November 1954 saw the swift completion of "The Silver Star," the last of Lon Chaney's three releases from Lippert Pictures, this one from a short-lived outfit formed by producer Earle Lyon and director Richard H. Bartlett. A pedestrian ripoff of the superior "High Noon," partially conceived by actor/co-producer Ian MacDonald (main villain Frank Miller from "High Noon"), producer Lyon taking the lead as newly elected sheriff Gregg Leech, while director Bartlett opposed him as top henchman King Daniel, riding into town with two comrades, challenging Leech to face them at 8PM or get out fast (obviously, HIGH 8PM doesn't have the same ring!). Where its inspiration featured a plethora of interesting characters in support, such as Katy Jurado and Lloyd Bridges, this ultra low budgeter falls flat with non descript characters, only top billed Edgar Buchanan, in the retired sheriff role essayed by Chaney before, getting much of a chance to sink his teeth in (there's even a similar theme song, done by Jimmy Wakely rather than Tex Ritter). The cowardly Leech was recommended to replace Buchanan because both his father and grandfather were lawmen, but he simply wanders from one end of town to the other, unable to make up his mind until a certain amount of running time is used up, while the three hired gunmen take over the saloon, a steady supply of whiskey evidently ruining their shootin' eyes for the predictable outcome. Lon Chaney plays crooked attorney John W. Harmon, on the losing end in the election for sheriff, whose smiling demeanor fools absolutely no one, all convinced that he is the one responsible for those hired guns, entering at the 25 minute mark, almost 5 1/2 minutes screen time but a weak villain that hardly taxes his abilities. In cahoots with Chaney is fellow veteran Barton MacLane, again joining together the following decade for the A.C. Lyles Paramount Westerns. Producer Earle Lyon and director Richard H. Bartlett probably did the leads as a budget saving device, but their nonacting isn't helped by the sketchy characters they portray, robbing this modest effort of any possible tension. Lyon continued after their partnership dissolved, while Bartlett moved into television, after directing Chaney once more in a Universal oater starring Jock Mahoney, 1958's "Money, Women and Guns."
