The Sundowners

I thought this was quite enjoyable. It has some interesting character developments and some realistic depictions of what I am certain people were like in the old west. Outlaws who were usually outlaws, but sometimes good guys, and lawmen who you were sometimes not sure of. There is the big rancher who wants to rule everything and the small rancher trying to survive. There is more dialog in this then most folks are used to with a western, but that is what makes it unique. The bad guy is a rascally sort who likes to tease. You find yourself not liking his teasing all the while respecting his brashness. He is ill mannered and imposing such that you have no doubts he can be unscrupulous, but he has a way of not being revolting all the same. Some reviewers were a bit put off by the amount of talking but that is what let you get behind the mentality of the characters. I liked this movie enough to watch it again soon. There is some breathtaking scenery of Texas to be seen. Enjoy.

Despite having everything in its favor, "The Sundowners," with great cast, good story, gorgeous scenery, is still slow and tame.

No tension is ever present. I think how it will finally end is obvious rather early, but you will want to see it through, if only to test your judgment.

Robert Sterling, a good-looking and talented actor, is not someone I had associated with Westerns, but he rides like a cowboy and seems absolutely real.

Robert Preston has done everything, and I mean everything: He is probably still best known for "Professor Harold Hill" in "The Music Man" but he also was the wagon master in "How the West Was Won," and seemed right at home brandishing a whip and heading 'em up.

Chill Wills can't do much wrong. (The ad campaign for him to win an Oscar for his role in "The Alamo" was a major exception, but maybe we can't blame him for that.) His character here is an example of great writing and he, as always, pulls it off perfectly.

Cathy Downs is probably best known for the title role in the moronically a-historical "My Darling Clementine" (it is one my most disliked pieces of history twisting on film), and she died terribly young, 26 years after this film. She was a lovely and capable actress, and her character too was different and an example of good writing.

Her character was the wife of the one played by Jack Elam, who had a different role for him. You might want to watch "The Sundowners" just to see Jack Elam in this unusual part, and to see how talented an actor he was.

John Litel was a veteran performer, and always so believable, whether on horseback or as Thomas Jefferson or as the boss of the Secret Service. He is one of my favorite character actors -- which means one of my favorite actors.

That writing, by the way, was by veteran Alan LeMay (known here as Alan Le May), perhaps best known for "The Searchers."

God bless 'em, but Westerns on the Web has this available at YouTube and you should be quick to grab a chance to watch. At no time will you be on the edge of your seat, but you will admire the more than capable cast especially against some of the best scenery Texas has.

Not to be confused with the 1960 film directed by Fred Zinnemann, this film produced by Alan Le May, best remembered for providing the raw material for John Ford's 'The Searchers' contains a similar family conflict but overall is a much more straightforward business.

Robert Preston is cast against type as a moustached villain while John Barrymore Jr as 'The Younger Brother' for once plays a nice kid.

The staging by director George Templeton is for the most part pretty perfunctory, but the climax against a backdrop of cliffs with one guy wielding a whip is pretty eye watering.

Chill Wills gets to sing a bit. But don't let that put you off.

Peaceful rancher Robert Sterling is on the losing side of a range war with his ruthless neighbors, that is until notorious outlaw Robert Preston shows up out of the blue to level the playing field. Soon he begins to go too far, feeding a growing sense of unease in Sterling, especially when his son begins to idolize the wily criminal.

The Sundowners is a tightly-paced, gritty, and surprisingly tough little picture with a great performance by Preston. Here, he comes across as an evil version of Shane, that is until the real nature of the rancher and the outlaw's relationship is revealed. Most movie guides and video boxes spoil the surprise!

Rounding out the cast is Chill Wills, Jack Elam, and the debut of John Drew Barrymore, who became more famous for his offspring than his acting.

This was an exceptional western in it's day. Filmed on location, in Technicolor no less, with top B-list stars Robert Sterling, the bland good-guy type and Robert Preston, the evil bad-man brother with good support by Cathy Downs, John Barrymore Jr., Chill Wills, John Litel among others including Jack Elam. After viewing this again after a long while, it's obvious that the more "adult" aspects of the story were eliminated or toned down so drastically that the drama was just too tame by todays' standards, but they had the "Code" in those days. It also appears as if the studio (Eagle-Lion)may have also edited some scenes down to fit a particular running time (approx. 83 minutes). It makes no sense to spend the money they did on this film and then cut it to it's running time. If this film had a couple of the Alan Bates, Susannha York, John Hurt scenes from "The Shout" written into this "re-make" it would be more explosive and make more sense. I would also explore and expand the strong-willed father, weak son sheriff sub-plot a little more. Yes it's watchable still as is, but when we bring back the Western some day, let's re-make this one early on.