You know, as an Oregon resident, there is a benefit to living here, especially since a lot of movies were filmed here, from "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey" (1993) to practically every movie made by Laika Studios (i.e. "Coraline" [2009]). Unfortunately, we have our fair share of bad movies, and this dull, tedious western from 1948 is one of the worst, to the point where an episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" was devoted to it. It really is that bad.
So what's the story behind this thing? Well, this duo of deputies hired by a big rancher named Charlie Cooper is rounding up the mares of some wild horses on his order, despite being told by smaller ranchers and his daughter not to. Our hero, ironically named Duke (though he's nothing like John Wayne), stops the deputies from illegally rounding up the wild horses, while also being framed for horse theft shortly after. Things go too far, however, when Cooper's head deputy shoots his employer and frames Duke for the murder, with the only proof being Duke's black bandanna. So it's up to Duke to clear his name, stop our villain, and get the girl in the end.
Watching this movie, I can't help but think that this is basically a dumber version of "The Man from Snowy River" (1982) before it was even made. The main character is an unrelatable, smug prick without a brain, the villain is as wooden as can be (also without a brain), and the execution of the plot is practically all over the place. Oh, and did I mention that this movie is as boring as boring can be? That last point is possibly the biggest sin this movie commits, because last I checked, westerns were supposed to be suspenseful thrill rides, not snore-fests equivalent to that of a Lifetime movie.
So as an Oregonian, even though we did get a funny episode of "MST3K" out of it, let me just say that on behalf of everyone in the state, we apologize for almost assassinating the western genre with this trite. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go watch a better western with Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, or Randolf Scott to wash the awful taste out of my mouth.
