Young Guns of Texas is directed by Maury Dexter and written by Henry Cross. It stars James Mitchum, Alana Ladd, Jody McCrea, Chill Wills and Gary Conway. A CinemaScope/DeLuxe Color production with cinematography by John M. Nickolaus and music by Paul Sawtell and Burt Shefter. The title song is sung by Kenny Miller.
There's not a lot of good will around for this Western but it's far from being a stinker. Very much using a gimmick by starring the offspring of Western heroes Robert Mitchum, Alan Ladd and Joel McCrea, it's an OK Oater to pass the time of day with.
Plot sees the young guns team up for a perilous journey through dangerous Mescalero territory. Accompanied by wise old Preacher Sam Shelby (Wills), they each have different reasons for being out on the lam. Be it eloping, friendship or hunting for a patrol who have stolen an army payroll in their possession, they all have a common bond to move forward. Naturally they in turn are being pursued by a posse led by the angry father of Lily Glendenning (Ladd). This essentially means there are three separate groups out in the wilds, and as the bodies begin to pile up and the various character dynamics are unearthed, all three groups catch up to each other and have a date with the Mescaleros!
The acting is standard fare, with Wills holding the young cast together, and it's hardly genius in plotting or direction. However, it's lovely to look at as it's filmed out of Big Bend National Park in Texas, there's enough requisite action (including an extended fist-fight) for the undemanding Western fan; in fact for the finale the kill quotient is very high, while there's a slight veer away from the expected during said finale. So some value to be found, then, even if it's not a comfortable recommendation to Western fans. 6/10
