A Bela Lil

I prefer forgetting this one, compared to the second and overwhelming movie starring Steve McQueen, made in 1979, one year before his death. This very Lesley Selander western is quite entertaining, especially if you like George Montgomery, and is still worth watching. Lesley Selander was a chain western maker, but a pretty good one. None of his films were boring. But of course, don't dare comparing with the second western also telling the story of Tom Horn, the most terrific, prestigious, unforgettable version. However, I don't wish to spoil the maybe pleasure that you could have with this western. Just enjoy.

"Dakota Lil" is a routine western with two big differences. The first is the beautiful panoramic Cine Color photography which is at times, quite breathtaking. The other is the casting against type of Rod Cameron as the sadistic villain of the piece.

The story has Tom Horn (George Montgomery) going under cover for the U.S. Treasury Department in order to recover $100,000 in stolen unsigned Treasury Bills taken by the "Hole in the Wall" gang in a train hold-up. In pursuit of the gang, Horn meets up with expert forger Dakota Lil (Marie Windsor) and her companion Vincent (John Emery) and forms an alliance. Horn has learned that Harve Logan (Rod Cameron), who runs a saloon, is connected to the gang.

Lil double crosses Horn and hooks up with Logan and forms a partnership with him in return for her forging expertise. Horn meanwhile, catches up with them and Lil begins to fall in love with him. Anyway, they discover that Logan is actually the leader of the gang and team up against him.

Cameron is downright nasty as Logan. He plays him as a short-fused psychopath who brutally murders three people by visciously strangling them with a riding strap that he wears around his wrist. Montgomery is rather one dimensional as the hero but it must have been difficult to play against Cameron's villain. The charming and under appreciated Windsor makes an excellent good/bad lady. she even gets to sing a couple of songs while masquerading as a saloon singer.

Of the supporting cast, John Emery is very good as Vincent, Windsor's tragic love sick accompanist. Wallace Ford is along as Horn's contact in Logan's organization. Jack Lambert has a nice bit as "Dummy" the sadistic gang member who uses dumb-dumb bullets. Walter Sande appears briefly as Butch Cassidy (no Sundance Kid though) and veterans Frank Lacteen and Kenneth MacDonald as other gang members. Sharp eyed western fans will also spot J. Farrell MacDonald in a small role as a Treasury expert.

"Dakota Lil" though not a great western is nonetheless a feast for the eyes and a chance to see Rod Cameron on the wrong side of the law for a change.

Yet another western, based on the Tom Horn legend, this one focuses on the early days, before he supposedly turned 'bad.' Montgomery is acceptable as the detective sent to bring in counterfeiters, Windsor the dance hall girl who leads the way.

This is quite an enjoyable western crime drama - not least because the leading character is the rather feisty "Dakota Lil" (Marie Windsor). Ostensibly a travelling entertainer - with just the one song, from what I saw - she is also a cunning counterfeiter and is being sought by the authorities. Meantime George Montgomery ("Tom") is on the trail of some train robbers who have pinches $100,000 worth of unsigned bonds, and soon the fate of the two are inextricably linked! Rod Cameron (whom i think looked a lot like Randolph Scott here) turns up in a really nasty guise, playing just about everyone against each other and proving he could deal brutally with those who got in his way, and we have an appearance from the legendary "Hole in the Wall" gang to keep it moving along well, too. It's maybe just a little too long, there isn't enough action to sustain it - indeed the first fifteen minutes could have been condensed easily, but it's still a decent watch with a little more substantial characterisation and a modicum of on screen chemistry between "Lil" and "Tom"

Dakota Lil is directed by Lesley Salander and written by Maurice Geraghty and Frank Gruber. It stars George Montgomery, Rod Cameron, Marie Windsor and Wallace Ford. Music is by Dimitri Tiomkin and cinematography by Jack Greenhalgh.

Tom Horn (Montgomery) is a Secret Service agent hunting a counterfeit ring. Getting tight with dance hall gal Lil (Windsor), Horn quickly finds himself in the hornets nest.

It's titled after Windsor's character but ultimately it's about Tom Horn during his early years as a good guy before he became a hired gunman. Unfortunately not even the presence of Montgomery and Cameron, two reliable Western performers, can save this lifeless affair. The acting is sub-standard, especially the quite woeful Windsor who seems simply to be a dressage character only. Some of the undercover machinations hold interest, while there are fist-fights and shoot- outs to while away the running time, but even with the latter it's all distinctly routine fodder.

Originally filmed in Cinecolor, some sources show a black and white version, which is the one I saw. It's hard to tell if watching it in colour would improve things as per the scenery et al, such is the flatness of the screenplay, direction and acting performances. 4/10