|
|
| HELL
BENT FOR LEATHER (director:
George Sherman; screenwriters: from the novel Outlaw
Marshal by Ray Hogan/Christopher Knopf; cinematographer:
Clifford Stine; editor: Milton Carruth; music: Irwing
Gertz/William Lava; cast: Audie Murphy (Clay Santell),
Stephen McNally (Marshal Deckett), Felicia Farr
(Janet Gifford), Robert Middleton (Ambrose), Rad Fulton (Moon),
Herbert Rudley (Perrick), Jan Merlin (Travers), Joseph
Ruskin (Shad), Steve Gravers (Grover); Runtime:
82; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Gordon Kay; Universal
International; 1960) "Misanthropic Western, that excites only because of the star presence of Audie Murphy." Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz George
Sherman ("The Lone Hand"/"Big Jake"/"Smoky") ably directs in a
workmanlike way this misanthropic Western, that
excites only because of the star presence of Audie
Murphy. It's based on the novel Outlaw Marshal by Ray
Hogan and is
cleverly written by Christopher Knopf. Clay
Santell (Audie Murphy) is a horse trader
heading across the prairie for a business deal in Iron
Wells, New Mexico, when he's bushwhacked and his horse
stolen in the Colorado desert by a man begging for
water. The stranger, shot in the arm while fleeing,
turns out to be a dangerous wanted killer named Travis
(Jan Merlin). When Clay reaches the
nearest town of Sutterville and tries to buy a new
horse, he carries with him the killer's distinctive
fancy rifle which the locals identify as the killer's
and mistakenly think he's the killer of a respected
town family. The blacksmith and bartender tell the
town leaders returning from a funeral that the
stranger is the killer and most of the leading
citizens want to hang him immediately without a trial.
The wanted man has been chased for four months by the
inept deputy marshal Deckett (Stephen
McNally), a feckless and corrupt man, who
falsely says Clay is Travers. Wanting all the glory
for the arrest for himself, Deckett takes Clay to
Denver for a jury trial, but his prisoner escapes and
takes the town outcast Janet (Felicia
Farr) as hostage. When Janet believes Clay's
story, she helps him escape across an impassable
mountain ridge with the sadistic Deckett and the angry
town posse in pursuit from behind and the deadly
Travis lurking up ahead. In an
action-packed climax, the dire situation is resolved
and Audie gets the pretty girl (in real-life she
married Jack Lemmon). Too bad McNally's role
was of a one-dimensional character, because he brought
the film down a few notches by being so unconvincing. REVIEWED ON 3/17/2012 GRADE: B- Dennis Schwartz: "Ozus' World Movie Reviews" © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DENNIS SCHWARTZ |