L'oro della California

During the American Civl War, an Army captain is tasked with ensuring the safe transport of government gold in the Old West. This is perhaps the weakest of the seven Boetticher-Scott Westerns, thanks to a so-so script that fails to evolve into a compelling narrative. The best of the series featured the writing of Burt Kennedy, and he's absent here. Scott plays a character similar to the others in the series, an easy-going fellow pushed to fight by the bad guys. Mayo plays the love interest, although she has a small role. Featured in a more prominent female role is Steele, who also appeared in two other Boetticher-Scott Westerns.

Westbound does not form part of the "Ranown "cycle of Westerns on which star Scott and director Boetticher collaborated in the 1950's and which included such stone classics as Comanche Station,The Tall T and Ride Lonesome .These were the work of the excellent screenwriter ,later director, Budd Kennedy while this has a workmanlike script from a pair of studio hacks The storyline is a little thin and this is the only major weak spot in a tense and crisp Western which takes the Civil War as its backdrop .Scott plays a Union cavalry officer assigned to re-establish a stage line that he once managed before the war ,the purpose being to ship gold from California to the Federal banks .He must overcome a Confederate agent ,in the form of Andrew Duggan and still he finds time to romance the feisty and gallant heroine played by Karen Steele Boetticher directs with style and aplomb ;there is a lively musical score and some limpid colour cinematography by J Peverell Mackay that adds real lustre to the look of the picture . Add some strong performances and you get an above average minor Western with a crisp running time and lots of lively action by way of diversion .It is a very neat little movie indeed and recommended to Western fans in particular

Out of Warner Brothers and filmed in Warnercolor, Westbound is directed by Budd Boetticher & written by Berne Giler & Albert Shelby LeVino. It stars Randolph Scott, Virginia Mayo, Karen Steele, Michael Dante, Andrew Duggan & Michael Pate. The story is set in 1864 during the American Civil War where Scott plays John Hayes, the man charged with the task of running the Overland Stage Line between California and Julesburg, Colorado. The function of which is to transport gold and the mail to aid the Union war effort. In Julesburg, Hayes finds a host of problems with Confederate sympathisers led by Clay Putnam (Duggan), who also happens to be married to Norma (Mayo), an old flame of Hayes.

Of the seven Western film's that Boetticher and Scott made, Westbound is widely regarded as the weakest. Not part of the Ranown cycle they did that featured Harry Joe Brown on production and Burt Kennedy screen writing, it is a decent, if disposable, Western movie. The story is actually rather enticing, but with such a small running time and a condensed location shoot, the movie is never quite able to lay down some solid footings for the characters to flourish from. This leaves the supporting actors either exposed to their failings as thesps (Duggan is particularly bad), or playing underdeveloped participants (sadly the case with Mayo).

However, this being Boetticher & Scott it does have some nice passages to take in, unsurprisingly the best of which is when Scott is on screen. Be it cocking a rifle with one hand, throwing one of his best ever punches, squaring off against Pate's effective turn as henchman Mace; or laying on some reflective emotion around the two ladies of the piece, Scott is always captivating. What action there is is attention grabbing for the budget and David Buttolph provides a perky score that's at its best during the stagecoach sequences. With the exteriors primarily filmed at the Warner Ranch, J. Peverell Marley is able to photograph enough of the grassy hilled scenery to make an easy on the eye impact.

Enjoyable and safe fare for Western fans, but very much a low key affair from the normally dynamite partnership of director & star. 6/10

The not so good first. The use of weaponry by all of the characters years before it was available. Much of the clothing appears more appropriate for a modern day dude ranch rather than the 1860's west (although I always love Randy's dark blue shirt, dark blue pants and yellow bandanna). The writing and characterizations just were not on a par with the other Scott/Boetticher efforts.

The good news. This is a Randolph Scott western. None of the above matters. Enjoy!

Westbound finds Captain Randolph Scott of the Union Army headed in that direction to return to his civilian occupation, that of manager for the Overland Stage Company. As the main transporter of gold for the Union Treasury, Overland has had its share of holdups and other problems caused by Confederate raiders and the army puts Scott on detached duty to return to run Overland.

Scott's told to make his headquarters in Julesburg which is a hotbed of Confederate sympathy. The man Scott is replacing has absconded with all the horses and records of the company. While Scott's in the army, that man Andrew Duggan also absconded with the woman that Scott intended to marry. Virginia Mayo is now Mrs. Duggan.

Randy does what he can to cobble together Stagecoaches, horses, and people to drive them. But Duggan who is a Southern sympathizer has at his disposal a nasty pack of gunslingers headed by Michael Pate.

Westbound is an unusually short film, more in the tradition of those Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and other B cowboys from Republic. But the film does cram quite a lot into its 68 minute running time. This is one of the better Randolph Scott/Budd Boetticher collaborations. It also has a nice bouncy theme for when the stagecoach is running.

Definitely a film that will make one a Randolph Scott fan if you haven't been before.