Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend

Buck Devlin (Randolph Scott), John Maitland (James Garner), and Wilbur Clegg (James Garner) are released from the Army and headed for Devlin's brother. They arrive to fight against Indians, but the brother dies due to faulty ammunition. They set off to Medicine Bend to find those who sold the ammunition. They get robbed on the way like everybody else. Ep Clark (James Craig) controls the town. Elam King with his niece Priscilla King (Angie Dickinson) is his last remaining competitor. In a confrontation, Devlin helps the Kings.

I feel like some of these characters don't treat their situation seriously enough. Maitland and Clegg are being a couple of idiots. More importantly, I can't take the story seriously. Devlin really needs to get harder and story needs to get darker. It's pretty obvious that the villains are going to hang them at the first opportunity. There is no point in stealing back the stuff. It's a western, but a little frustrating one.

With a title like "Shoot-out at Medicine Bend" you know exactly what you're going to get. This is a thoroughly likable B-Western with Randolph Scott, a young James Garner and Gordon Jones as ex-army buddies trying to find out who robbed them, (when they were doing a bit of skinny-dipping), aka the goodies and James Craig, Myron Healey, John Alderson and sundry others as the baddies. There isn't really much plot; it's really just the good guys vs the bad guys and that's it but it's exciting and quite funny. The females involved are a young Angie Dickinson, cast here as the 'nice' girl and Dani Crayne, the saloon singer. Richard L Bare is the director and he doesn't waste a single shot.

One of the more minor-key of Randolph Scott's late 50's Westerns, with frequent era collaborator Budd Boetticher nowhere in sight. The more standard filming style is evident, but Scott offers his traditional dependable portrayal, and the film is of interest for the early big-screen work of James Garner and Angie Dickinson. Has some good action scattered throughout.

"Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend" is another solid entry in the Hall of Fame resume of Randolph Scott. Scott gives another fine performance in this movie. His supporting cast is also very good including standout work from James Garner, a dreamy Dani Crayne and a never better Gordon Jones.

In Shoot-Out At Medicine Bend Randolph Scott is cast as a recently mustered out army captain who arrives just in time to atop an Indian raid, but too late to save his brother.

As he sees it the Indians were just doing their thing, but he wants to find out who sold his brother and the other settlers of the community they're building the defective ammunition that left them helpless. The trail leads Scott and his two sidekicks James Garner and Gordon Jones to the town of Medicine Bend.

If ever a town needed a better business bureau it was Medicine Bend. The place is run by James Craig, Myron Healey, and assorted thugs they've hired. They have Mayor Don Beddoe and Sheriff Trevor Bardette intimidated. Usually villains like Craig are usually running a crooked saloon and he does that as well. But Craig has all kinds of interests and he undersells the other merchants with shoddy quality merchandise like the defective ammunition he sold Scott's brother. Honest people like Harry Harvey and daughter Angie Dickinson are being driven out of business through his cut rate 'bargains' and intimidation.

The title lives up to its name, there is a dandy shootout. I liked the film for the fact it has an unusual villain in the form of a merchant. Unusual for westerns that is. Craig's practices are rather up to date when you think about it.

For some reason this film is not out. That's a pity because it's not the greatest of Randolph Scott westerns, but pretty good.