Best movie ever!
Am I Missing Something?
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
View MoreOne of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.
View MoreNo, it can't be. Randolph Scott in a dull western? I didn't believe it until I saw "Trail Street", a very talky talking picture with a good cast. Here, Scott is Bat Masterson who comes to Liberal, Kansas and becomes Marshal. He comes to the aid of newspaper editor Robert Ryan, one of Hollywood's better if underrated actors. Along for comic relief is old reliable Gabby Hayes, who never disappoints, and Anne Jeffreys as a glamorous dance hall girl.It takes forever for them to get around to the bad guys, spearheaded by Steve Brodie, who 'owns' Liberal, via his saloon. No new ground is broken and the story is the usual good guys vs bad guys, but the script must have been enormous due to the great amount of dialogue. "Trail Street" is for hardcore Randolph Scott fans, who is his usual stalwart self.
View MoreDisappointing Considering the Cast. Randolph Scott and Robert Ryan go through the motions on this rather Routine Western about Cattlemen and Farmers in Drought Ridden Kansas. There is a Subplot about how Winter Wheat was Introduced and the Sodbusters are Saved from Pulling Roots and Moving on. There's also a Good Supporting Cast with Steve Brodie and Gabby Hayes. Brodie, Despite an Oily Demeanor and a Villain's Mustache seems Misplaced and Gabby Hayes all but Ruins the Movie with His Typical Shenanigans. In Fact, a Running Gag has the Sheriff telling Him to Shut Up, because He "Talks Too Much". Boy, does He ever. It becomes Silly, Intrusive, and Irritating.Overall, Not a Bad Western Movie with some heavy Love interests and Bad Guys worth Hating and Good Guys, like Bat Masterson around to Clean Up the Street. The whole Cast has done Better but the Film is Worth a Watch because of Scott and Ryan and Not Much Else.
View MoreRandolph Scott's westerns were always more serious than average, starting with himself, always speaking only the necessary. This recurring quality is what makes them still so watchable and entertaining today. Trail Street made in 1947 has Scott as a convincing Bat Masterson set up to clean the town of Liberal, Kansas. Robert Ryan is the good guy Allen Harper who is trying to bring progress through stimulating agriculture and Steve Brodie is the villain, Logan. There are two leading ladies, two beauties, Anne Jeffreys and Madge Meredith. Jeffreys is Ruby, the girl gone astray, which ran away from home, becomes the saloon singer, and is attached to Logan. Madge Meredith is Susan the materialistic "respectable"girl who is dating Allen, but is tempted by Logan's wealth which will allow her to move. Gabby Hayes is Billy Burns, comic, but also helpful to Bat and Allen. The film is fast moving, with numerous shootouts and a nice black and white cinematography.
View MoreThis is a modest ,unassuming traditional Western with a formulaic plot about opposition between ranchers and crop farmers around the town of Liberal ,Kansas .The story is essentially routine and features a number of the classic Western conflicts .There is the farmer versus the cattleman;there is the clash between cultivated land and "civilizing" tendencies on the one hand and the wilderness/frontier ethos on the other and what this represents ultimately is the opposition of two value systems -democratic and community values as set against rugged individualism .Randolph Scott plays legendary lawman Bat Masterton who rides into Liberal at behest of a land agent (Robert Ryan ) to help him sort out the bad guys who are the hard drinking ,brawling cattlemen .The two men quarrel but reunite to tackle the troublesome elements in the town .The script is clichéd but the action is propelled along with vigour by director Ray Enright and there are solid performances all round .In addition to rugged performances by the male leads there is comic relief supplied by George Gabby Hayes ,an oily villain nicely played by Steve Brodie and attractive contributions from Maggie Meredith as a prim and proper Easterner wooed by Ryan and Anne Jeffreys as a saloon singer As long as you do not place a premium on originality this is good sturdy entertainment for Western lovers
View More