Três Amigos Implacáveis

I did not expect a so good script from a western produced by the greedy, stingy Sam Katzman, who offered us far far worst in the past, and even since this Fred S Sears' stuff. Good script, maybe xanks to western novelist Louis L'Amour which it is inspired from. Not a really new topic, but fairly well done, with a good characters symphony. Rory Calhoun excellent but maybe a most known villain would have been welcome, such as Leo Gordon, Robert Wilke or Neville Brand. So, try to watch this movie, it is a good time waster for western buffs, fast paced, with no length and not particularely diminished by the Sam Katzman's trademark, that I usually recognize at first sight. Here, Sam Katzman's name is only shown on the opening credits.

Rory calhoun is blaine, who takes up the cause of the ranchers who are getting run off or killed for their land. Since their land was never properly filed, murdering gangs are trying to grab the land that the owners have developed and worked. And of course, there's a mountain lion prowling around as well. Max baer senior (jethro's dad, the boxer! ) is gus. Co-stars susan cummings, ray teal. It's a pretty good western. Thieves, threats, shooting, horse riding. All the ingredients. Calhoun was king of the westerns, but he was also betty grable's forest ranger in how to marry a millionaire. Directed by fred sears, who died young of a heart attack at age 44. He died the same year this was released. Baer also died young at 50, just two years after this film story by louis l'amour.

Decent programmer from the six-gun soaked 1950's. Utah Blaine's helping big ranchers keep their spreads from predatory small ranchers. What the big ranchers need is an organized town government to provide proper law enforcement. So Blaine's got his work cut out. Needless to say, the plot's an inversion of the usual big guy versus little. There's some pretty good expansive scenery even if it's limited to greater LA. The shootouts, however, are sloppily staged, but then that's par for most B-oaters where no one really aims yet the bodies always fall. And catch Calhoun decking ex-heavyweight champ Baer. Now we know why the movies are called "make believe". For guys, there's the fetching Susan Cummings with a pronounced bustline in solid, or should I say huggable, 50's fashion. Nothing special here, just a standard entry in the 50's oater sweepstakes.

This film begins with a cowboy by the name of "Joe Neal" (Ken Christy) being taken to an isolated part of the country and lynched by a group of men led by a man named "Russ Nevers" (Ray Teal). As it so happens, Joe owns a large portion of land which he has yet to file a legal claim for and the other men all want a piece of it. That being said, because they leave him to die a slow death by hanging, what they don't see is a nearby cowboy named "Utah Blaine" (Rory Calhoun) witnessing the whole thing nearby and rescuing Joe in the nick of time. Grateful for his efforts, Joe promises Utah Blaine a large number of cattle and offers to make him his ranch foreman. Having been a gunslinger all of his life, Utah gladly accepts Joe's generous offer. However, he is even more pleased when he is told that a man he's been tracking for a long time named "Rink Witter" (George Keymas) also participated in this illegal hanging-and he fully expects their paths to cross again once and for all. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a good, old-fashioned Western which had a couple of unexpected turns along the way that made it somewhat more compelling than many grade-B movies of this sort. Admittedly, I would have preferred a slightly lengthier run time but all things considered I enjoyed this film for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

When the story begins, Utah (Rory Calhoun) comes upon a lynching party hanging Joe Neal. Although Utah has no idea what's going on, such 'justice' disgusts him and he saves the dying man as soon as the would-be killers leave. That is when Neal informs Utah that local jerks are trying to force out the various ranchers by using a 'vigilante committee' to enforce the law....though there is no law...just greed.

Inexplicably, although Utah Blaine has a infamous reputation as a gunman, he's the guy trying to restore law and order to this town. And, this means he needs to face down the baddies...possibly all on his own...possibly with some help if he can make some friends in this awful town.

This plot is about the most common you'll find in old westerns, particularly B-westerns. I am not so much complaining as saying it is all very familiar. After all, although familiar, Calhoun is very good in the film and I think his westerns tend to be underrated. In other words, they took an ordinary sort of plot but made it just a bit better due to the acting. Worth seeing.

By the way, if you do watch, note the final big battle in the streets of the town. Somehow with 3824 shots fired at the men on horseback, not a single horse was shot...even by the guy firing a shotgun at the men on horseback! Also note that the during Blaine's shootout at the end with the big baddie, neither apparently need to re-load their revolvers!