The Fiend Who Walked the West

I can never forget this film. Unlike some critics, me and my mates found Robert Evans' performance mesmerising. In '58, it was our first experience of a horror-western and for us it worked very well. I'm not saying it's a truly great film, just that it was so radically different at the time that it remains one of my most memorable films of the 50s.

In the East-End of London, in the mid to late 50s, we teens were hooked on Americana. We knew and liked Hugh O'Brian as Wyatt Earp in the TV series. Robert Evans was new to us and a revelation. We liked his look and his style; his performance fitted well with Rock 'n Roll, James Dean and the whole 'cool' American thing.

Fortunately, although in the UK, I have a recorder which plays NTSC tapes. I will be buying this film soon.

Much of this film will seem familiar to anyone who's seen 1947's "Kiss of Death", which plotwise it closely resembles, and some of the theme music heard over the opening credits was borrowed from 1951's "The Day The Earth Stood Still". That having been said, however, this film has much to recommend it on its own. Most critics disapproved of Robert Evans in the title role, but I found him very impressive: funny and likeable one minute, menacing and really frightening the next; the stuff of any true psycho. The film isn't without flaws; the direction is frankly uninspired, and several opportunities missed. But Evans (in one of his last roles before giving up acting to become a producer) remains fascinating to watch; he's very unlike any other western villain you've ever seen. Emile Meyer (as a brutal prison guard) and Stephen McNally (as a good guy for a change) offer strong supporting performances; Hugh O'Brien is his reliable self as the hero.

I would have never imagined a remake of the Henry Hathaway's KISS OF DEATH like this one, in waiting for Barbet Schroeder's version starring Nick Cage and David Caruso. An awful remake, probably the worst remake ever. Back to this western version, the line between it and the Hathaway's movie are not that obvious. Once more, after the Robert D webb's films, it's strange to see the Twentieth Century Fox company producing 105 minutes length movies in LBX- 2.35 - with nearly unknown actors, I mean no big stars at all, no Richard Widmark, Victor Mature, Robert Wagner, John Wayne or Henry Fonda...Fox also used that kind of method for released films only, from Regal Films company. Because this Gordon Douglas' western looks like a B western but blown up at 105 mn in LBX. Robert Evans is OK as the villain but not Richard Widmark either.

After being caught trying to rob a bank, a cowboy by the name of "Daniel Slade Hardy" (Hugh O'Brien) is shocked by the lengthy prison sentence he receives after refusing to testify against his colleagues. Even so, at the very least, he expects them to look after his pregnant wife and young daughter while he is serving time. His attitude changes, however, when he learns that his wife was recently visited by his former cellmate "Felix Griffin" (Robert Evans) who may have caused her to miscarry due to his strange behavior with her. That said, determined to get even with him, Nick strikes a deal with "Marshall Frank Emmett" (Stephen McNally) and "Judge Parker" (Edward Andrews) to gather evidence on some recent murders that may have been committed by Felix in exchange for a full pardon. What he doesn't count on, however, is just how wily his psychotic cellmate has become. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that, by sheer coincidence, I happened to watch the 1947 movie "Kiss of Death" a couple of days earlier, and I was surprised at how similar the plot was to this picture. Sure enough, this is basically a remake of that film, but with a Western setting instead. As far as the acting is concerned, although I preferred the earlier version with Victor Mature as the main star, I must admit that I thought the ending was somewhat better. But that is just my opinion. In any case, while possibly not as good as its predecessor, this was still an enjoyable film, for the most part, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Gordon Douglas; Produced by Herbert B. Swope Jr., for 20th Century-Fox. Screenplay by Philip Yordan and Harry Brown; Photography by Joe McDonald; Edited by Hugh Fowler; Special Photographic Effects by L. B. Abbott. Starring: Hugh O'Brian, Robert Evans, Dolores Michaels, Linda Crystal, Edward Andrews, Emile Meyer and Ken Scott.

Unique mishmashing of innumerable genres: a lightweight psycho thriller set in the Old West, with the plot stolen wholesale from "Kiss of Death" and the title music from Bernard Herrmann's work for "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Marginal at best in all genres.