Le cavalier fantôme

In continuing to review movies and TV appearances of the original "Dallas" cast in chronological order, we're once again in 1949 with Jim Davis once again playing an antagonist in Brimstone having previously been in Hellfire early in the year. He's one of the sons of Walter Brennan who's long resented all the settlers that have-what he believes-invaded his land and has no qualms about robbing and killing to get what he wants. Rod Cameron plays someone who aims to stop Brennan and his family. Forrest Tucker, also from Hellfire, once again plays a lawman but you might be surprised about his motivations. I'll stop there and just say that Davis has his most exciting scenes that I've seen him in during his younger days in this movie especially concerning his fate here. And I also like the way some characters turn loyalties on a dime. And how about when Brennan's other son, Jack Lambert, asks how the world can be round since if it was so, "...the people down in China would be standing on their heads!" Oh, one more thing: James Brown, the youngest son, would also appear in the later seasons of "Dallas" as Harry McSween. So on that note, I highly recommend Brimstone.

Pop "Brimstone" Courteen (Walter Brennan) and his sons, Nick, Luke and Bud, run a ranch outside the town of Gunsight, and are none too happy about the recent arrival of homesteaders in the area. Determined to cut off the interlopers' supplies, the Courteens rob incoming stagecoaches and even the local bank. But things change when a U. S. marshal (Rod Cameron) arrives in town to investigate, and Bud falls in love with one of the hated homesteaders.

Brimstone is a thoroughly engaging western with plenty of family conflicts, shoot-'em-up action, twist and turns, smart dialogue and betrayals. It's fast-paced, tightly-plotted with strong characterisation. Forest Tucker plays a crooked sheriff mixed up in the Courteens' misdeeds, Rod Cameron plays an undercover federal agent with a scheme of his own to bring down Pop and the boys, but it's Walter Brennan in an atypical role as Pop who steals the scene. He's a real horrid character and the embodiment of a dysfunctional father; he's quite abusive, verbally and physically. He puts them down and controls them with an iron fist. No wonder his sons are bad 'uns. Well one of them isn't so bad, he's in love with a homesteader and Brennan doesn't approve. When he learns the couple have eloped, his response is to go after Bud and kill him! What a loving father. Jack Lambert, who plays one of Pop's sons, lends some humour as a lard-headed thug who is surprised that the earth is round! Ends with an exciting Stagecoach chase.

Borrowing from his portrayal of Old Man Clanton in My Darling Clementine, Walter Brennan dominates this film as the mean and merciless head of an outlaw family. It seems that Brennan at one time was the local Ben Cartwright, but little by little the homesteaders and small ranches have nibbled him down to little by his standards. So he and his two outlaw sons Jim Davis and Jack Lambert have been plying the outlaw trade going after them with some cattle rustling and other forms of criminal enterprise.

The general outlaw situation has a lot of people mighty of suspicious of sheriff Forrest Tucker and deputy Guinn Williams. Federal Marshal Jack Holt arrives on the scene, but he's wounded in a stagecoach holdup and not able to do too much.

Into all this mix is a mysterious loner played by Rod Cameron who looks like he's trying to cut himself in on everybody's action, Brennan's and Tucker's. When you're not watching Brennan, Cameron's the one that should be paid attention.

Brennan had a very bad time with John Ford when he made My Darling Clementine, but Ford got a great performance from him. I think Brennan channeled a lot of that into his role here of Brimstone Courteen.

This is a great action western from Republic with quite a bit more plot to it than the usual Republic product for the Saturday afternoon kid market. And you'll not forget Walter Brennan in the title role.

This is a Republic Studios shot at an A picture. The problem is that it is still Republic, after all. The film is in color, but it's "Trucolor", which is a two color process that makes the great outdoors look very odd. (The movie was clearly shot in the winter -- which makes the fact that the process really does not show green less of a liability. The blue shows up as a very cold blue) And when it is time for a big sweeping scene that's beyond this film's budget, the movie suddenly changes to black and white for a minute.

But the reason for watching is seeing Walter Brennan in full-bore villain mode. And he plays the character as that mean old evil reprobate we all know in our lives, and he is scary good at it. The character resembles his villain in "My Darling Clementine", but he has more film time to be just plain awful, and he makes the most of it. It is bravura acting, but it is not the least hammy or corny. The man won his Academy Awards for a reason.

Plot? Stranger with unclear motives takes on a corrupt town. No surprises on how this develops, though one thinks the Walter Brennan character in real life would have made prompt mincemeat of the stalwart hero, and purchased himself a few more local politicians.

This is one of the B Western films that has everything, great stars, great plot, surprises, good guys, bad guys, etc.

Brennen does an excellent job as Brimstone, a grizley old man that is bad to the bone and expects his moron sons to be just as bad. The exception being James Brown.

Rod Cameron plays a great part but in my opinion, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams steals the show.

"Gracious, I always talk Spanish when I'm eatin', makes the food taste better"

Watch it, tape it and watch it again. You'll always find some hidden part or line that'll connect for you.