Covil de Feras

I do not know very much about Director Sidney Salkow, but his films have not impressed me, including ROBBERS' ROOST which I find thoroughly mediocre.

Despite potentially beautiful vistas, including a rock hanging perilously high over other rocks, Jack Draper's cinematography looks shabby and pedestrian. Stunts are unmemorable, too.

I did not like the acting. Perahps because of the unbelievably stilted screenplay, lawman George Montgomery plays a cattle rustler joining two other rustler gangs, led by Richard Boone and Peter Graves respectively. Montgomery comes across as thoroughly wooden, Boone contrasts with an annoyingly over the top performance, Graves inexplicaby tries to cheat Boone at cards, and just keeps blundering right up to his stupid death. Pretty Sylvia Findley and her father, paralitically played by former great supporting actor Bruce Bennett, are the victims of the rustling gangs. Incredibly, Bennett's theory is that by engaging thieves his head of cattle are safe because there is so much dis-honor among thieves! In other words, if you want your property protected, keep pumping in crooks and it will be safe as a state bank... what BS, the more the merrier as they empty your goods!

That shows the (artificial) intelligence of the script by John O'Dea off the original book by Zane Grey.

I doubt I will rewatch this dud. 5/10.

That line, declared by at the end by a lawman, sums up the entire film, which belies its lively title.

Despite taking an original novel by Zane Grey (already filmed once before in 1933), a good cast and a stash of Eastmancolor stock all the way to Monterey for the use of veteran local cameraman Jack Draper, the result is tinny, talky and dull, the colour muddy and dull. The final shoot-out against a majestic backdrop of rocks takes an awfully long time a-coming and when it finally does is needlessly drawn out (even having a character run out of bullets at a critical moment to prolong it still further).

In a better film Richard Boone's grinning villain could have been really memorable; but this isn't that film.

George Montgomery has as his source for this western no less a western writer than Zane Grey in Robber's Roost. Two outlaw gangs, one headed by Richard Boone the other by Peter Graves are employed at the ranch owned by brother and sister Bruce Bennett and Sylvia Findlay.

Bennett who is now a paraplegic for reasons not really explained in the story has hired two outlaw gangs as ranch hands, the theory being that one will watch the other especially since Boone and Graves hate each other's guts. It actually works for a while.

Into the mix comes Montgomery who joins up with Boone's gang. He's got his own agenda for mixing in all of this business. And he too is a wanted man.

The Zane Grey story translates well to the big screen. This is definitely one of George Montgomery's better B westerns.

Robbers' Roost (1955) is a nice Western with routine elements but providing an interesting screenplay that allowed director to keep thrilling at its own movement and relentless gallop. It contains attractive and charming images that , in the eyes of connoisseurs makes it enjoyable enough in his B-kind. Stars Jim Tex Wall (George Montgomery) who is searching for three men killed his wife and stole his horses and he then joins a band of cattle rustlers led by Hank Hays (Richard Boone). Both Hays' outlaws and a rival gang headed by Heesman (Peter Graves), have been hired as ranch hands by "Bull" Herrick (Bruce Bennett), a cripple in wheelchair-bound who owns a large cattle ranch and wants to get his abundant herd to market. Herrick theorizes that the two bands will be kept busy watching each other and neither will rustle his cattle. While his sister Helen (Sylvia Findley) has little faith in her brother's contrived plan, and hates and distrusts both groups. The only one Helen gets some confidence is with Tex, but when she discovers his dark past, she rejects him. Caught in the battle between the gangs when one crosses and double-crosses the other, Tex now finds the man he is looking for. Outlaw gang war!. The most savage killers lair in the West!... If You Rode In With A Badge On Your Chest---You Were Carried Out With A Bullet In Your Back!.One gun against hundred and the winner gets the woman!.The killers lair where women went to the fastest draw.. and vultures waited for the slowest !.

This exciting Western packs thrills, pursuits, spectacular struggles, crossfire , and lots of gutsy action. Brawling , sprawling , almost primitive action in which our starring is forced to carry out a merciless vengeance and go on the run, teeming across the screen by means of escapes, attacks, crosses, double-crosses and ambushes. The picture contains whirlwinds of manic action , fights , sustained energy and often commendable results. The film has a slickness and crude vigour, including impressive outdoors with rocky mountains stunningly photographed. This is a distinctive Western saga with a special look at Durango outdoors with its peculiarly chiseled rocks and canyons and other countryside landscapes. Features impressive as well as spectacular crossfire scenes punctuated with great action sequences. This is a stirring story about a revenger and his fight for find the nasty killers and director takes a fine penned script written by John O'Dea, Maurice Geraghty and himself, based on a story by prolific novelist y Zane Grey, a Western expert whose books have been very adapted, creating an agreeable tale that is far from ordinary, exploring the anguish and desperation of a man who seeks vendetta and villany of the murderers. The starring is a famous actor who starred B-series called George Montgomery. This good-looking actor George Montgomery gives an acceptable acting in his usual style as a stubborn revenger who finds himself working for a gang of cattle rustlers engaged in a turf war with a rival gang of outlaws. He was born to Ukranian immigrants and was a heavyweight boxer previously becoming an actor. Besides was a magnificent craftsman and built and designed houses, plus a self-taught artist, creating bronze busts for famed actors. He starred movies around the world and various genres: adventures (Watusi,Steel claw) , Warlike (Battle of Bulge, Hell of Borneo) and specially Western (Seminola uprising, Fort Ti, Last of badmen, Great duel in Durango). In the film, the large group of prestigious secondaries stands out, these include the following: Richard Boone, Bruce Bennett, Peter Graves, Warren Stevens, William Hopper, Stanley Clements and Leo Gordon.

Goldstein-Jacks Productions and United Artists took advantage of the unused as well as left sets from other A-movies by scripting and shooting a hastily assembled B-picture. This is a good-natured Technicolor romp with glamorous cinematography by Jack Draper from Durango, Mexico and evocative musical score by Paul Sawtell. The motion picture was professionally directed by Sidney Salkow, a craftsman who had already filmed other Westerns. He realized all kind of genres such as routine westerns (Sitting Bull , The great Sioux massacre , Pathfinder), Adventures (Prince of Pirates , Sword of the avenger), war films , Sci-Fi (The last man on Earth) , Terror (Twice-told tales) and melodramas (City without men) . Salkow first worked for Republic, after joining Universal . At Columbia , he handled , among other assignments, four installments of the popular Lone Wolf series . After 1953, Salkow was primarily active as director of episodic television. Rating : 5.5/10, acceptable Western movie , entertaining stuff. Enjoyable and run-of-the-mill B-Western with incidents and action enough to be charming. It will appeal to George Montgomery and Richard Boone fans.

This movie wasted a good cast and film stock.

George Montgomery and Richard Boone should have switched roles. Boone would have brought out the subleties of a good man masquerading as a bad guy.

Montgomery's career might have profited by playing a slick bad guy.

Who the heck was Sylvia Findley? why was she given the female lead? You've got Montgomery, Boone, William Hopper and Peter Graves all lusting after her. I don't see what the big deal was.

It also makes little use of Leo Gordon. When you have a big, intimidating guy like that, use him! He made a bigger impression opposite John Wayne in "Hondo" or as a convict in "Riot In Cell Block 11".

They should have given the guy with the guitar some better songs to sing.

At least the colors were good.