Prata Maldita

This 1951 Color Western features a splendid cast, familiar story and a memorable conclusion. The great Edmond O'Brien leads the great cast in a story of greed, graft and silver mine shenanigans. Arlen and O'Brien are former partners who do battle over the treasures ( A lady and a mine !)

Along for the bumpy ride in this fun oater are Edgar Buchanan, Richard Arlen and Yvonne DeCarlo. I also enjoyed seeing the great Barry Fitzgerald as a villainous mine older. Fans of post WWII westerns will enjoy this well-paced film. I believe that Edmond Obrien rarely gave a bad performance........ this one was one of his best !

They don't make 'em like this anymore.........but they should !

Byron Haskin was notorious for his science fiction work, including his TV industry career - OUTER LIMITS, for instance. No one will forget WAR OF THE WORLDS, NAKED JUNGLE. CONQUEST OF SPACE, ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS, FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON. And in the crime genre also he gave some good stuff: I WALK ALONE, TOO LATE FOR TEARS. This western is colourful, action packed, and also pulled by Yvonne de Carlo's presence, although the story itself is totally forgettable, as were WARPATH and DENVER AND RIO GRANDE. But it remains a very acceptable time waster, especially for a on western specialist. Byron Haskin was not Ray Nazarro nor Lesley Selander. For them, it would have been their masterpiece !!!!

I have a theory that any movie with a train scene is worth seeing. The silver mining details all went a little over my head, the plot is so-so with lots of fighting and things being smashed. The plot never really led anywhere although there is plenty of action and the climax is terrific. The whole movie though looks gorgeous with really attractive locations. An early scene with a steam train carrying logs comes around a bend was stunningly eye-catching. Worth seeing for that alone.

The writer reportedly found the story so complicated he had trouble making the screenplay coherent.It shows,particularly in the first scene ,which does not look at all like a first scene-there's the same problem in Haskin's and O'Brien 's "war path" ,the -in my opinion- better follow-up the same year.These movies were supposed to make this actor a western star but left him a tough guy in thrillers in which he excelled .

Anyway the star of this western is the incredibly attractive Yvonne De Carlo ;every time she appears,you only have eyes for her.And there is a scene where her face is filmed in close shot! A labored western ,with two good chases at the beginning and at the end .If it were not for De Carlo,I would rather recommend "war path".

Byron Haskin somehow received four Oscar nominations over the course of his career - why, beats me, because I have seen better directors never get one. That aside, he does a pretty poor job with a rather good cast, including Edmond O'Brien, Yvonne de Carlo, Richard Arlen, Edgar Buchanan, Barry Fitzgerald.

Apart from an Hamlet-like Ed O'Brien (he knows Arlen and his sidekicks have ruined his reputation, and spread bad references that keep him from becoming gainfully employed, but he seems to accept it all as inevitable, possibly because he loves Mrs Barber, who is seeing archenemy Arlen).

This gives you an idea as to how confusing and unbelievable the script is. It only gets worse: the fisticuffs are poorly done and the final shootout sequence is so ridiculous it must be one of the worst I have ever watched.

Beautiful Yvonne de Carlo is the saving grace, O'Brien always solid to watch. 6/10.