The Bounty Man

Clint Walker was, of course, great, in a not very pleasant role. Most of the rest of the cast were good to great, even Margot Kidder.

But the music background was often stupid and intrusive, and the opening song, if it can be so dignified, was terrible.

During some tense or dramatic scenes, the performing group was giving us some old Irish tunes that were not appropriate, although at least some of them would have been very pretty in another setting.

One really irritating habit of so many movie scorers of this era was the use of sound effects. For example, during some scenes here, there is a sound like a rattlesnake, and a viewer might well expect one to pop up. It's the right country. But, no, it's just a very poor excuse for a music background.

Finally, the ending was very unsatisfactory. To me. Rather trite and obvious. Although some people will like it, including the writer. I guess.

But I give it an 8 because of Clint Walker, the scenery, and that it's a Western, even if only a TV movie.

This film essentially begins with a bounty hunter by the name of "Kinkaid" (Clint Walker) riding on horseback into a small town and bringing a captured prisoner with him. After tying the prisoner's horse to a hitching post, he then walks into the saloon for a drink before heading over to the sheriff's office to collect his $500 reward. Needless to say, the fact that Kinkaid has brought a wanted fugitive with him creates some interest and this is especially true inside the saloon where some other bounty hunters have become envious of Kinkaid's success. So much so that one bounty hunter named "Angus Keough" (Richard Basehart) comes up with a plan to secretly follow Kinkaid and then ambush him once he captures his next target--a particularly notorious outlaw by the name of "Billy Riddle" (John Erickson). And although Angus has a great deal of respect for Kinkaid, what he doesn't quite realize is just how deadly he can be when cornered. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an entertaining Western which had an interesting plot along with some solid acting by everyone concerned. Admittedly, I would have preferred more chemistry between Clint Walker and Margot Kidder (as Billy Riddle's girlfriend "Mae") but even so I found the movie entertaining enough and I have rated it accordingly.

What's all this about "Two rival bounty hunters are after the same killer, but find they have to join together to fight off his gang"?

I guess someone was watching another film. This one's about an embittered widower who takes up bounty hunting as he searches for the man who ran off with his wife and then deserted her. "The same killer" is a young outlaw who's got it together with a saloon girl who tags along after Clint Walker has snatched him from a rough township. He's got no gang, though there is a bunch of roughnecks who want to relieve Walker of his prisoner.

There are some similarities to "The Ride Back", which treats better the relationship between captor and captive, and to "The Bravados", both of which I prefer. The changes in the relationships between the three members of Walker's party are unconvincing if not unexpected, and the ending is a bit of an anticlimax.

Kinkaid (Clint Walker) is a quiet man of action. Though he says very little, he's a kick butt bounty hunter...with a reputation for bringing them back dead as often as alive. He hopes to make a fortune bringing in Billy Riddle...an outlaw seemingly above the law. But despite his gang, Kinkaid is able to capture Billy...and his girlfriend, Mae (Margot Kidder) as well. He didn't want to catch Mae...but seems to have little choice but bring her along with them. Billy is thrilled to have Mae...as he plans on using her to try to get to Kinkaid. Slowly, through the course of the film, her illusions about Billy vanish and she sees that he's really just a selfish jerk who would sacrifice her in a heartbeat in order to save his sorry butt.

After he catches Billy and Mae sees what a jerk he is, another problem arises. A trio of scum-bag bounty hunters want Billy as well...and they seem more than willing to kill Kinkaid in order to get Billy.

The casting of Richard Basehart as the leader of the scum-bag bounty hunters is unusual. Basehart usually plays very different character than this one...one who is sort of like an evil Larry and his brother Darryl and his other brother Darryl! Walker, on the other hand, is right in his element as he made a lot of western movies and TV programs.

So is it any good? Well, it's fine....but with zillions of other westerns there isn't enough about this one that merit looking for it unless, like me, you're interested in seeing all of the installments of "The ABC Movie of the Week".

Clint Walker gives a one-dimensional performance (and bad Clint Eastwood impression) in this disappointing Aaron Spelling produced TV movie that plays like a quickie subplot from a television episode, painfully stretched out to feature length.

Walker plays an emotionless bounty hunter who captures an outlaw and drags him across the desert for a date with the hangman, dodging a group of unscrupulous men who want the reward for themselves.

Tagging along is the outlaw's devoted girlfriend (Margot Kidder) who tries her best to distract the bounty man.

Talky and stiff with no suspense, the worthwhile action scenes are few and far in-between and the characters too unlikable to make this worthwhile viewing.