Synopsis
Hear Joni James sing.
A Pinkerton detective goes undercover to infiltrate a gang of thieves whose boss is a feisty lady saloonkeeper. Complications ensue.
1956 Directed by Joseph Kane
A Pinkerton detective goes undercover to infiltrate a gang of thieves whose boss is a feisty lady saloonkeeper. Complications ensue.
The majority of Western stars were male during the heyday of the genre, as you'd expect, but there were also actresses that would feature heavily in a host of films too. We may all talk about Wayne, Scott, Stewart, Fonda, and Gary Cooper, but Virginia Mayo, Yvonne De Carlo, Rhonda Fleming, Joanne Dru, and of course, Grace Kelly, all left an impression on the genre with stunning performances in iconic films. Another of those ladies was Barbara Stanwyck, probably more well known for her noirs and screwball comedies, but also adept at playing Western heroines, matriarchs, or sharp-shooting pals of Buffalo Bill. Stanwyck had it all, talent to burn, beauty, and even a husband who starred in some great Westerns…
Given that this movie is constructed entirely out of things that I enjoy, I find myself unable to assess whether or not it's actually good. That said, since I a)very much like watching Barry Sullivan and Barbara Stanwyck, particularly together, and b)got a terrible, shameful kick out of Scott Brady running around being a jealous, rapey asshole and doing Franco Nero's light-eyed-scruffy-outlaw thing before Franco Nero himself did it, I can confirm that my personal enjoyment level was, in fact, quite high.
As a gesture toward an actual review for people who don't share my brain, I do want to point out that this shares some major themes with Forty Guns, in which Stanwyck and Sullivan would costar the following…
"Pretty soon they were calling me the Maverick Queen" - Barbara,
- Stanwyck Ranked: boxd.it/gCaUO
Barbara's red hair looks hotter than the sun.... I'm obsessed.
Look, when you give Barbara Stanwyck a gun and a cowboy hat, I'm going to take notice. I like the setting, costumes, and general vibe the film is going for and I found the story engaging enough to keep me interested for the duration of the film.... that's about all I can say though. Outside of Barbara, there is very little here that is miraculous or will make me remember it.
Meh.
Not bad, but if you want to see a great Stanwyck western, stick to The Furies (1950) or Forty Guns (1957). I do appreciate the clear concepts of women being able to make a go of it, with some help from friends along the way, compared to the 1950’s expectations of domesticity and gentleness from them; westerns seemed like a wonderful escape from these limitations, several of which feature Missy herself. Mary Murphy does well as Lucy, though who could come close to Stany? Barry Sullivan isn’t bad, but I feel he too is no match for the real star of the show. This was enjoyable, but if I’m in the mood for tough Missy on horseback, there are others I’d rewatch first.
Late Republic western that plays like Rancho Notorious minus the eccentricities. It looks good and genre vet Joseph Kane knows how to keep the intrigue going. Sullivan's Pinkerton man could use far more rounding and Stanwyck is good but a little underused.
Scott Brady’s brilliantly brutal portrayal of the Sundance Kid renders Redford’s utopian outlaw pinup boy as ridiculous.
Stanwyck 50's Mid Westerns Marathon On A Sunday. 4/5
I mean the songs really just spoiled the ending.
"A study in masquerade, the film’s entire narrative strategy is structured on characters being different to whom they claim to be. Kit was actually born to a wealthy Virginia family; Younger is actually a Pinkerton agent; Jamie (Wallace Ford) is a spy for Kit and not the loyal sidekick to rancher Lucy Lee (Mary Murphy) that she believes. It all ends in a hilltop shootout, with characters’ double identities and false loyalties steadily being revealed as one by one they are shot down.
Stanwyck’s role is as duplicitous as she could have desired: outfitted with copper hair, drop earrings and a Kelly green dress, she is introduced as a vivid picture of ambition. “I did what I had to do to get where I am.”
Steers, Queers and Pioneers: Barbara Stanwyck’s 1950s Westerns.
This Western starts quite well but becomes increasingly silly and sloppy, full of illogical plot developments and continuity errors. And then it gets a bit boring. Also everything is the same shade of faded, rusty brown, because the film was shot on such cheap colour stock.
Barry Sullivan is Jeff Younger, an outlaw just out of stir, who gets involved with peace-loving rancher Mary Murphy and money-loving saloon-keeper Barbara Stanwyck. The baddies are Butch and Sundance, who are a lot less attractive here than Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Sundance keeps trying to sexually assault people.
There's a stick-up, a train robbery, a shoot-out, some double crosses and some fistfights, and Stanwyck has a few good moments, but her character…
A detective (Barry Sullivan) infiltrates a band of thieves led by a feisty female boss (Barbara Stanwyck). Excellent western with great action scenes and Stanwyck is memorable as always.
Getting 7 days to test the Wild West Channel on Amazon for free can be a nice thing. But I know how it turns out in the end, I have encountered those baits several times: A tour-de-force of trying to see as many films as you can.
And most of the films don't seem too much appealing - or have been ticked off already.
The Maverick Queen was one a dozen films that came on my watchlist of what could be worth a view. At least Barbara Stanwyck has a name.
The film itself was 'list fill' - a movie without special qualities, but which does not make too big mistakes. Something you can have on your TV alongside.
Some twists, shootouts, standard program.
On a wider range somewhere below 3 stars, but a little bit better than 2.5?
Fun fact: All four films so long started with voice-over telling that Civil War just has ended. Very creative...
As nice it is to look at Republic's very own Naturama Trucolor, the picture only comes alive when Stanwyck's on screen. Even then, the shrug of a plot, and weak characters (Sundance is about as nuanced as Nightbeast's Drago) don't do her justice. Only for Stanwyck-heads. Watch Rancho Notorious, or Johnny Guitar instead.
Kit Banion deserved better.
P.S.: I need a "DO IT NOW" sign above my desk, too. That might kick my productivity levels up a notch.