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The Ride Back

  • 1957
  • Approved
  • 1h 19m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1K
YOUR RATING
The Ride Back (1957)
Western

A troubled sheriff, a failure at everything in his life, tries to redeem himself by extraditing a popular gunfighter from Mexico to stand trial for murder.A troubled sheriff, a failure at everything in his life, tries to redeem himself by extraditing a popular gunfighter from Mexico to stand trial for murder.A troubled sheriff, a failure at everything in his life, tries to redeem himself by extraditing a popular gunfighter from Mexico to stand trial for murder.

  • Directors
    • Allen H. Miner
    • Oscar Rudolph
  • Writer
    • Antony Ellis
  • Stars
    • Anthony Quinn
    • William Conrad
    • Lita Milan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Allen H. Miner
      • Oscar Rudolph
    • Writer
      • Antony Ellis
    • Stars
      • Anthony Quinn
      • William Conrad
      • Lita Milan
    • 23User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos30

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    Top cast11

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    Anthony Quinn
    Anthony Quinn
    • Bob Kallen
    William Conrad
    William Conrad
    • Sheriff Chris Hamish
    Lita Milan
    Lita Milan
    • Elena
    Victor Millan
    Victor Millan
    • Father Ignatius
    Jorge Treviño
    • Border Guard
    • (as George Trevino)
    Ellen Hope Monroe
    • Little Girl
    Joe Dominguez
    Joe Dominguez
    • Luis
    Louis Towers
    • Boy
    Nick Borgani
    Nick Borgani
    • Townsman
    • (uncredited)
    Foster Hood
    • Indian
    • (uncredited)
    Tony Randall
    • Townsman
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Allen H. Miner
      • Oscar Rudolph
    • Writer
      • Antony Ellis
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews23

    6.61K
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    Featured reviews

    6pmtelefon

    Worth a try

    "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.
    8Wuchakk

    A Hidden Western Gem

    "The Ride Back" is a B&W Western from 1957 starring William Conrad (aka "Cannon") as a hard-luck Texas lawman sent to Mexico to bring back a charismatic man wanted for murder, played by Anthony Quinn.

    Plot-wise, the film is reminiscent of another B&W 1957 Western, "3:10 to Yuma," but "The Ride Back" was released about 4 months prior to "3:10" and was adapted from a "Gunsmoke" radio program episode. Conrad played Matt Dillon on the radio show in the 50s and early 60s but was too short and portly for the TV version that premiered in 1955 with James Arness starring as Marshal Dillon. Conrad produced "The Ride Back" in response.

    Viewing "The Ride Back" for the first time, it is interesting to see William Conrad some 15 years before starring in "Cannon" and Anthony Quinn is as larger-than-life as ever, not to mention the stunningly beautiful Lita Milan as Quinn's Mexican girlfriend. Yet the true appeal of "The Ride Back" transcends these surface attractions.

    The first thing that happily struck me about the movie is that the filmmakers strove for realism in the manner of notable 50s Westerns by Stewart/Mann and Scott/Boetticher. Such realism is observed in the heavy use of Spanish in the early Mexican segments and the film's depiction of American Indians. The Native here are elusive wraiths more than anything else, but that's the best route to go at a time when more close-up portrayals of Indians typically came off artificial and even laughable, especially as seen through modern eyes.

    After the first half-hour the film morphs into a moving character study. ***SPOILER ALERT*** Hamish (Conrad) slowly realizes that Kallen (Quinn) is everything he's not: Hamish is brooding and self-loathing while Kallen exudes life and confidence; Hamish's wife hates him while Kallen's girlfriend is so devoted she chases him across the desert; Hamish is a loner while Kallen inspires love and loyalty, so much so that the Mexican villagers are willing to kill Hamish at Kallen's word; an orphaned girl withdraws from Hamish while naturally bonding with Kallen, etc. We also learn the reason for Hamish's obsessive hunt is that he wanted to finally do something right and prove himself to his wife and the people of his west Texas community. As the story progresses Hamish is increasingly enlightened to the greatness of Kallen. It's a testimony to his character that this enlightenment doesn't result in hateful envy bur rather admiration and respect. ***END SPOILER***

    The title song was sung by Eddie Albert of "Green Acres" fame; a lot of people hate it but I thought it was a good Western song. Hey, it's better than similar theme songs from the era, like the horrible "North to Alaska" (excellent film but dubious theme song).

    FINAL WORD: I was braced for an artificial 50's Western but got a potent character study instead. The only negatives I can cite are that it's in black & white and has some slow, less-than-compelling parts. Regardless, I prefer it to the original "3:10 to Yuma."

    The film runs 79 minutes and was shot in California and Mexico.

    GRADE: B+ or A-
    6bkoganbing

    Developing Trust

    Toward the middle and latter end of the 50s the B western shifted to television but many were still done for the big screen as well. Cowboy heroes were strictly relegated to the small screen and the ones done now were adult fare. The Ride Back was typical of these kinds used as second features for double bills.

    What makes this unusual though is the presence of a name actor, one who had just won his second Oscar the year before. Anthony Quinn's salary must have been three quarters of the budget or he was paying off a debt by appearing in The Ride Back. Quinn plays a fugitive here returning to Mexico to escape a murder charge. Whom he's taking The Ride Back with is Sheriff William Conrad.

    Conrad is no heroic sheriff, in fact he confesses to being a failure at most things he's tried is determined to succeed here. As for Quinn he swears it was self defense and doesn't think he'll get a fair trial as a Mexican. The whole film is about developing trust.

    When the Indians attack the two have to trust each other, but it's slow developing. A mute little girl they rescue as a survivor of an Indian attack serves as the catalyst for this purpose.

    Quinn and Conrad are an interesting pair of protagonists, no heroes or villains here, just people in a foul circumstance. No frills in this black and white film, but an interesting character study.
    6planktonrules

    Just shoot the guy!!!

    "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.
    dougdoepke

    No Travel Lodge in These Parts

    I may have missed someone, but by my count only six actors have lines in this ultra-spare Western. The production comes from respected director Robert Aldrich's independent company with William Conrad himself producing. That may account for Quinn's appearance in a cheapie so soon after his Oscar for Lust for Life (1956)—plus, the likelihood that the streamlined production could be shot in less than 2 weeks.

    As a Western, it's an offbeat concept— Sheriff Conrad returning fugitive Quinn from Mexico to stand trial. The narrative is basically two nervous guys riding across the great outdoors with some drunken Apaches lurking in the background. No wonder the sheriff can't relax. However, the movie comes across as more interesting than suspenseful, mainly because crucial compromises are made with Quinn's character. He's simply made too likable and respected to generate the kind of tension needed, which may have been the price of putting a headliner like Quinn in the lead. It's really Conrad's resolute sheriff that holds interest as a number of surprising self-doubts begin to unfold. His nicely shaded performance shows how much more than a great radio voice Conrad was. Anyway, it's an entertaining little programmer with a rare distinction. It's the only film I've seen with more untranslated lines outside English than in English—an unusual effect. So, unless you speak Spanish, you may have to do a lot of inferring.

    (In passing—it's probably a matter of taste, but to my ear the title tune may be the worst of the era, bellowed out by a decidedly untuneful Eddie Albert.)

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    Related interests

    John Wayne and Harry Carey Jr. in The Searchers (1956)
    Western

    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was based on a story originally written for the radio version of "Gunsmoke" in 1952, which also starred William Conrad at the time.
    • Goofs
      At about 00:04:30 Sheriff Hamish stands in front of a baby in the yard of a house. In the next shot of the baby it shows the sheriff and his horse's shadow moving. In the next shot of the sheriff he is still standing there, not moving.
    • Quotes

      Bob Kallen: You afraid of Indians, Hamish?

      Sheriff Chris Hamish: I'm respectful of any man who's got enough liquor to make him kill.

      Bob Kallen: Seems to me I've heard something like that about you, Kallen.

    • Soundtracks
      The Ride Back
      Written by Frank De Vol (uncredited) and Judy Spencer (uncredited)

      Sung by Eddie Albert

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    FAQ13

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • September 13, 1957 (Finland)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Regreso al honor
    • Filming locations
      • Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks, California, USA
    • Production company
      • The Associates & Aldrich Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 19m(79 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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