Bitter Creek

Way back in the day when he was Wild Bill Hickok or Red Ryder or any number of other western characters Bill Elliott always got in that tag line that became his catchphrase that he was a peaceable man before committing a whole lot of violence on some villains. By the next to last western film he did, this one for Allied Artists, there was no more pretensions or being a peaceable man.

This Elliott is out for the guy who shot his rancher brother in the back and signs point to Carleton Young who was the owner of the local Ponderosa at Bitter Creek and who moved in on the brother's spread. He's got a mean crew of gunslingers working for him including Claude Akins in one of his earliest films.

And if that isn't enough Elliott's showing an interest in Beverly Garland the prospective bride of Young. I think anyone who's seen even a handful of B westerns back in the days of the studio system knows exactly where this is going.

Allied Artists films aren't known for their production values. Bitter Creek is a lean and mean western in the latter days of Bill Elliott's career when he was specializing in lean and mean.

This was to be Elliott's last western picture. Gone are the slick production values Elliott enjoyed while at Republic, and this entry from Allied Artists is an obvious low budget formula western. Elliott plays the part of the revenge seeking gunslinger to the hilt, but is hampered by pedestrian direction, a soft script, and cheap sets. But somehow the presence of Elliott, as the tight-lipped non-compromising anti-hero shines through, and we are left with a very watchable picture.

Clay tyndall goes to bitter creek to find out what happened to his brother frank. In the old west of montana, quentin allen and his crew run the town, and wants tyndall's cattle and land. And the sheriff doesn't seem interested in the case. It's all very formula western. Bill elliott is the lead here, but he's flat like cardboard; we can see why his career never got too far off the ground. I had seen him in many films of the 1930s, but not in lead roles. The only actor I recognize is claude akins. He was in some HUGE films... inherit the wind, caine mutiny, rio bravo. It's okay. No frills, no big deal. Directed by thomas carr. Did a lot of work on the superman film and series. The most interesting thing about this film is that parts of it were filmed at ray corrigan's ranch, north of los angeles. It's a public park now, but the signs and some of the old buildings are still there. Really interesting day trip, if you have the time and the interest. Great spot for a picnic!

This western is forgettable, not worth watching if you have something else to do, for instance painting the fence wall of your house, shopping, cleaning the kitchen.... If you are a die hard fan of Bill Elliott, whom I am not, maybe, I say maybe, you can foresee one hour and fourteen minutes to watch this one. It is bland, flat, with the forever wooden Bill Elliott, who lost in best years back in the late forties at Republic Pictures under the direction of Joseph Kane. But here, Thomas Carr was still a beginner for the company, as also were Harry Keller and RG Springsteen, whilst Joe Kane was already an old timer. I think that under Kane's direction, the result would have been a bit better. I guess.

Most of the players around William Elliott did not become household words, with the possible exceptions of Beverly Garland and Claude Akins, who became big TV stars.

But all of them were superior actors, people just loaded with talent.

To name two, Jim Hayward and John Harmon, who played best friends to the hero, performed so believably one has to wonder why stardom did not knock on their doors.

The story was somewhat pedestrian, or at least frequently used, but it is always a good vehicle for action and emotion.

And, since this was an Allied Artists production, the music was excellent, another of those lush scores by the amazing Raoul Kraushaar, a composer of extraordinary talent, and sadly little known today.

Bill Elliott grew up around horses, according to the bio here at IMDb, and he made a believable cowboy and a hero one could always cheer on.

There were so many great actors, from Carleton Young to Veda Ann Borg to John Pickard to Forrest Taylor and John Larch, whose character doesn't even have a name, and we must mention that great ol' pro Dabs Greer, who probably never gave a bad performance.

Perhaps they were as good as they were because R.G. Springsteen was such a good director, one of my favorites among the lesser known directors.

I recommend "Bitter Creek," which is available in an unfortunately too-dark print at YouTube. It is copied from a presentation on Turner Classic Movies, which surely will broadcast it again. Watch it and copy it for yourself.