Backtrack!

As evidenced by those who have bothered to write a review for this pic, this is a combination filmic blending of Western TV shows Laredo and The Virginian. Directed by Earl Bellamy and scripted by Borden Chase, it stars Neville Brand, Dough McClure, James Drury, Peter Brown, William Smith, Phillip Carey, Rhonda Fleming, Ida Lupino and Fernando Lamas. Plot has Wyoming cowhand and gambler Trampas (McClure) sent by his employer to Mexico to collect a bull. But during a stopover in Laredo he unwillingly joins up with three Texas Rangers on a dangerous mission into Mexico.

Considering the cobbled nature of the beast, this surprisingly is rather fun, certainly a worthwhile time investment for Western fans who are looking for some lighter genre time filling fare. There's a strong cast assembled, and they all turn in fun and lively performances, while there's enough action, japery and yee-haw peril to ensure the pic never falls flat. It's hardly a must see piece, and in fact overstays its welcome at an hour and half in length, but this Western version of The Three Musketeers is no dead loss. 6/10

This movie combines the characters from my favorite TV Western series, "Laredo", with the characters from another excellent 1960s TV Western series, "The Virginian". If you are a fan of either, but especially of "Laredo", check this movie out. In my opinion, the best part of the movie is the relationship between the three Texas Rangers, who are fast friends but also give each other a good deal of grief.

They Lived, Loved, and Battled Across the Face of Texas .This Backtrack introduces us to the Trampas character from "The Virginian" as well as the trio of Texas Rangers from "Laredo." This shoot'em up film deals with Medicine Bow, Wyoming-born , cowpoke Trampas (Doug McClure) wants to make some quick money and joins up a ranch called ¨Shilo¨ run by foreman Ramdod (James Drury) . Then the cowhand is sent to Mexico to buy a bull for his employer. The ranch foreman warns him to watch out for himself in Laredo, a tough town on the Texas/Mexican border. Trampas arranges to get himself engaged to fight three separate Texas Rangers (Neville Brand , Peter Brown , William Smith ) . As 3 Rangers have been sent by their Texas Ranger Capt. Edward A. Parmalee (Philip Carey) to investigate a train that was robbed and everyone aboard killed, except for one infant covered by his mother's body. The quartet go across the Rio Grande to the nearest town, where they meet a cantina owner Mama Dolores (Ida Lupino) with innumerable children . After that , Trampas leads a posse against the marauding Yaqui Indians . Things go wrong when Trampas must take a hard decission . Gunfighting Was Their Business .

The plot is plain and simple , it concerns about Trampas who is sent by his employer to Mexico to buy a bull but in Laredo he unwillingly joins three Texas Rangers on a perilous mission into Mexico. It is added by a particular version of the Dumas classic, "The Three Musketeers". In the film appears some usual roles in Virginian series such as Doug McClure as Trampas , James Drury ,Gary Clarke , Randy Boone , L.Q Jones , but isn't Lee J Cobb as Judge Henry Garth . The Virginian is set in the Shiloh Ranch in Wyoming Territory of the 1890s is owned in sequence by Judge Garth, the Grainger brothers, and Colonel MacKenzie. It is the setting for a variety of stories, many more based on character and relationships than the usual western. The first 12 minutes is season 2 episode 1 of The Virginian 'Ride a Dark Trail'.From the scene where Trampas, Belden and Randy ride into Shiloh ranch it is season 3 episode 30 'We've Lost a Train' . Being a crossover between The Virginian and Laredo series to forge a feature-length, 95-minute, Technicolor Western . Laredo being formed by 56 episodes during 1965-1967 , it stars Neville Brand as Reese Bennett , Peter Brown as Chad Cooper , William Smith as Joe Riley and Philip Carey as captain . Laredo series is formed Rustlers, bank robbers, and their own wild schemes: a band of Texas Rangers keeps getting in and out of trouble, under the jaundiced eye of Captain Parmalee. Backtrack is starred by Doug McClure who runs into the three Rangers--who turn out to be partners--, Doug gives a sympathetic acting as the famous Wyoming cowhand and gambler Trampas . He is accompanied by a large and prestigious support cast such as Ida Lupino , Rhonda Fleming , Fernando Lamas , Royal Dano , George Savalas , L.Q Jones , among others



The Virginian is based on the 1902 classic novel by Owen Lister about a ranch-hand defeating the local bad guys .There are several adaptation about this novel : First silent retelling The Virginian 1914 by Cecil B DeMille with Dustin Farnum , Jack Johnston . Classic early talkie 1929 by Victor Fleming with Gary Cooper , Walter Huston , Mary Brian , Richard Arlen . 1962 popular TV series mostly directed by Earl Bellamy with James Drury , Doug McClure , Lee J Cobb , John McIntire , Stewart Granger . TV rendition with Bill Pullman , John Savage , Harris Yulin , Colm Feore , Diane Lane . 2014 by Thomas McKowsky with Trace Adkins , Steve Bacic, Victoria Pratt.

The motion picture was well directed by Earl Bellamy . He was a good professional who served in the US Navy's photographic unit in the WWII and directed more than 1600 episodes of television and catastrophe films such as : Fire! and Flood! and a sequel titled Walking tall II . Rating : acceptable and entertaining .