The Buckskin Lady

As Jim Nabors would put it --- surprise, surprise. This is part of one of those packages with umpteen westerns, most, but not all, which can be labeled as crap.

"Buckskin Lady" is a rare exception - a low budget movie with high class credits. The twist-turn plot is excellent, as are the settings, although the little town is sparse even for its day. That is a very minor gripe.

The acting is several notches above satisfactory. Overly handsome Richard Denning, in an unfamiliar part, hits the spot. Gerald Mohr, always a top villain is very good, although his expressions and voice are the poor man's Bogie. Henry Hull as a d.d. - not a dentist, but a drunk doc - and Hank Worden as a not too bright character are right on.

Patricia Medina always kept busy. She is one of those black-haired beauties that graced many a pic. Think Faith Domergue, etc. (In one scene Medina sported a shiny chin). She dominates every scene.

The almost hot love scenes are unusual for a western in those days. They are well done as are the fight scenes and the stand-offs between Denning and Mohr.

If you can get your paws on this, do so. You won't be sorry. Have I ever lied to you?

Gambler Patricia Medina feels regret and attraction when Doctor Richard Denning comes to town broke, having purchased the medical practice of her alcoholic father, Henry Hull. She plays gunslinger Gerald Mohr for the money needed, and he wins. When she discovers the cards were marked, she goes for Mohr, who fights her off. Denning, seeing her bruised, misinterprets what's going on, so she gets married to Mohr, who robs a bank.

It's one of those 1950s westerns which try to be important through symbolism, like naming Mohr's gun-slinging character 'Slinger,' Denning's character 'Merrit', and Miss Medina's character 'Medley' to indicate the mixed nature of her emotions. Given, however, that is obvious to even Hank Worden what is going on, I can't say I was impressed.

Miss Medina's dark beauty had won her some good roles in her native England, but a move to Hollywood in the late 1940s didn't do much for her career. Roles in swashbucklers gave way to lesser works, and by 1961 she was appearing in Three Stooges features. She finally quit the profession in 1978 to be with Joseph Cotten, whom she had married in 1960. She died in 2012 and the age of 92.

I doubt if many people will mistake "The Buckskin Lady" for a classic western. In fact, I think few would even think it's a very good film at all. It starts off very salaciously but mostly falls apart at the end...and ending too ridiculous and took contrived to work at all.

The story is set in some crappy little town in the Nevada Territory in the old west. Slinger (Gerald Mohr) is the local jerk...a guy who seems to really enjoy being bad. His girlfriend, of sorts, is Angela (Patricia Medina), a local who has a very bad reputation...mostly for hanging out and playing cards in the local bar. Her father is not only the town drunk, but the town's doctor as well...a rather bad combination.

One day, a new doctor (Richard Denning) arrives in town to take over the drunk doctor's practice. The old Doc apparently sold the new Doc the practice...and GREATLY inflated the value of the practice. Angela knows her father swindled the young doctor and vows to somehow repay the man. But the town bully and no-goodnick, Slinger, sees this as a chance to, once again, be the town jerk. And, somehow, despite this, Angela agrees to run off with Slinger...mostly because she likes the young Doc and knows if she doesn't leave, Slinger will end up killing him sooner or later. What's next? Plenty!

The film is trashy...and it makes little attempt to be otherwise. This isn't really the problem, as it at least made the story interesting. No, for me the problem was the really dumb ending...where again and again, Angela and the nice doctor COULD have easily defeated the outlaw, Slinger...and again and again, they behaved as if they had a can of stewed tomatoes for a brain! See the ending...see what I mean.

Overall, the actors tried their best and the film isn't completely bad. But it really ends poorly and as a result, it's a bit of a waste of time to watch.

Cheap " B" western but that said, it's not that bad, it's quick at just over an hour and keeps you watching.Patricia Medina is fine and looks good, Mohr an interesting baddie even though he does look like Humphrey Bogart.Hank Worden is Hank Worden.Henry Hull the town's drunk doctor who still has a great love for his daughter.Fair western.

This is a fun Western with a slightly different story line. It has a good-goody (Richard Denning) and a real-bad baddie (Gerald Mohr) but the baddie is the guy who loves the Buckskin Lady. Watch out for the raunchy bedroom scene which almost ends in laughter but Mr Mohr changes the laughter into something else entirely! Nice piece of acting that recovered the scene from a retake to a save and print! Some nice fight scenes, too. Watch out for the publicity picture of Gerald Mohr on e-Bay - a very clever photo which actually reveals the ending to those of us lucky enough to have seen this little gem - and, yet again, the superb Mr Mohr bites the dust at the end!