When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

If the information is correct on Carleton Carpenter's brief bio page here on IMDb, he's still alive and approaching his ninetieth birthday in a couple of weeks as I write this. I don't recall seeing him in any prior films, but probably ran across him in one of his Fifties appearances in a handful of TV Westerns. I don't know if you'd call this movie a Western as much as a bittersweet romance with a rodeo backdrop and a neat look at 1952 Las Vegas.Almost from the outset, the story looks like it'll end up with a walk down the aisle between Carpenter's character Harley 'Tumbleweed' Williams, and hash-slinger Dixie Delmar, nicely portrayed by Jan Sterling. That's even after we hear Carpenter sing the opening theme song, 'A Cowboy Had Ought to be Single'. Harley and Dixie actually looked like an attractive couple that were made for each other, but in the words of that famous and recently deceased New York Yankees catcher, Yogi Berra, when Dixie found a fork in the road, she took it.Anyone who's recently been to Las Vegas ought to get a kick out of this early look at the gambling mecca. Among the many sights, one will get a quick glance at such places as the Pioneer Club, the Golden Nugget, The Flamingo, The Thunderbird, Silver Slipper, El Dorado, and here's one that really got to me - the House of Jackpots. Personally, I can't say with any certainty if any of these might still be around. If I ever get to Vegas myself I'll have to check it out.The picture takes a bit of a surreal turn in the latter part of the story when Harley and Dixie take it on the lam for her involvement in a prior robbery and Harley's perceived theft of a one armed bandit. There's no way you would have gotten this viewer across that decrepit wooden bridge in the middle of the desert, and that careening downhill run by Dixie's jalopy was a bit over done. I remain mildly conflicted over the story's resolution since it didn't turn out to be a happy ever after affair, especially after Harley expressed his undying love for Dixie. I mean really, how does a gal give up on a guy after he tells her - "If you don't want to butcher the hog, I'll do it for you".

Carleton Carpenter had a wonderful charming personality that warmed up every film he made, beginning with the serious and underrated LOST BOUNDARIES. He did some fine work at MGM (delicious number with Debbie Reynolds in the Aba Daba Honeymoon scene and subsequent best-selling recording). But, here,in SKY FULL OF MOON, he turns in a superb, easygoing, depiction of a cowboy in the Las Vegas of the period. A natural ease and a clear nice performance make this film a winner. Of course, Jan Sterling, herself one of the unheralded 'greats' of the screen...and stage... brings her abilities to the pleasant story. The ending of the film is both proper, satisfying, and even tenderly sad. This film was made on a low budget at MGM just prior to Carpenter leaving the studio. But it is worth the search. You will find yourself smiling at the proceedings. You will admire the work of Carpenter and Sterling... and you will get a brief glimpse of Elaine Stewart, one of the screen's great beauties, with talent, who had a short film career. But you won't take your eyes off her during her brief scene. See this film, and relax at the work of pros with a simple, nice script and film.

Some vintage Las Vegas location photography helps this slight romance of a green rodeo cowboy (Carleton Carpenter, in an understated bid for MGM stardom) and a conniving but warmhearted gambling-den floozy (the always underrated Jan Sterling). Vegas doesn't seem the big soulless megalopolis it grew to be, and Keenan Wynn helps out as the owner of an exceedingly modest casino. It turns into a road picture in the second half, and you get to see just how desolate the surrounding Nevada countryside was. Not a whole lot happens, and it's over before you know it, but it's refreshingly unpretentious, and it doesn't go for the expected happy ending. Nice little B picture.

Enjoyed this great film from 1952 which features Harley Tumbleweed William, (Carleton Carpenter) who plays the role as a Rodeo Cowboy who has reached the age of 21 years and decides to head to Las Vegas, Nevada and make it rich. Harley visits a small gambling parlor owned by Al, (Keenan Wynn) and starts playing the coin machines and gets very lucky and draws the attention from Dixie Delmar, (Jan Sterling) who is a very attractive slim and trim blonde who makes some suggestions to him about how to gamble on the coin machines. Dixie and Harley decide to try their luck elsewhere and wind up having a very profitable night of gambling. Harley gets to like Dixie very much and offers her a ticket to Los Angeles and a fur coat with his winnings at the Rodeo and the two of them start off with plenty of action in the gambling casino's and then some trouble starts to happen. If you like to see old films of what Las Vegas looked like in the 1950's, this is the film for you. Enjoy.