The Lone Hand

I have not seen much of George Sherman's directorial work, but I liked his film, REPRISAL (1956), and now I have enjoyed THE LONE HAND (1953) with the ever humble and reliable Joel McCrea pulling quite a stunt, after misleading everyone for some three quarters of this flick.

Good to see Barbara Hale away from Raymond Burr's gay clutches in PERRY MASON - but then that famous TV series would start only in 1957. Hale certainly looks good and, above all, trustworthy and in love with Joel.

Jimmy Hunt plays McCrea's son and his is the voiceover, going from happy son who loves his father to disdainful of the same for joining the criminal gang operating in the area.

Strong cinematography by Maury Gertsman. Worth a watch 7/10.

This is the untold story of the secret of outlaw empire that ruled the Rockies, concerning a father called Zack Haller , Joel McCrea, and his son Joshua, Jimmy Hunt, arrive in a little town that is being victimized by a gang of heinous bandits , and there they create a farm . In the way McCrea meets a beautiful young woman and marries her. Along the way McCrea enlists a militia but he undercovering joins a dangerous gang of outlaws who are assaulting and robbing .They sent Zack Hallett to do the job no man had lived to finish! THE MAN WITH THE NAME THAT NOBODY KNEW!

Decent film starred by usual Western hero Joel McCrea, displaying thrills, action, go riding, a family story and gorgeous outdoors from Rocky mountains. Here McCrea gives an acceptable acting in his usual style as the widowed farmer who secretly joins a nasty gang who is terrorizing the community, while his son, the sympathetic Jimmy Hunt plays the little boy who doesn't understand why his daddy has decided to become himself a bandit. Furthermore, Barbara Hale performs his love interest and future wife who doesn't suspect the activities his hubby. Support cast is frankly excellent, plenty of familiar faces as Alex Nicol, Charles Drake, James Arness, Roy Roberts, Frank Ferguson, among others.

It packs a thrilling and exciting musical score by Henry Mancini and Herman Stein, though uncredited. Besides, special mention for excellent photography by cameraman Maury Gertsman shot on location in wonderful exteriors. Being magnificently filmed in the splendor of the Colorado Rockies in Las Animas River Gorge, Durango Colorado, Molas Lake, Silverton, Aztec, New Mexico, and Universal studios, City Plaza, Universal city, California. The motion picture was professionally directed by George Sherman. He was a good artisan who shot a lot of films. Filming movies of all kinds of genres from the Forties to Sixties. At his beginning he worked as a filmmaker assistant in Warner Brothers production. He was subsequently hired by Republic to make short budget movies as the Three Musketeers series. Then Sherman turned out reliable B movies for Columbia between 1945 to 48, and after that, he moved to Universal for another 8 years. Along the way he made loads of Westerns such as Smoky, The last of the fast guns, The sombrero Kid, Death valley outlaws, Gun sheriff, The phantom cowboy, Lone star raiders, Frontier vengeance, The Tulsa kid, Ghost valley raiders, Cowboys from Texas Crazy Horse, Comanche, Treasure of Pancho villa. And he made two A-films starred by John Wayne : Comancheros and Big Jack. He made some pictures in Spain as Joaquin Murrieta, Buscame esa chica and La Nueva Cenicienta with Robert Conrad. Rating 6.5/10. Enjoyable and agreeable Western, especially appointed for kiddies .

The Lone Hand is a western with a twist to it. We've seen many films from a child's perspective but usually from a distance. In fact one of Joel McCrea's best films Stars In My Crown is narrated by Marshall Thompson as a grownup Dean Stockwell. But here we have Jimmy Hunt playing Joel McCrea's son narrating as well registering all the child's conflicting emotions about an idealized father who is not living up to his expectations. And Hunt registers those emotions well.

McCrea who's a widower and his son Jimmy Hunt arrive in a new place, one that's been at the mercy of an outlaw gang that no one can catch. On the day McCrea arrives in town and purchases land for a farm, the sheriff is killed by these outlaws.

Still McCrea goes ahead with his plans starts working his land and even takes a beautiful bride in Barbara Hale. But soon enough a very curious Hunt sees his father consorting with outlaws and participating in their crimes. It's all pretty traumatic.

I won't say more other than you know McCrea is a good guy. Joel McCrea was probably the noblest of all cowboy heroes and noble in other genres as well. He could never be a bad guy, in fact he wouldn't hear of being cast any other way in his career.

As for Jimmy Hunt this situation is also parallel to that classic science fiction film he starred in, Invaders From Mars where the young boy sees his parents betraying his ideals because they're under the control of the Martians. And these films probably represent Jimmy Hunt's career roles.

Good roles they are too.

The Lone Hand is directed by George Sherman and written by Joseph Hoffman and Irving Ravetch. It stars Joel McCrea, Barbara Hale, Alex Nicol, Charles Drake, Jimmy Hunt and Jim Arness. A Technicolor production with cinematography by Maury Gertsman and music by Joseph Gershenson.

Zachary Hallock (McCrea), a hard working single parent, begins to destroy his sons love for him when he gives way to temptation and starts operating as an outlaw. But things are never as they seem in the town of Timberline.......

Unassuming 50s Oater with a twist in the tale and sumptuous photography around genuine Colorado locations. In essence it's the same as a number of "B" Western productions that filtered through the studio system in this particular decade, where small budgets were often overcome by good performances and integrity of script. The Lone Hand is told from a young boys point of view, with young Joshua Hallock (Hunt) even narrating to ensure the morality POV of the family drama hits the right spots. A turn of events in Ravetch's story will either annoy or pleasantly surprise you, but pic is never less than interesting and action is well marshalled by Sherman; who in turn is well served by the stunt men. The principal actors on show are engaging, especially an excellent Hale, Gershenson scores it with vibrant Western tones, while Gertsman's wonderful lensing of the scenery (Durango/Silverton) is reason enough for Western fans to seek this one out. 6/10

A solid western with a twist told from a child's POV. James Aeneas from gun smoke fame and the dependable Joel Mccrae deliver sublime performances with Barbara hale a la Perry mason adds her appearance as Joel's love interest.