Powder River

I have always been surprised to see that ambitionless film director Louis King gave the best of his films by the end of his career. Not masterpieces, but greater films than the bulk of what he made in the thirties, forties: I mean grade Z westerns, or crime series - Bulldog Drummond, Charlie Chan; I though make exception with this small crime flicks for Paramount Pictures starring Lloyd Nolan, J Caroll Naish and produced in the late thirties. So this one, produced by the prestigious Twentieth Century Fox - Louis King"s also prestigious brother Henry's company - is a surprise. Louis King could have worked for Allied Artists or Republic Pictures. Excellent little western, the kind that Universal Studios could have made too. Splendid location settings. However, 20 Th Century Fox gave us similar B westerns in the fifties, several directed by Harmon Jones. And a strange and unusual showdown. Cameron Mitchell in a surprisingly good villain performance.

It demonstrates that black & white was perceived as the default position for serious postwar Hollywood cinema that this character-driven western potboiler was one of the very few colour films namechecked in Robert Warshow's 'The Immediate Experience'.

As for the film itself the most memorable characters are Cameron Mitchell as a doctor succumbing to headaches and blackouts due to a brain tumour and Corinne Calvet usually with a cigar protruding from her glossy red lips and wearing bright colours as a brassy 'businesswoman' known to the rest of the cast as 'Frenchie'.

Rory Calhoun was a staple hero in all kinds of films during the 50s. His performances were always great, abetted by his handsome, rugged looks and the ease into which he fit into a number of hero roles. In this one, a kind of standard western, he plays an ex-lawman who returns to the trade when his partner is killed. During the time he cleans up the town, defeats bad guys played by veteran character actors Carl Betz and John Dehner, gets his semi-revenge, on the antihero, played by Cameron Mitchell, wows the French bombshell, Corinne Calvert and, of course, gets the girl. It's great 50s entertainment with a total lack of CGI action, extensive blood and gore and good honest villains and good guys. (*sigh) They just don't make movies like this any more. Watch for it on the late show. There's no DVD or video listed. Calhoun was always worth the price of admission.

When the story begins, Chino Bull (Rory Calhoun) is working his claim along with his partner. A couple jerks come to their camp and threaten to take their horses....and Chino and his partner drive them away. However, the criminals threaten revenge...and leave. A bit later, Chino leaves for town...and when he returns he finds his partner dead and their gold has been stolen. He assumes the two jerks from earlier must have been the culprits. So, he returns to town and becomes the sheriff...so he can search for the killers and bring law to this crappy little town. There's much more to the film....but you'd best see it yourself.

"Powder River" is a good western. However, I didn't score it higher since there are a bazillion good westerns from this era. The acting is nice and the story modestly interesting. And, like most westerns, it promotes several myths about the time and people...no big surprise there.

By the way, this is a very nice looking western thank to it being filmed in color AND its location shoot in Glacier, Montana.

More than Lose Remake of "My Darling Clementine" (1940) the John Ford Classic.

Rory Calhoun Vehicle with a Smattering of Gun-Play with a "Powder River" Ferry-Boat Scene a Highlight.

Good Cast with Cameron Mitchell as the Doomed Doctor and Corinne Calvet as "Frenchy" a Fiesty Saloon-Owner-Gal making an Impression.

Never Reaching Heights of its Own, the Movie is Watchable for the Cast, Technicolor, and Proven Story.

Rory Calhoun is a bit More Animated than Usual.

The First-Half is the Better Half.

But Still Maintains Enough Interest to Carry yet Another 1950's Western to its Predicable Feel-Good Exit for Post-War Western Fans who were Legion.