L'Ultime Chevauchée

Jim Davis was used to play villains in westerns, so this one here is not that surprising, but he has the lead character, and that's tremendous for my taste. It's so rare that the main "hero" has such a place in the story. Albert C Gannaway was a petty film maker but a damn good one, providing efficient stuff, fast paced and without forgetting the importance of characters. This western belongs to his best, thans again to Jim Davis' character, so unusual, I repeat. And Lee Van Cleef's presence contributes to this taut western that I recommend a lot; such a shame that it is not better known. Just enjoy.

As a history teacher, this sort of western irritates the life out of me. While it's supposed to be set just after the Mexican War (which ended in the late 1840s), nothing about the film looks right—nothing. The guns are all repeating cartridge pistols circa 1870s-1880s, the cavalry uniforms from the 1860s and the whole look of the film is just another late 1800s film. So why, then, did they bother setting the film in this much earlier era if they just didn't care what they slapped on the screen? I guess they just wanted to churn out anything—hoping the public just would watch it anyways.

The film involves a very common theme to westerns—the baddies who are trying to grab up all the land and force the good people off their own property. In this case, an evil American is trying to force Mexicans off their land now that it's become a US territory. Unfortunately, it's all very familiar, the acting is unspectacular (at best) and the production just looks cheap and slapped together. My feeling is that since there were at least 13923035440509 other westerns made during this era, why not try watching one of the others first? After all, it's most likely a lot more interesting and better produced than this cheapie. And, perhaps my score of 3 is a bit generous.

Jim Davis is star and protagonist of Raiders Of Old California, a western from the last days of Republic Pictures. Davis is an army captain who uses the Mexican War and the uniform to steal himself a Spanish land grant from the previous owner Lawrence Dobkin who after a murder attempt by Davis henchman Lee Van Cleef on his life, retires and becomes a friar.

It's been previously pointed out the disparity in times for a film set in the post Mexican War years, with Davis, Van Cleef etc. wearing Civil War era uniforms and carrying even later weaponry. Herbert J. Yates was not much for authenticity and research.

Faron Young and Marty Robbins from the Grand Ole Opry are a good guy and a bad guy in this film. It was getting a little too late for country and western stars to become western stars on the big screen. Their time to become another Gene Autry had passed.

Those who are thespians do a good job with their roles. But Raiders Of Old California is a subpar western.

This film begins in the waning days of the Mexican War in California with a U.S. cavalry officer by the name of "Capt. Angus Clyde McKane" (Jim Davis) attacking a fortified position commanded by a Mexican officer named "Don Miguel Sebastion" (Lawrence Dobkin). Although he puts up a stern defense the sheer weight of numbers takes its toll and Don Miguel eventually has to surrender. Three years later Angus Clyde McKane owns a huge tract of land and begins forcing the people who currently reside there to relocate. As a result of his actions a judge by the name of "Ward Young" (Louis Jean Heydt) and his adult son, who is a federal marshal named "Faron Young" (Faron Young) ride into a town nearby to evaluate Angus Clyde McKane's legal claim to the properties. However, rather than clarifying the issue what they find is conflicting evidence and a an increased amount of violence inflicted upon those who are willing to come forward to the tell the truth. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a rather run-of-the-mill Western which covers most of the key elements in the plot but doesn't quite stand out on its own. Likewise, the acting was adequate at best and as a result I have to rate this picture as about average.

Although full of actors with a lot of experience in westerns--Jim Davis, Harry Lauter, Lee Van Cleef, Douglas Fowley--this cheap and irritating film from Republic comes across like it was made over a weekend by a couple of guys who got some money (very little of it, from the looks of things) together and said, "Hey, let's make a western!". This was released by Republic near the end of its existence--the studio went out of business two years later--although it wasn't actually made by them but was an independent production they picked up for distribution. That at least salvages their reputation somewhat, since Republic specialized in making westerns and knew how to make efficient, action-packed horse operas; I can't think of any of its own product that is as tenth-rate as this mess is.

There are so many things wrong with this film that it's difficult to know where to begin. For starters, although it's called "Raiders of Old California", it's set along the Texas/Mexican border, nowhere near California. As pointed out by other reviewers, the US troops wear uniforms and equipment that weren't issued until 15 years or so after the period the film was set in (the late 1840s). The film opens during the Mexican-American War of 1848 with a US Army attack on a Mexican fort, and it's an indication of what's to come--the "action" is dull, slow, poorly staged and full of stupid mistakes (while attacking the fort, the US soldiers don't bother running but stand out in the open, where they are promptly shot; soldiers fall off their horses although no shots are heard being fired; after the battle is over and the Americans have taken the fort, a Mexican soldier rides through the front gate and starts speaking to his commanding officer--in English--apparently not noticing that the fort has been taken over by American soldiers), and the "fort" itself is a painfully obvious, shoddily made set that looks like it was slapped together with wrapping paper and plywood.

The story of greedy villains trying to take land away from poor defenseless peasants and farmers has been done a thousand times before (and a thousand times better) and despite the cast of western veterans, no one acquits themselves particularly well. I hope their checks didn't bounce so at least they got something out of it, because this flabby, badly written, sloppily made hackjob isn't anything any of them should be proud of.