L'homme du Nevada

Good Scott western that makes excellent use of the neolithic Alabama Hills with the snow- capped southern Sierras in the background. I like the way the henchmen Jeff and Bart are given personalities, something most oaters don't bother with. And just who is Barclay (Scott) anyway, and why does he befriend outlaw Tanner (Tucker) in his quest to recover stolen gold. Is Barclay a good guy or not since he doesn't act like one. But first, they've got to beat out Galt's (MacReady) gang who also, surprise, surprise, wants to get the same gold. But what I most want to know is how ugly old Galt could father a delicious looking dame like Karen (Malone) who's clearly on her way up the Hollywood ladder.

There're a number of nice touches (e.g. the unexpected bucking bronco), and I can't help noticing Harry Joe Brown as co-producer along with Scott. They collaborated a few years later with Bud Boetticher on that great Ranown series of westerns that looks a lot like this one. Note how rather likable the outlaw Tanner is, also a hallmark of the Ranown series. And what an excellently staged showdown brawl in the mine tunnel. The effects are realistic and unusual for a B-western.

Anyway, it's a non-clichéd script with a number of twists, lots of scenery and action, along with an appropriate ending. So what more can this old front-row kid ask for.

"The Nevadan" is a standard but enjoyable Western with that ever-dependable icon Randolph Scott in the lead role. He plays a mysterious loner who bends over backwards to assist an outlaw (Forrest Tucker), who's hidden a large amount of stolen gold. The trouble is that Tucker isn't the only person out there who wants to get to this stash; other pathologically greedy types want to claim it as well. The main nemesis is a rancher (George Macready) who also owns the nearby town, lock, stock, and barrel. And the rancher has a variety of henchmen (Frank Faylen, Jeff Corey, Jock Mahoney) to help him out. Conveniently, Macready also has a lovely daughter (a radiant Dorothy Malone) who takes a shine to our tight-lipped hero.

Although "The Nevadan" holds absolutely no surprises, it makes for generally agreeable entertainment, complete with an interesting protagonist role for Scott and some appropriately odious bad guys. (Faylen and Corey are a standout as they bicker while carrying out Macready's wishes.) The scenery is quite nice, the Arthur Morton score is effective, and the action well-executed. The director is the capable journeyman filmmaker Gordon Douglas; although no master stylist, he knew how to craft a good film. The giant-ant classic "Them!" is one of his best. Best of all is the finale, divided into two parts: a shootout among some rocks, and an intense fight sequence (with Mahoney doubling for Scott) inside an abandoned mine. The interplay between the irascible outlaw and the oft-smiling, amiable loner helps to create enough chemistry to keep us engaged until the end.

As I already said, this is plenty predictable, but formula tales do have their place in cinema along with the more unconventional ones.

Seven out of 10.

For Randolph Scott, the 1950s started with the Columbia film The Nevadan, co-starring Forrest Tucker, George Macready and Dorothy Malone. Scott and Tucker have a marvelous give-and-take relationship that anticipates the rivalries to come in the Boetticher films. Frank Faylen and Jeff Corey give colorful performances as henchmen who are brothers, and have a rivalry of their own. Jock Mahoney has a small role, and doubles for Scott in the fight scene at the end. Only the cheap Cinecolor process betrays the slight budget, excellent direction by the unsung Gordon Douglas.

In an era of overbearing deep, so deep, psychological westerns, it's nice to know Hollywood still knew how to put together these shoot 'em ups. This A-grade production with the very good direction by Gordon Douglas behind it is not much, if not entertaining. Randolph Scott who was to begin an era of a-b grade westerns and make some so-called classic westerns with Budd Boetticher shows his interpretation of the gun-man with few words that he would use effectively later on to good effect. The plot has something to do with Scott being an Undercover marshall, gold and yes, bad guys who need to be gunned down. Anyway, it's all a mcguffin for a final sequence in a mine shaft that is breath-taking. Nice entertainment, at the least.

Escaped outlaw Forrest Tucker stops a stranger following him. The stranger is Randolph Scott dressed up like a greenhorn. For no good reason, Tucker decides he needs a partner and Scott fits the bill. This is the kind of plot contrivance you just have to accept from a western like this, a programmer if there ever was one. Naturally, Scott isn't who he says he is. He just wanted to fool Tucker into taking him along so he could find where Tucker hid some gold. There's also an evil rancher, George Macready, who has a pretty daughter. The daughter's played by Dorothy Malone. Of course she and Scott fall for one another. It's all serviceable enough but nothing special. If you've seen enough westerns, all of this movie's pieces will seem familiar. Still, it's a Randolph Scott western. There are far worse ways to pass the time.