattle driver to lead his herd . As John Cord - along with Ralph's wife Janice (Phyllis Coates) and his brother (Bing Russell) - driving cattle throughout risked ways , large plentiful rivers and perilous valley . The Wars of the Ranch Kings! When the West rocked with the thunder of the Big Cattle Drives that carved a nation out of the lawless wild! The war of the ranch kings stampedes the West's wildest cattle empire . Thundering herds battle for the winning of the West's wildest cattle empire!

Brawling , sprawling , almost primitive action in which our protagonist is forced to guide cattle across dangerous landscapes , teeming across the screen by means of cattle driving , attacks , gun-fire and ambushes . The picture contains whirlwinds of manic action , fights , sustained energy and often commendable results . Nice-looking but ordinary Twentieth Century Fox Western , including some novelties , but also with usual elements , such as drama , frenetic action, thrills , songs , crossfire , romance and some spectacular action scenes . Along with a love triangle in which implicates the marriage formed by Phyllis Coates/Don Haggerty and she is also in love for Joel McCrea , while a young girl , Gloria Talbott is for Joel McCrea , too . The plot is plain and simple , an evil, wealthy cattle owner wants to avoid the rival cattle arrives in Fort Clemson , as Joel McCrea tries to help a blind rancher and his wife save their cattle but they result to be chased and ambushed by the nasty competitor . A blending of functional main actors with great character players of whom Joel McCrea holds the best role as a brave cowboy leader with a sad past . A warm and thrilling storyline and thanks to personable drama , romance , Western action makes an enjoyable movie , a real pleasure to listen to as well as watch . This Western is a superior outing because it displays thrills , emotion , shoot'em up , cattle confrontation , riding pursuits and anything else . Interesing and moving screenplay by Eric Norden , Cahel Marquis Warren himself and Daniel B. Ullman based on his own story . The hothouse plot drives mercilessly forward with appropriate action , breathtaking shooting , thrills , impressive attacks , treason , rivalry , twists and turns . The tale is strong one and the yarn is wonderfully located against a colorful background from Arizona Natural Parks . Main starring , Joel McCrea , gives a good acting , as usual , as the ex-con serving a five year prison sentence who subsequently works as a trail boss being solicited by rival cattle barons to drive their respective cattle herds to Fort Clemson .He was a prolific actor in Western, his career is divided in movies directed by some great Western filmmakers . His wholesome good looks and quiet manner were soon in demand, primarily in romantic dramas and comedies, and he became an increasingly popular leading man. He hoped to concentrate on Westerns, but several years passed before he could convince the studio heads to cast him in one. When he proved successful in that genre, more and more Westerns came his way. But he continued to make a mark in other kinds of pictures, and proved himself particularly adept at the light comedy of Preston Sturges, for whom he made several films, especially the classy ¨Sullivan's travels¨ . By the late Forties, his concentration focused on Westerns, and he made few non-Westerns thereafter . As he played : Trooper Hook, The Oklahoman , The tall stranger , Rough Shoot , Wichita , Outriders , Colorado territory , Black Horse Canyon, Border River , Buffalo Bill , Virginian , South of St. Louis and many others . He was immensely popular in them, and most of them still hold up well today. Finally, his main testament, ¨Ride the high country¨ directed by Sam Peckinpah and along with Randolph Scott, whose career strongly resembles McCrea's, came out of retirement to make a classic of the genre . Support cast is pretty good with notorious secondaries as Don Haggerty , Gloria Talbott , Phyllis Coates , Bing Russell , Richard Shannon , Paul Brinegar , Charles Gray .

Atmospheric cinematography in a fading Technicolor by Brydon Baker , being necessary a perfect remastering . Shot on location in Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, Elfrida, Arizona, McNeal, Hereford, Double Adobe, Paul Spur, Pirtleville, Arizona . Evocative and thrilling musical score by Paul Sawtell who re-uses his theme music from The Cariboo Trail . Well produced by Robert Stabler, the motion picture was professionally directed by Charles Marquis Warren . Competently directed by Charles Marquis Warren who made a lot of low-budget movies , though he followed to work for Major productions , getting to make medium and big budget movies . Here filmmaker Charles Marquis Warren delivers a nice film , however he could be counted on to deliver solid "B" pictures which, at MGM , 2oth Century Fox and RKO , were often better than most other studios' "A" pictures . He directed in sure visual style and he made all kinds of genres, especially Westerns . As he wrote/produced and shot various Westerns , such as : Desert Hell, Blood Arrow , Tension at Table Rock, Day of the evil gun , Ride a Violent Mile , Copper Sky , Back from the Dead , Seven Angry Men , Arrowhead, Hellgate , Black whip , Little Big Horn and Charro starred by Elvis Presley.

This B-Western starts off brilliantly – despite unconvincing use of stock stuntwork – with 'murderer' Joel McCrea dragged through the streets by irate townspeople, then finally hauled, half-dead, onto the wagon of a man he once blinded. The script drops a few tantalising clues to the past, as McCrea encounters his old girl, his protégé and a mysterious local rancher... Then we're out on the trail and the low budget takes its toll, with a disappointing reliance on old footage. How many cows did the filmmakers actually have at their disposal? One? McCrea excelled in Westerns – I could watch them all day – but the plotting here is slack and the revelations far too contrived, leaving holes one could drive a herd through. Does McCrea intend to lead his old adversaries (and their cattle) to their doom? Will he steal the blind man's gal? And what really happened five years ago? You'll want to know, and then when you find out, you'll think: 'Is that it?' A strong action climax calls to mind 'Comanche Station', which is a far better film. Still, 'Cattle Empire' – for all its dead-ends and cattle shortages – remains a fascinating, idiosyncratic watch.

(2.5 out of 4)

The film begins with a group of townsfolk dragging John Cord (Joel McCrea) from a rope tied to a man's horse. Yes, their plan is to drag him to death. Apparently five years earlier, Cord and his gang of cowboys entered the town and tore the place apart and spread a lot of misery. Inexplicably, he's back as one of the leading citizens in the town has hired him to take the town's cattle to market. How could this be?! After all, he was convicted of standing by and doing nothing to stop his men from an orgy of destruction. And, why is Cord so angry?! After all, the dragging seems more than justified when year hear about all the hellish things his men did to the town! And, why does Cord agree to take the job?! None of this makes any sense....and that's okay. Just keep watching!! It will make sense by the end.

This is a very good western...which isn't a surprise considering it stars Joel McCrea. Even the most ordinary of westerns were made better by his solid acting...and this is a decent film to boot. Well worth seeing...mostly because it is unique...and that's very rare with westerns.