Terra selvaggia

Popular fiction writer Elmore Leonard has hammered out a number of rather simplistic Western novels, of which one, "Law at Randado", is utilized as basis for this heavy handed adaptation, with the original apparently being tailor-made for a feature film since it is principally propelled by action and dialogue in lieu of any alternate emphasis upon psychologic insight, of which there is none. However, director Chris McIntyre's screenplay is constructed with a surfeit of plot threads, and this failing, in combination with some unfortunate casting choices, and a plot line full of flaws in logic and continuity, lowers the work to the point of its being a confused and unintended pastiche of the Western cinema genre, certainly a boon for stuntmen but a seemingly endless bore for a sentient viewer. Leonard's tale focuses upon the activities of protagonist Kirby Frye, played here by seventh billed Cody Glenn, including his efforts to perform his duties as deputy sheriff for an imaginary southwestern U.S. border town, a post he has assumed only with reluctance, but McIntyre's undistinguished additions to the story are merely weakened by his own erratic direction, while choppy post-production editing accentuates the dreary affair's lack of cohesion, apt to leave a viewer asea when trying to locate a rationale behind most sequences. Cinematographer Dennis Dalzell's inventive efforts with his camera, essentially the only tolerable aspect of the film, make appropriate use of the Western flavoured settings, shot in Arizona and Burbank, California, but in general this work is but a pale shadow of Leonard's piece that is itself but a heavily denatured example of the Western school of fiction. The film becomes increasingly more slapdash as it moves along, with a strong quality of the ridiculous marking a great deal of the often risible dialogue, a favourite line being read by Charlene Tilton, performing as a married doxy who spends most of her screen time struggling with an off the shoulder blouse, never seeming able to adjust it either off or on enough to her satisfaction. In a climactic scene, wherein her character entreats for exoneration by her cuckolded husband, she describes him thus to others present: "Haig might not have had two nickels to rub together when he met me, but he spent those two nickels on me.", thereby matching the film's extensive array of visual non-sequiters. Among the players propelled in and out of the narrative is Glenn Ford, in his middle seventies and top billed for obvious marketing purposes, but in reality filling a supporting role as sheriff of Randado, plainly too old and stiff-jointed for the part, while being awkwardly edited out and replaced by a stuntman during an action scene wherein the sheriff quells four tough rivals.

Young rancher Kirby Frye (Cody Glenn) is appointed deputy in a small town tyrannized by ruthless Phil Sundeen, the son of one of the founders of the town.

First of all, this script is terrible. The dialogue is ridiculous, and how many times can you have characters say "chili pickers" and "loco" before it sounds silly? Not many, I can assure you. The acting did little to elevate the writing, so it comes across just as cheesy (or worse) than intended.

But also, the DVD I watched this on (a two-pack with "Ruthless Four") is as bad as a VHS transfer, probably worse. It looks like a public domain film. Would a new transfer help the film? Probably not, but for fans of Glenn Ford or Michael Horse, it might be nice to be able to actually see them.

Glenn Ford gave a great performance in his last Western and made this a great film to view. Glenn naturally was getting older and played the role of a Sheriff who was investigating a series of cattle being stolen which involved the Army Calvary and the Mexican people were being blamed for this stealing. Kirby Frye, (Cody Glenn) got himself involved with this cattle stealing which occurred on his property and Kirby brought into town two Mexican men he was able to catch in the act. The local town folks decided to make Kirby a Deputy Sheriff, in order to create better law and order for their town. However, this local town decides to form a city council that will take the law into their own hands. I was surprised to see some very sexy love making scenes by Edith Hanassin, (Charlene Tilton) who was married to an older man who loved her very much, but her needs was for a young man. This is not the greatest Western, but it certainly was very different and funny at times.

Released in 1990 and directed by Chris McIntyre, "Border Shootout" is a Western starring Cody Glenn as a farmer-turned-sheriff of the border town Randado. He uncovers a cattle-rustling ring linked to the leaders of the town and havoc ensues. Glenn Ford, Michael Forest, Charlene Tilton, Michael Ansara, Michael Horse, Russell Todd and Jeff Kaake co-star.

Ford was 73 during filming and this was his final Western. It's a Turner Pictures production and therefore has a TV-budget vibe, but it's several rungs below the typical TV movie in quality. Perhaps this was because the director previously directed only one episode of a TV series. Or perhaps it was just because the producers spent most of the budget on the good cast. The opening score starts off as a lame synth piece, which is anachronistic, but it gets a lot better if you're patience, adding guitar and percussion, etc. Further low-quality can be observed in the over-choreographed fight scenes and stilted delivery of dialogue, like the actors just learned their lines the same day they shot the scene.

If you can acclimate to the low-budget quality, however, there's a lot to appreciate about "Border Shootout" besides the quality cast and the fact that it's Ford's last Western. For one, the actors take the material seriously and give it their best shot despite knowing it was a micro-budge production. Secondly, the production features excellent Arizona locations and sets. True, the movie was shot on existing sets for other Westerns, like the impressive fort scenes, but, still, the locations are notable and the movie doesn't have that set-bound look of many scenes in older Westerns.

Most importantly, the story and the characters slowly take you in so that, by the second half, you forget the movie's limitations and just enjoy it. So, if you find yourself having a hard time getting into "Border Shootout" I encourage you to be patient because the second half delivers the goods, as far as comic book Westerns go. (The script was based on Elmore Leonard's novel "Law at Randado"). The stand that several characters make in the third act is almost moving; as is the redemption of one of the characters. Someone asks him: "I thought you hired out to anybody with a price" to which he responds: "So did I... but sometimes you get to thinking about things you thought you already knew."

The film runs 89 minutes and was shot at Old Tucson and the Sonoran Desert, Arizona.

GRADE: B-

I started out really liking this western for the first 50 minutes or so. It had a story by Elmore Leonard that was quite coherent up to that point. Unfortunately from then on, it does start to fall apart with the dialogue becoming more and more simplified, almost lazy as if the director, Chris McIntyre, couldn't wait to get it finished, as he also helped with the writing, or more likely tinkered with Leonard's original. I liked the photography, good colour design but bad editing I thought. Seems choppy, particularly the second half. This was the great Glenn Ford's last western and he hadn't appeared in one since 'Santee' 17 years earlier. Pity he didn't do what Randolph Scott did and retire before he got too old for the part and kept us with our memories of how great he was in movies like 3.10 To Yuma and Jubal. The supporting parts are well played by some of the older character actors, none of whom I knew apart from Michael Ansara doing his usual native American stint, but the film is let down by the younger players who mostly seem very wooden. The one exception is Charleen Tilton, she of Dallas fame, who I found very sexy, particularly as her blouse kept falling of her lovely shoulders. Without wanting to appear sexist, I also thought she acted very well, and much better than the younger male leads and brightened up every scene where she appears. I really wanted to like this film but unfortunately poor old Glenn was way too old for his part and looked very frail and it's a bit painful to watch a fight scene where he is replaced by a stunt man who knocks out about four big tough guys. As he picks himself up from the floor you can see him trying to catch his breath and sadly it looked like as a result of his age, rather than anything that happens in the scene. Still, he can still talk the talk like the old days, even if he can't walk the walk. Four stars, mostly for Charleen Tilton then.