Ouro da Discórdia

While the Western genre is not one of my favourite film genres, there is still appreciation for it and there are many classics in it. Also like one of the genre's icons Randolph Scott, though not a favourite, with some of his best work being with Budd Boetticher. Andre De Toth was a very gifted director, with already good experience with Westerns (the genre he revisited most frequently), and sadly undervalued. Those were the main reasons for seeing 1952's 'Carson City'.

'Carson City' for me turned out to be an uneven film that finished a good deal weaker than it started. It is also though a mostly enjoyable ride that has a lot to recommend it. It is not the best work of either Scott or De Toth, but again it is not a lesser effort of either of them. Somewhere in the middle for both and when it comes to their collaborations together there is a preference for 'Man in the Saddle' and 'Riding Shotgun', but again a lot is very well done here.

It is at its weakest with the completely superfluous and quite watery love triangle that turned out to not be as incidental to the story as it should have been. It doesn't help that Lucille Norman is incredibly bland and ill at ease, or that her role is very sketchy.

Really do wish that the conclusion was as good as how 'Carson City' started. Instead it was very predictable and lacked tension.

A shame because 'Carson City' started off incredibly well with a quite exhilarating opening. That excitement is maintained for a vast majority of the length, with a good deal of tautly paced and atmospheric storytelling. De Toth's direction is typically confident, one would not think he was actually a last minute replacement, and of the acting only Norman is bad. Scott's gritty charisma is evident throughout and there is strong support from Raymond Massey and Richard Webb.

Visually it looks good, with the photography having a good sense of style and atmosphere. Nothing cheap about the settings either. The music never felt at odds, and the script is lean and intelligent as well as pull no punches.

Concluding, enjoyable. 7/10.

This is a pleasant western by talented Andre De Toth although in my book,it does not rank with his best ,with such works as " Springfield rifle" and "day of the outlaw" ,not to mention non western-efforts such as "House of Wax" or "two-headed spy".It looks like a "Dodge City" (Curtiz,1939) in miniature ,a feeling which the final scenes on the train reinforces. Scott is an intellectual this time ,Jeff,a courageous engineer while Raymond Massey plays the villain.Jeff has also a brother ,Alan (Richard Webb) who is trifle jealous of his brother and his -professional and others-success (they are both in love,of course ,with the same woman,Susan (Lucille Norman);generally it bodes ill for the washout.

This film is a good Saturday afternoon western. Randolph Scott attempts to build a railroad between Carson City, and Virginia City. He must battle with an assortment of evil men, his own workers, and his step brother. I give this western an 8 out of 10 for its story, and its action.

When "Carson City" begins, a stagecoach is being robbed. However, oddly, these bandits have class and treat their 'guests' to a nice picnic lunch complete with champagne! Not surprisingly, they're dubbed the Champagne Bandits and the mine owner whose gold was stolen is furious. He proposes to build a railroad and avoid all this banditry. To help him get the job done, he brings in an engineer/troubleshooter, Jeff Kincaid (Randolph Scott). However, the new railroad is opposed by two forces--the local newspaper that's afraid it will usher in thugs and the guy who is secretly behind all the robberies. Can Jeff manage to get the job done-- especially when the baddies seem willing to do ANYTHING to stop them?

This is generally a well made and enjoyable film--which isn't surprising since Scott stars in it. He seemed to always make even the most ordinary material better and this movie is no exception. The complaints I have are relatively minor (such as how dumb Zeke is when he learns who's behind the robberies--way to do Zeke!) and the film is solid and entertaining.

By the way, the pretty lady starring in the film is NOT Virginia Mayo but a near lookalike, Lucille Norman.

Two westerns in 1952 starring Randolph Scott begin their movies with a group of bandits robbing a stagecoach. How will you ever tell them apart? Well, you'll just have to watch both of them, and since they're both entertaining, you'll be in for a real treat.

In Carson City, Scottie McScottie Pants shows he's in his physical prime. His entrance to the film is a grueling bar fight that lands him in jail, and it's not the last time he beats the tar out of those who get in his way. In addition to fistfights, he hops on and off horses with grace and leads a shirtless mining expedition armed with nothing but a pickaxe and a candle. "I may be 54, but I've still got it," he proudly shows the audience. He plays a railroad engineer bringing a train station to a small Nevadan town, and many in town oppose him, including newspaper owner Don Beddoe and secret bad guy Raymond Massey. Lucille Norman, Don's daughter, has held a torch for Scottie ever since she was a little girl, but Scottie's younger brother Richard Webb has a crush on her. Since Scottie's a nice guy, he doesn't want to get in the way, but some things can't be helped. When you watch this handsome, rugged cowboy who's more at ease in a saddle than on solid ground showing off his vast physical skills, it's not hard to understand why Lucille just can't let go of her crush.

This one is a lot of fun, and in a sea of 1950s westerns that blur together, it's nice to see one that stands out from the pack. Randolph Scott is the king of the western genre, but if you want to pick and choose among his movies, don't miss this one. Next up, check out Western Union for an adorable romance.