The Silver Star

While Gary Cooper "did what a man's gotta do" in the classic High Noon, Earle Lyon (as Sheriff Greg Leach) isn't so sure he has the right stuff for the job. When three gunmen arrive in town and tell him to leave, he is forced to search for the moral courage that is the code of the west. Leach will only do the right thing when he is shamed into it by his girl and her father. This movie was scripted by Ian Mcdonald, who played the heavy, Frank Miller, in High Noon. Features a great title song by Jimmy Wakeley. A low budget classic.

UPDATE-2006 When I wrote the earlier review on this movie, I had not seen it in several decades. Now thanks to VCI Entertainment and Kit Parker it is available on a tandem DVD with Lyon and Bartlett's LONESOME TRAIL. So how did SILVER STAR hold up? Amazingly well. As a much younger person I didn't pay attention to things like production values and such, and make no mistake about it, this IS low budget fare. But what sells this little jewel is the screenplay. When SILVER STAR was filmed-1955-we had Cheyenne, Paladin, and Matt Dillion, all doing "what a man's gotta do." Fearless heroes. Here we have Earle Lyon, a newly elected sheriff, running at the first glimpse of trouble. His mentor, an old man attempts to shame him into action, and his sweetheart pleads with him to act like a man. This was pretty heavy stuff for the mid 50s! Jimmy wakely's title song holds up extremely well also, sounding much more like a folk song than a movie theme. If there is a drawback to the picture it is the conclusion...a little of the action seems muddled and the ending is somewhat inconclusive. And I still walk away from this one thinking that if the sheriff is ever faced with a similar situation, we'll have to go through all these motions again! A GREAT low budget B movie.

There is a lot going on in this little low budget western drama, and there is absolutely NO WASTE OF TALENT! Lyon plays the sheriff, who's father and grandfather were both gunned down while wearing a badge. It seems that he has just taken over from Buchanan, who has let a lot slide during the 15 years he was wearing the badge.

I think that many viewers, especially immature ones, will have a tough time with this tale...it deals with the fear of cowardice. All men and women experience it at some time, however it is not considered macho to talk about it, hence we have more movies with Cooper and Wayne portraying the fearless, card board cut-out protagonist, rather than real life characters.

The scene where Windsor and Buchanan berate and grind Lyon into action is unforgettable.

The movie could have benefited from a more rugged realistic conclusion, however after all these years, this one remains a minor classic.

The Silver Star is one of that slew of westerns that came out after High Noon about the job of a sheriff and the responsibilities and risks that go with it. Although done on a C picture budget The Silver Star is not a bad film with a nice ensemble cast brought together by producer/directors Earle Lyon and Richard Bartlett who also star in the film as the hero and one of three gunfighters looking to take him out.

Old sheriff Edgar Buchanan has retired and the town mostly on his say so has chosen young Lyon who has a law enforcement pedigree from his father and grandfather gets the job over Lon Chaney, Jr. who ran against him. Then three killers headed by Bartlett ride into town and plant themselves in Morris Ankrum's and Marie Windsor's saloon and said they're here to kill the sheriff whom they've never met.

Poor Lyon just doesn't feel he's up to a job that killed both his father and grandfather and it takes a lot to prod him into action. But when the action does come it's explosive.

In the tradition of High Noon which had a former movie cowboy and country/western singer Tex Ritter do the immortal ballad associated with the film, The Silver Star has Jimmy Wakely singing the title song which serves the same function as Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling. The song moves the story narrative along quite nicely.

Although this kind of stuff was being seen on the small screen more than the big by this time, The Silver Star is a nice no frills B western like they don't make any more.

If you have seen Joseph Pevney's THE PLUNDERERS, starring a terrific Jeff Chandler, you'll find many similarities with this one, where a sheriff is alone against a bunch of hoodlums. In the Pevney's film, Chandler was a war vet and one armed guy; here the sheriff is an actor whom I have never heard of nor seen anywhere before, and that's very surprising. He has to face and fight against outlaws, show his courage. This is a pretty cute western, full of charm, as the other films from Richard Bartlett as a director. Some kind of personal touch that I appreciate. Try it please, you'll won't regret it.

Although this nifty little western drama is seldom available for viewing, it remains as one of the better western character studies of the 50s. Perhaps the lack of action, and the stark reality of the picture account for the poor reviews it received upon it's release, however, in hindsight, it remains one of the better "High Noon" inspired quickies, and is perhaps in some respects even better than it's insparation. Lyon shows signs of real acting brilliance as the cowardly Sheriff, only willing to fight when he is shamed into it. The great title song by Wakely is unforgettable.