Oeste Selvagem

This felt like the studio got a pretty good first draft of a script in their hands and decided to make a low budget western out of it without much thinking. There were a lot of factors about this film that showed it could have worked great but the direction was lacking throughout the movie to build up any of the aspects that were actually working. Even though it is from the late 50s Hollywood it feels early 40s at best. There are a lot of backstories established but the characters are not given time to show the effect of it. Other characters are suddenly thrust upon without proper development. The acting feels somewhat restricted. Even with all of these problems, there was some genuineness in the writing that could have saved the film. But the film ends abruptly just before the anti-climax that was being built up throughout the second half of the film. It felt almost like they ran out of the given budget and decided to wrap it up at that point.

Black Patch is directed by Allen H. Miner and written by Leo Gordon. It stars George Montgomery, Diane Brewster, Tom Pittman, Leo Gordon, Strother Martin and Sebastian Cabot

A veteran of the Civil War, Clay Morgan (Montgomery), minus an eye, decided not to return to his home town and started afresh in Santa Rita, New Mexico. Working as the town marshal, and keeping very good order, his equilibrium is upset when an old friend and his wife arrive in town. When news comes about a bank robbery in a nearby town, it signals the start of events that will see Clay forced into dark corners…

Sometimes a Western fan will stumble upon a movie and wonder why it isn't better known. Black Patch is one such Oater, which in the grand scheme of things is criminal. More so when you consider the cast list, the cinematographer and the musical scorer (it was Goldsmith's first movie score and his fans will spot the early strains of some future work).

Beautifully photographed through a black and white film noir filter, Black Patch is big on mood. Be it oppressive as Miner works wonders within the confines of the Monogram Ranch locale, or psychologically pungent as the principal players battle their hang-ups and heartaches, there is not a single frame in the picture that isn't laced with adult Western textures.

The characters are presented with emotional depth, not as some Western shoot-out roll call of cannon fodder. The romantic angle is nicely etched, never cloying the story but adding to the bubbling enigma of the human condition. Gordon writes himself a good part, but he isn't interested in writing a Yee-Haw Good Guys Vs Bad Guys genre piece, there's a lot of interesting characters here who are all damaged or hurting in one way or another.

Having Montgomery in the lead helps, he was always a real good brooder, and he does it with considerable pathos here, and with Colman (Walk a Crooked Mile) and Miner (The Ride Back) favouring film noir techniques, Monty is often framed in classic noirish style. Brewster (The Young Philladelphians) blends both sultry with sincere regret, Cabot (Terror in a Texas Town) has a good old time of it as the town weasel, while young Pittman (The Proud Rebel) gives his young character the requisite pangs of confusion as he tries to make sense of everything around him.

This is very much one for the psychological adult Western crowd, not one for those who prefer stunts and fights every ten minutes. It has a few faltering moments, such as a turn of events involving the Pittman and Brewster characters, but this particular black patch is actually gold for the like minded adult Western fan. 8/10

Black Patch is a routine western notable for being the first film scored by Jerry Goldsmith, a composer who would go on to some very great things indeed: Planet Of The Apes, Papillon, Chinatown, The Omen, Alien, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, L.A. Confidential and hundreds more. Naturally, Black Patch doesn't sound anything like those works, but Goldsmith's characteristic voice is unmistakable, if not yet fully formed.

Despite only being in his late twenties, Goldsmith wrote music that indicated a fledgling dramatic sensitivity and intelligence that would blossom into the hallmarks of his career. So, for the composer at least, it was a good start musically even if the film itself was modest.

In a small western town, a one eyed marshal (George Montgomery) keeps the peace. When his old friend (Leo Gordon) runs into trouble he rides into town. They both once loved the same woman (Diane Brewster) and when the friend is found murdered, the marshal is suspected of being the murderer.

A somewhat offbeat western tightly directed by Allen H. Miner and from a script by Gordon who play's Montgomery's friend. A western that is quite dark in tone and mood and is worth a viewing.

George Montgomery is a Civil War Veteran and it shows in the black patch he wears over one eye. He's also the local sheriff and works hard at maintaining the peace. So it's a pleasant reunion when old army buddy Leo Gordon comes to town, and he invites him home to dinner with his wife, Lynne Cartwright; they had competed over her affections.

However, it's not so amusing when Gordon tries to rob the local bank and Montgomery stops him by shooting him. Suddenly, that's who he is: the man who shot his best friend in the back. That Miss Cartwright is one pretty woman, isn't she?

The growing disrespect for Montgomery threatens to break out into gunplay, and that's the story. It's the sort of late 1950s B Western that Montgomery was trapped in, one that wished to show how people would react; however, it showed the modern reaction, and so looks false and heavy-handed.

Montgomery was a good actor, but given the shrinking opportunities in Hollywood, it was either this profitable but unregarded oaters, or get out of town by sundown. Montgomery stayed, and continued to make westerns until 1969. In all, he appeared in 93 movies over more than half a century, dying in 2000 at age 84. But the grace he showed in what was to have been the movie that got him out of B Westerns permanently, THE BRASHER DOUBLOON, never led anywhere.