Too much of everything

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

On his return to home studio, Columbia, after directing "The Tuttles of Tahiti" on loan-out, Charles Vidor asked to direct a Randolph Scott western, The Desperadoes (1943). Photographed in brilliant Technicolor by George Meehan (who, because of the Pacific Coast dim-out regulations, had to attempt night effects by daylight shooting with the use of filters, special make-up preparations, and the tripling of background lighting), the Robert Carson screenplay sets the old, familiar characters of Western folk-lore through their cliché-ridden paces: For example, there's the bold and incipient young outlaw (Glenn Ford) who comes riding into a Utah town, ostensibly to commit a hold-up, but actually to lose his heart to the local scoundrel's (Edgar Buchanan's) little girl-innocent (Evelyn Keyes). There's the lean and soft-spoken sheriff who realizes the kid is good at heart, and so helps him to evade the villains who try to pin a robbery and a couple of murders on him. There's also the local burlesque queen with a heart of the purest gold (Claire Trevor, naturally) and the inevitable crooked proprietor (Porter Hall). All this is enlivened by a couple of bar-room battles and a wonderful stampede. Alas, "The Desperadoes" is yet another golden oldie that seems to have disappeared!

Columbia's 1943 Western "The Desperadoes" is a diverting (albeit familiar) tale of a good outlaw trying to go straight. The film straddles the line between comedy and drama but ultimately falls on the side of humor. The tone of the film is a stark contrast to the Randolph Scott oaters of the 1950s; its lighthearted tone prevents it from becoming a memorable film.Although the film headlines Scott and Claire Trevor they merely serve as bait to attract 1943 audiences to witness the buildup of third billed Glenn Ford. He triggers all the action scenes and enjoys the love of both Miss Trevor and the lovely Evelyn Keyes. His character, Cheyenne Rogers, is being set up for a bad end; he's basically a decent man that has been forced down the outlaw path by circumstance. He eventually decides to go straight when he falls for a girl (Miss Keyes) but events pull him back into a life of crime. Despite all the foreshadowing the movie's lighthearted tone allows him to skirt his inevitable fate and ride off to a happy ending.Filmed in Technicolor, the movie looks gorgeous and is further aided by a lack of process shots. The principals are clearly riding horses in the close shots and that certainly adds an air of authenticity. The action scenes, particularly a barroom brawl and the climactic horse stampede, are expertly handled.Ford is solid but not spectacular as the good badman; not an abundance of star potential is displayed. Evelyn Keyes looks great in a tomboyish role and is easily believable as the love interest. Claire Trevor is wasted but she is always a joy to have around. Irving Bacon has some genuinely funny moments as a beleaguered bartender desperately trying to salvage his establishment which gets destroyed twice. Edward Pawley, taking a break from playing cons and hoods at Warners, is on hand as a mustachioed deputy and future Frankenstein Monster Glenn Strange enacts one of the villains.Two performers deserve special mention. One of my personal favorites, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, portrays Ford's pal. Williams has to be one of the best sidekicks ever and has several hilarious moments. Perhaps his best is when he gallops up to Ford pulling his buddy's horse behind him. When the now-reformed outlaw Ford inquires what the rush is Williams simply informs him he's just robbed a bank. Ford almost blows a gasket as he's now forced to hightail it out of town.The second notable performance is turned in by Edgar Buchanan. He is the father of Miss Keyes and also involved in Bank Manager Porter Hall's scheme to rob his own institution. As the plot unfolds he's forced into allowing Ford to be framed for the crime in order to protect himself. Buchanan expertly straddles the line between drama and comedy as his conscience slowly weighs him down.As for top billed Randolph Scott, the film provides another bland, asexual hero part. He doesn't have much to do except counsel Ford and cheerfully steer him into the arms of a woman (Miss Keyes) that he probably wants for himself. The fact that both leading ladies have no interest in Scott is pretty remarkable for a supposed star.All in all "The Desperadoes" is an entertaining film and can be enjoyed if one doesn't expect much from Scott or Miss Trevor.

I guess that even in the 1940s, Westerns were just slapped together, sometimes not making much sense. For example, the film begins with a bank being robbed, and when the safe is blown open, all the men at the saloon -- directly across the street -- run out so they can get shot by the bank robbers. Yeah, that makes sense. There's a barroom brawl that's full of laughs, yet important to the plot; the comedy is out of place in this drama. "Nitro" (the sidekick) robs a bank...which makes no sense. The escape scene from the jail is more comedy...which makes no sense. And so it goes with this and many other Westerns. Not a lot of care taken.That's not to say this is a "bad" Western, but it could have been much better. Especially when you consider the cast -- Randolph Scott (the sheriff), Claire Trevor (saloon owner), Glenn Ford (the "good" outlaw), Evelyn Keyes (stable owner...supporting actress in "Gone With The Wind"), Edgar Buchanan (crooked but likable), and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams (the doofus sidekick); in other words almost all the Western stereotypes you can imagine. Although billed third, Glenn Ford probably gets the most out of his performance.The picture excels when it comes to its Technicolor -- the first Technicolor film done at Columbia Pictures. And, much of the outdoor scenery was filmed on location near Kanab, Utah, not that far from Zion National Park, and it shows! Probably the best aspect of the film.Bottom line: It's not good enough to be an "A" picture (other than the Technicolor), but it's better than the average "B" picture. If you like Westerns, it's worth watching...once. If Westerns are not your bag, stay away. Barely a "7".

Blimey, this movie is nearly 60 years old. As it's filmed in "glorious technicolour" it gives it a much more modern feel. The story is of some 'insider trading' at the local bank and the need to bring those responsible to justice.There are some fine performances throughout and the mix of drama and comedy (featuring great stuff from 'Nitro' and the bartender) is spot on. The story is a good one and it is entertaining from start to finish. Definitely a superior Western.