Cripple Creek

Set in Colorado in 1893. The plot about a supposed outlaw and his sidekick going undercover (with the usual emphasis on gunplay and fisticuffs) is pure 'B' western; with it's smiling, well-dressed senior villain flanked by cold-eyed henchman John Dehner.

However it displays an occasional sardonic humour, is considerably spruced up with Technicolor and is occasionally dramatically staged by director Ray Nazarro (with a scene depicting Russian Roulette over a quarter of a century before 'The Deer Hunter').

I can see why Westerns eventually withered after seeing this one. It was competently produced and had a surprisingly good and familiar cast, especially of the bad guys. George Montgomery sure looked the part.

What bothered me the most is the facile and unbelievable way the characters followed and watched each other, moved about and sneaked in and out of hideouts. The heroes conveniently and luckily see so much from their second floor room. … … They follow a horse-drawn wagon undetected and see so much (also undetected) from a high-up perch.

The best example of this: twice George Montgomery sneaks undetected into a highly populated bad-guy mine-smelting operation, quickly sees and grasps the entire operation and has the great luck of being next to a shipping stencil that shows the place (San Francisco) and pier number where the contraband is shipped out of the US. Then a secret service agent goes to the pier and happens to see a Chinaman depositing an envelope into a postal collection box. What luck, the agent has the post office examine all the letters in the box, and they find a letter going to a reputable citizen in Cripple Creek telling him to pay off the bad guys for the gold delivery. That bit of "luck" solved the case.

And then the dialog was filled with so many trite clichés.

The big surprise ending (which I won't divulge) wasn't important, but was unbelievable and unnecessary.

This western is ably directed by Ray Nazzaro, a veteran director, and stars George Montgomery who is an undercover agent, who along with his gun toting partner, is assigned to sort out the gold smugglers in Cripple Creek. It's routine plot is given a punch by some of the action, the hideout where the gold is processed, the well-staged fist fight, the nail biting Russian roulette sequence and the killer twist at the end. Having said that, a little more investigation by the hero would've been great, but it's still an entertaining western, which is the most important thing.

George Montgomery, Jerome Courtland and Richard Egan are undercover agents in the old west trying to break a gold smuggling ring working out of the town of Cripple Creek.

This is good, solid western entertainment. It's a buddy- western, shoot-em-up, fist-fight, and midnight rides type movie. I found it to be well paced, written and acted. It has some plot twists that make it more adultish than the usual kid-western fodder.

For the western movie fan, there's alot of other familiar faces among the cast, and everyone gives a fine performance.

This has been on Encore's Western Channel. Catch it if you can without commercials, it's so much better.

Ray Nazzaro the director was not that lousy after all, or only for his first part of career. This little western is agreeable though very predictable too. You have George Montgomery as the lead, as well you could have had Rory Calhoun or Sterling Hayden. Beautiful settings and landscapes, not too long, and a never boring story. So, for western fans, this movie is worth the watch. Of course, if you search something very unusual and different, you may be a bit deceived. Good efficient scenes, very surprising in such a B western. Good ending twist too. Yes, an above average Ray Nazzaro western. I highly recommend it. Go ahead now !