This is How Movies Should Be Made

The greatest movie ever made..!

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

In 1873 the proud citizens of Texas were humiliated and oppressed under the carpet-bagger administration of Governor E.J. Davis and his especially created state police, the corrupt and tyrannical "Bluebellies". Natuarlly they didn't take it lying down - - -R.G. Springsteen directs and Daniel Mainwaring adapts from Clifton Adams' novel, The Desperado.This is pretty much a like for like remake of Thomas Carr's 1954 version which took the title of the novel. Only difference here is that it is in De Luxe Color and filmed through the CinemaScope process. Main character change is with the outlaw Cole Younger (Frank Lovejoy), where in the 54 film it was an outlaw named Sam Garrett played by Wayne Morris.In short the pic finds James Best having to leave town due to a violent confrontation with the Bluebellie captain. On the run and having left behind the love of his life (Abby Dalton), he hooks up with outlaw Cole Younger, forms a friendship and is thankful of that friendship when treacherous Frank Wittrock (Jan Merlin) fits him up for a murder.It looks absolutely gorgeous, the colour, the Simi Valley locations, costumes and set design, but it rarely raises the pulses. It sort of plods through the story and fails to utilise what is a decent cast (it was Lovejoy's last feature length film). There's some value in the themes at work, such as refusing to bow to tyranny and that some gunmen were honourable and kept to gentlemen codes of conduct, but really it's lazy and you are strongly urged to seek out the far superior 54 film instead. 5/10

Two young men, fleeing from carpetbagger justice in the 1870s, come upon a scary, bitter Frank Lovejoy. Is this guy really COLE YOUNGER, GUNFIGHTER, or just some other guy framed up on phony charges who has a skin of iron, and a heart of cornmush? By the time 1958 rolled around, the B-Western had shuffled off to television, and had been replaced by the serious "adult western". This shuffling allowed serious actors approaching a career hiatus -- like Frank Lovejoy -- a chance to work for studios like Monogram (er, "Allied Artists") and retain some shred of reputation. This is good -- because Lovejoy, not a Western actor by any stretch, gives a good performance of the character called "Cole Younger" here. Younger, alas, is pretty much an old softie as portrayed here, and consistently puts his neck on the line for the young hero, in ways that are implausible for any historically accurate outlaw. But Lovejoy (who has a great voice for urban and gangster parts) brings some bite to the role, and at least projects a sense that this guy might have held up a stage or two, because mean people drove him to it.The rest of the film is standard fare -- reminiscent of an episode of the "adult" TV westerns of the day (Not as good as Gunsmoke...more like Bonanza or the Big Valley). If you like westerns, you won't waste your life by watching this.

History is played with fast and loose in this tepid tale of Cole Younger (I always thought he was one of the Younger Brothers that rode with Frank and Jesse James, but not so here). Frank Lovejoy, a great dramatic actor was terribly mis-cast as the title character. Lovejoy made his mark in Hollywood as a "hard-boiled type" either a reporter, GI or cop. One can tell easily that he is NOT at home on horseback. Merlin and Best give all in supporting roles and the lovely Ms. Dalton is, as always, easy on the eyes. But this one is easily passed by.

You must take this film with a wheelbarrow of salt. Two young men get in dutch with the Texas state police during the 1870's and are forced to go on the lam. One teams up with Cole Younger, and winds up being framed for a crime he didn't commit. A good western, but I never figured Cole Younger to look like a middle aged insurance agent or to be so mellow hearted. Hollywood really did a job on this old west badman. And that courtroom scene near the end! No way!