The Outcast

In this tight little western which has a complex part John Derek is out to get his rightful inheritance of the ranch he feels should have been his. Instead the will lawyer Taylor Holmes drew up left the property to Derek's uncle Jim Davis. Davis is expecting Catherine McLeod a new bride and the stagecoach that brings her also brings Derek.

Derek unfortunately hired a bunch of gunmen led by Bob Steele. His hands aren't clean because of that.

Republic Pictures assembled a real good cast of familiar players to support Derek and Davis. Derek wages war on all fronts making a play for McLeod at the same time he's courting Joan Evans who is a neighboring rancher's daughter. Not exactly a move for a cowboy hero.

In its last years Republic was going in for western stories with an adult theme. The Outcast is not a film you would see Gene or Roy in. But it's a good one.

The Impossibly Handsome and Youthful John Derick Leads a Very-Good Cast of Familiar Western Stalwarts.

Jim Davis, Slim Pickins, Bob Steele, Harry Carrey Jr. Are Among the Feuding Families in this Ranch War.

Cutting-Edge Action, sometimes Brutally Violent, and Wide-Open Range Battles with Galloping Fisticuffs Among Thundering Cattle and Horses.

Derrick's "Way with the ladies", as one Cowpoke Noted, is also a Central Driving Force in the Inbred Narrative.

Joan Evans and Catherine MacLoud are the Females that Attach Themselves to the Battling Brothers.

With One Succumbing to a Brutal Whipping and the Other Experiencing a Major Disappointment.

Along with His Good-Looks, Derrick Brought an Edgy Attitude and Confident, Youthful Rebellion to the Character.

Swindled Out of His Inheritance by an Older Brother and a Crooked Lawyer, Derick is the Anachronistically Named "Jet".

Outstanding Among the Corral Full of Hired-Guns, is a Twisted "Dude" (Bob Steele)...

"Who once shot his best friend for a Silver-Saddle and $500."

Among the Gigantic Output of Westerns in the Decade, this One has...

More Violence Action,and Romance,

With Animated Cattle and Horses, and Intense Melodrama, than Expected.

It's a Beaut.

Spectacular western with emotion, gunfire, go riding, twists, shoot'em up and, of course, loads of action. It stars John Derek as a young avenger who figths against his uncle, nasty rancher Jim Davis, to win his rightful inheritance of his deceased father. As he attempts to take the family ranch wrongfully held by a conniving uncle and even hiring ominous gunfighters . Along the way he finds love : Joan Taylor opposite his father Frank Ferguson, as well Derek enjoys fistfights , crossfire and ordinary final duel.

Exciting and thrilling western with thrills, brawls, stampedes and lots of gunfire. John Derek is acceptable as a tough young who takes justice on his own hands. Derek is mainly known for his marriages to gorgeous actresses as Ursula Andress, Linda Evans and Bo Derek. In The Outcast John Derek provides a nice role as a violent revenger who struggles to win his rights, though he is hardly ever macho man fo his character, usually battering his knuckles and fingering his pistol. Support cast is pretty good, such as : Ben Cooper, Frank Ferguson, the always sympathetic Slim Pickens and Jim Davis later famous for his roleas patriarch Ewing in Dallas series.

Produced by Herbert j. Yates from Republic Pictures in medium budget, it was efficiently directed by William Witney, in one of the last films for Republic. This director Witney was a prolific craftsman who worked a lot for Republic, the studio where he laboured for many years churching out a series of low budget westerns, many of them starred by singing cowboys as Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. Witney was a fine professional who made 140 titles from the 30s .By 1936, he was script supervisor on serials and his own directorial career began the following year. The favorite shooting was the 1936 serial Zorro's fighting legion. After WWII service with US Marines, he moved to Roy Rogers films and Western genre such as : Shadows of Tombstone, Heart of Rockies, Border saddlemate, Bells of Coronado, The painted stallion, The lone ranger, Home in Oklahoma, On the Old Spanish trail, Hig time in Nevada, Gay ranchero, Helldorado, Rex Ryder, Eyes of Texas , among others. Furthermore, his television work wich included some quite trilling episodes of succesful series such as : High Chaparral, Bonanza, Laramie, Zorro, The Virginian, Wagon train and he followed to work for cinema and was capable of making acceptable movies in budget enough, such as Santa Fe passage, The Bonnie Parker story and Escaped from Devil Island. Rating : 6/10. Decent and passable western.

Tremendously good B western which today would be an A western. Strong acting, tremendous direction and the kind of realism in fights you never see. I think the smack on the head by the horse was intentional and left in as Jet's way of showing Dude who was boss without using his gun. It may have been accidental but if so was left in because it worked.

Real scenery and some really cool off the backdrop shots which really worked in color.

My only problem? Where in the 1880's West does a guy come up with a name like "Jet?" I thought it was Jeb, or Jed until I saw the credits.

Recommend to any western lover and others too. Loved Bob Steele as a bad guy. He never worked for me as a good guy. I think it's certainly one of Derek's best and seeing a Young Slim Pickens on a horse at a gallop. Now that is cool.

An early performance by Derek is the main attraction here, in this action packed tale of a young man, returning home to reclaim his ranch from a dastardly cattle baron. A good supporting cast, and a director that doesn't let the romance scenes get in the way, make this good fare.