La Vallée maudite

Saying that a Randolph Scott film is ordinary is NOT a bad thing at all, as this ordinary was still amazingly good. While I like a good western, I always look forward to one of Scott's, as his films were consistently fine--and set a high standard for the industry. So, when I say that "Gunfighters" is about average for him, this is still more than enough reason to find this movie.

The film begins with a friend of Brazos Kane (Scott) challenging him to the draw. Without thinking, he turns and shoots the friend--nearly killing him. That's when Kane realizes he has got to hang up his guns, as practically all the punks are itching to duel it out with his legendary gunfighter. So, he leaves town and heads to the ranch belonging to an old friend--only to find the guy dead--a victim of a murder. Still swearing to avoid a life of violence, he swears to find out who did it and bring them to justice. However, naturally, there are some baddies (two of the baddest in these films, Bruce Cabot and Forrest Tucker) aren't about to give up and decide to shoot Kane--whether he is willing to pick up a gun or not. Along the way, Kane becomes involved with two sisters who look very much alike (oddly, they actually are played by two different actresses--not the same lady--but they do look like sisters!). Can he manage to maintain his vow never to shoot again and still get justice?

The best thing about the film is Scott's easygoing acting style. It manages to make all his films (even the poor ones) well worth seeing. The wonderful California and Arizona locations shot in vivid color didn't hurt, either! I also appreciate the ending, though it will no doubt disappoint many. It does NOT have the predictable and nice Hollywood ending--and this might be something you dislike, but I thought it added some nice tension to the film. Keeping things unresolved didn't bother me. The only thing that ever bothers me is because I am a history teacher I realize that this film represents a highly idealized version of the west--not what really was. In reality, shootouts were rare and most of the time it really consisted of some jerk shooting some poor slob in the back--not the clichéd shootout on main street at high noon! Still, entertaining and well made.

FYI--The film is currently available for legal free viewing and download at archive-org--a site frequently linked to IMDb listings.

Randolph Scott again tries to hang up his guns and walk away from violence, but those pesky bad guys just leave him with no choice in this good-looking Cinecolor potboiler that anticipates 'The Gunfighter'.

As usual it benefits from a literate script (by Alan LeMay), good production values and a good cast, including handsome Arizona locations and a pair of handsome female leads playing sisters, in the form of blue-eyed Barbara Britton and titian-haired Dorothy Hart (best remembered as Jane to Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan five years later in 'Tarzan's Savage Fury') in stetson and jeans.

Gunfighters (AKA: The Assassin) is directed by George Waggner and adapted to screenplay by Alan Le May from the novel "Twin Sombreros" written by Zane Grey. It stars Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, Bruce Cabot, Dorothy Hart, Griff Barnett and Forest Tucker. Music is by Rudy Schrager and Gerard Carbonara and cinematography by Fred Jackman Jr.

A gunman who has laid down his guns finds that circumstances test him to the limit...

It's a familiar formula that any Western film fan can acknowledge as being over used, that's not to say that the right production isn't worth visiting as such, but expectation of something fresh can often lead to disappointment.

Built on solid foundations due to scorching location photography and Randolph Scott prepping himself for greater things in the next decade (see also The Walking Hills 1949), it's a pleasurable piece. It also - via the narrative - isn't afraid to be bold as regards the ultimate decisions made by Scott's Brazos character, giving the pic a darker edge and being all the better for it. Elsewhere, the villains are standard stuff but entertaining regardless, the twin beauties of Britton and Hart have interesting parts to play, and the action scenes are well put together - with the pursuit sequences exciting. Filmed in Cinecolor, it's nice to report this is one of the better photographed Westerns in that format, which is just as well because the Sedona locations are to die for.

Not what you would term a keeper, but for Western fans of the era and Scott fans in general, it's worth its salt. 6.5/10

GUNFIGHTERS is the unoriginal title for Zane Grey's "Twin Sombreros", which, considering the story is about two sisters who are almost twin-like in appearance, would have been a more apt title for this film.

The story is routine as depicted here, with bad guy BRUCE CABOT as the man responsible for a few killings over range rights on property owned by GRIFF BARNETT and his daughters BARBARA BRITTON and DOROTHY HART.

RANDOLPH SCOTT is the man who rides into town at the start without his gunbelt, but by the end of the story he dons it for the final gun duel before tossing it off again and heading west for the happy ending. This is after he's fought a couple of the town bullies, including FORREST TUCKER, and won.

What surprised me was how good the warm tones of Cinecolor looked, while not quite up to the standard of three-strip Technicolor. Looks as though Columbia was aiming to give the film an A-budget look.

For Randolph Scott fans, it's a treat to see him in fine shape--but the script is ordinary and the direction is uninspired. One would never guess the story is from an original penned by Zane Grey.

I saw the movie the first time back in the late 1940's after reading the book "Twin Sombreros". When I taped it recently from the Westerns Channel, I noted that R. Scott's name was Brazos Keene in the book, but Brazos Kane in the movie. Also I still had a hard time telling the girls apart. The story drifted away a little from the book, the names were still familiar, Kiscaden, Inskip, Johnny, Beth and Jane. One of the greatest lines in Westerns was uttered by Kiscaden when he told Brazos that his badge represented the law..."if the man wearing it goes down, it just gets up and jumps on the pocket of another man, and keeps right on coming" (that's as close as I can remember the statement). You can still watch the movie, it was very interesting.