The Ride Back

Well written, well directed, well acted, well paced. This is a film made by people (Robert Aldrich, William Conrad) who care about the medium.

Powerful performances by the leads and good support makes a simple story - of a Marshall taking a prisoner back to stand trial - an excellent one.

If you like 1950s Jimmy Stewart/Anthony Mann and Randolph Scott/Budd Boetticher westerns, you'll like this one.

"The Ride Back" is a very unusual movie. While William Conrad did appear in various films in the 1940s and 50s, he almost exclusively played bit parts--and mostly heavies (not joke intended). However, here in this film he plays the lead (although Anthony Quinn got top billing). This is because although Conrad was NOT a handsome leading man sort, his voice was golden---and he played Marshall Dillon on the radio version of "Gunsmoke". And, "The Ride Back" is one of the episodes of the radio series brought to the screen and Conrad produced this film.

The movie begins with Eddie Albert (yes, THAT Eddie Albert) singing the title song. It isn't really very good, but it is Albert! Sheriff Chris Hamish (Conrad) has entered Mexico with an extradition order for Bob Kallen (Quinn). Quinn is a wanted man and he's not about to come along quietly and repeatedly tries to escape. To make things worse (and a bit silly), Hamish knows almost no Spanish--a major problem in completing his task. Another problem is that Hamish isn't exactly as pragmatic as I'd be in this situation. If I was in Mexico and alone back in the days of the old west, I'd just shoot the prisoner (either to kill or maim) and bring him back that way. Oddly, he isn't that sort of guy--and that does effect the realism of the film. If you want to know what ultimately happens, see the movie.

I would say that "The Ride Back" is a mixed bag. The plot makes little sense (just shoot the guy!!) but the acting is quite nice. Quinn and Conrad both were quite good here--and made a mediocre plot better than it should have been.

The overall look of a routine "B" oater serves as a mere backdrop for what in reality is a fascinating character study. The leads alternate between playing cat-and-mouse with each other and discovering disarming truths about their own characters. The supporting cast, although unknown, provide dynamic supporting performances -- check this unknown gem out, and share your thoughts with me.

The Ride Back is directed by Allen H. Miner and written by Antony Ellis. It stars Anthony Quinn, William Conrad and Lita Milan. Music is by Frank De Vol and cinematography by Joseph Biroc.

Sheriff Chris Hamish (Conrad) tries to extradite popular gunfighter Bob Kallen (Quinn) from Mexico to stand trial for murder in Scottsville, Texas.

A good and meaty psychological Western that is more interested in exploring the two main characters than merely portraying a good versus bad parable. The sheriff and the gunfighter must travel through dangerous Apache territory and quickly find themselves up against the odds. As the two men continue onwards they naturally bicker and Kallen obviously wants to escape, but surely they must work together to survive? As they learn about each other and come across a dreadful scene that finds them in the company of an orphan girl, the film plays its hand as the characterisations switch in tone.

It's a very understated picture, sombre in mood in spite of the beautiful outdoor locales. Dialogue is sparse so there's no pointless filler, while the Apache threat is not forced, we only get glimpses of them and they become more threatening by just being ghosts out in the terrain. Conrad and Quinn make for a good polar opposites pairing, the black and white photography of Biroc (Run of the Arrow/Forty Guns) is crisp and tight to the mood of the narrative and Miner (being overseen by Robert Aldrich) directs in an unfussy manner. Actor Eddie Albert warbles the title song.

As a formula it has been done better elsewhere, as with 3:10 to Yuma released the same year, but this is a better than average entry into the psychological Western pantheon and it deserves to be better known. 7/10

"The Ride Back" isn't a bad movie. It's just not as good as it should have been. The small budget is the biggest problem with this movie. I comes off like a TV-movie. The story is an outdoors adventure but never feels that way. Anthony Quinn and William Conrad are both good in this movie. It also contains more non-subtitled Spanish language dialogue than any other English speaking movie that I can think of. That was kind of neat and definitely fit the story well. Those scenes were realistic but visually most of the movie is not.