Graine de shérif

I would have liked to have liked The Brass Legend more. I well remember watching Hugh O'Brian as a kid in Wyatt Earp on TV and quite liked him. He was much more effective I think playing villains as he did in a some westerns as his stone face look doesn't exactly give you a warm feeling here as a hero. He should have stuck to playing baddies, however he's very good in the gunfight scenes here, where he really brings some impact to an otherwise flat direction. The biggest flaw for me was the terrible acting by the child actor Donald McDonald and had a more accomplished child been chosen it would have been a big improvement as the other acting roles are generally quite good, particularly Raymond Burr and his girlfriend floozy Reba Tassell who both exude evil. Some of the dialogue is quite decently presented as well but the delightful Nancy Gates is wasted and there's zero chemistry between her and O'Brian. A clear rip off of High Noon but 4 stars out of 10 for trying and the gunfights.

Interesting little western, as Allied or United Artists could provide from time to time, or Universal B department. But Budd Boetticher also made his famous Randolph Scott westerns more or less in the same manner. Nothing spectacular but quite surprising, unpredictable, which is not the case for every western. This kind of plot was often used in ZANE GREY THEATER series episodes, small cute engrossing stories, sometimes poignant, far far from clichés. Gerd Oswald was not a major film maker, not an ambitious one, but his films were not uninteresting. FURY AT SHOWDOWN starring John Derek was also a cute little western.

Hugh O'Brien plays Sheriff Addams--one of the few inhabitants of a stupid old west town. I say stupid because the folks don't seem all that bright and they seem to appreciate their sheriff about as much you'd appreciate Eczema!

Clay Gipson is a 12 year-old who happens to see the wanted killer, Tris Hatten (Raymond Burr). When he tells the sheriff, Addams is able to capture the baddie. Oddly, many of the townsfolk seem to feel sorry for Hatten--even though he's killed several people! As I said, it's a very stupid town!! So, the trick is to bring Hatten to trial and convict him--while at the same time Addams and Gipson remain alive to see it! But, the conspiracy of stupids is strong!!

The biggest weakness of this film is how fickle and stupid the townspeople were--a bit too stupid if you ask me. I also thought a few of the characters were ridiculous--such as Hatten's girlfriend (???). Clay's father wasn't much better. But, O'Brien does a nice job as does Burr--who is always great in baddie roles. On balance, worth seeing but far from a must-see picture.

Compact Low-Budget Western with some Off-Beat Ingredients.

The Two Leads...Hero Sheriff Hugh O' Brien and Outlaw Raymond Burr.

In the Mix is almost a Prerequisite in the Prolific 50's Western...A "Kid".

From Highly-Praised and Popular Films like "Shane" (1953) Onward. Including TV"s "The Rifleman".

Were Examples of Popular Culture Icons that Showcased the "Boom".

Family Life in Post-War America was a "Celebratory" Procreative Parade of Offspring.

The Down-Home, Salt of the Earth "Americana" Manifested in the Western Genre.

After the War it was Obligatory to Reflect Contemporary Reality...Arriving "Boomers".

Mostly this was Nothing More than "Ornamental" and for the Most Part, at Best it was Non-Intrusive, but at Worst it could Cause Cringes and Interfere by way of Irritations.

The Adolescent in this Little-Seen or Appreciated Movie, the "Kid" is Used in just the Right Way.

He is Substantial to the Plot, Yields Firearms, and Helps His Friend the Sheriff in Apprehending the Outlaw.

Also, Against the Norm, He is Attacked and Shot of His Horse for His Involvement.

This is Highly Unusual in the Code-Dominated, Ultra Conservative Decade.

Non-Adults were Rarely Allowed to become Victims of Abuse or Violence in Mainstream Movies.

There's an Unusual Gunfight in the Saloon Presented in an Off-Handed Display.

To Cap it Off, the "Showdown" Mano-Mano between Good and Evil is Not your Standard Stand-Off in the Streets.

Worth a Watch for the Strange Way the Film Presents the Ever-Present Genre Cliches.

This was made about the time b westerns were in decline. I watched it just to see Hugh O'Brian (TVs Wyatt Earp)and Raymond Burr ( TVs Ironside). Not bad but but no where near being a classic. Hugh O'Brian plays the strong Sheriff and Raymond Burr as usual is very strong in the role of the bad guy Poor script and low budget show up throughout the movie. I must have been difficult at that time to put much money into a b western. Enjoyed watching for old times sake, alaways have a soft spot for the western.