Ride a Crooked Trail (1958)

One of my favorite Audie Murphy Westerns is Ride a Crooked Trail.  From 1958, the film also stars Gia Scala and features Walter Matthau and Henry Silva in supporting roles.  The film was directed by Jesse Hibbs, who directed Mr. Murphy in several other films, including his own story, To Hell and Back.

After unsuccessfully attempting to rob a bank, Joe Maybe (Audie Murphy) is being hunted by lawman Jim Noonan.  During the chase, Marshall Noonan plunges off a cliff and to his death, whereupon, Maybe takes the man's horse and badge and heads into the river town of Webb City.

Webb City's hard-drinking Judge Kyle (Walter Matthau) is determined to keep the riff-raff out of his town and, thus, stops all strangers as they enter the city limits.  If they and their business are legitimate to the judge, he bids them welcome; if not, he directs them out of town.

Claiming the new arrival fits the description of bank robber Joe Maybe, Judge Kyle is ready to arrest him.  After a quick shootout with the man results in a wounded shoulder for the judge, he notices that the stranger carries the legendary broken-star badge of Marshall Noonan, and he assumes that the man is, in fact, the famous marshall.

With the judge needing to recover from his gunshot wound, he asks "Noonan" to hold down the fort and keep the peace for him.  Though Maybe wants to get on out of town, the judge won't take "no" for answer, so Joe Maybe takes on the law-abiding identity of Marshall Jim Noonan.

His cover is nearly blown when The River Queen docks in Webb City and old flame Tessa (Gia Scala)  disembarks. Part of Sam Teeler's (Henry Silva) gang, Tessa is in town to scope out the local bank.  Upon catching sight of her former love, Tessa calls him "Maybe," but the quick-thinking Joe lies that she's his wife and that she called him "baby."

Happy to meet the respectable wife of a U.S. Marshall, Judge Kyle sets the couple up in a lovely little house, where they must keep up the pretense of being a loving, law-abiding married couple, all the while planning to rob the bank when Sam Teeler and his gang arrive in town.

Adding to Maybe/Noonan's dilemma is the presence of the little orphan boy, Jimmy.  A ward of the court, he needs respectable parents, and it seems that Mr. and Mrs. Noonan fit the bill. With Jimmy watching him, Judge Kyle beginning to get suspicious, and the Teeler gang anxious to get to the robbery, the "marshall" isn't quite sure what he wants to do.  How it all plays out is the balance of the film.

Ride a Crooked Trail is loads of fun.  As stated, it's one of my favorite (so far) of Murphy's Westerns...it's right up there with No Name on the Bullet as one that is a 4-star, "really like it" film.  First of all, I'm a sucker for these kinds of storylines.  They draw me in every time. Besides Audie, who looks like he is having a lot of fun in this film, the one to watch here is Walter Matthau.  He is terrific in his role!  Gia Scala, who I'm not overly familiar with, is beautiful, and I think she is great in her part.  She and Audie have fantastic chemistry together.  Finally, the film has a couple of very touching moments, both of which got me a little misty-eyed.

This film ought to be fairly easy to track down, as it is out on DVD, plus it is available in its entirety on YouTube.  Fans of Murphy, Matthau, and Scala ought to quite enjoy it.

Happy viewing!!


NOTE:  All photos in this article were obtained from the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website  (HERE)

Whispering Smith (1961)

As a child of the 1960's, I grew up on TV Westerns---Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, The Rifleman, Wagon Train, Death Valley Days, and The Virginian were all part of the fabric of my growing-up years.  Even though several of those shows were a bit before I was old enough to understand TV, through re-runs, the shows caught up with me.  And even if I never watched an episode of a particular show, because my Western-lovin' dad did, I had at least heard of it.  So imagine my surprise to discover, through my search of Audie Murphy's filmography, that he, too, starred in a TV Western---1961's short-lived (26 episodes filmed/20 aired) Whispering Smith. No one in my life had ever mentioned this show, so it wasn't until a few short months ago that I learned of its existence.

Based on the 1948 Alan Ladd film of the same name, the story---set in the 1870's---is about a Denver police detective named Tom "Whispering" Smith.  (The nickname "Whispering" is due to Smith's soft-spoken demeanor---talk about a perfect role for Audie!)  With lawlessness going gangbusters in the West at that time, Detective Smith has more than his share of crimes to solve and criminals to apprehend, and he does so with the help of his partner, George Romack (Guy Mitchell).

Having discovered the existence of Whispering Smith, I immediately popped on over to Amazon, where I found the 3-disc, 26-episode series available for $11.99 (the price has increased slightly since then).  Despite having never seen a single episode of the show to know whether or not I'd like it, I quickly added it to my cart, grabbed a book or two, then made my way to the check-out.  When my package arrived three or four days later, I hastily opened it and then popped the first disc into the player. Yes, I was in need of an Audie fix, but even more, I wanted to see this show I had never heard of.  My verdict?  A big, 4-star thumbs-up!

Because the series lasted for only 1 season---giving me a mere 26 episodes to enjoy---I don't want to race my way through it.  I want to savor it...make it last as long as possible.  (I feel similarly about Audie's filmography; while I want to catch every film he made, there's a sadness in doing so, since there will never be any more.  When I'm done, I'm done.)  Thus, as of now, I've only watched 6 episodes of the series, but I have "really liked" every single one.

Each 30-minute episode is interesting and fast-moving and features a couple of guest stars---Robert Redford, Gloria Talbot, Harry Carey, Jr., and Richard Chamberlain are some of the notable ones I've seen so far.

Oh, just have to say, episode #5 ("Safety Valve") features a short swordfight scene between Audie and one of the guest stars.  After my recent month of Stewart Granger viewing, I have come to very much appreciate swashbucklers, and it was loads of fun seeing Audie taking on that role.

Without question, I heartily recommend this series.  For me, it's a great, 4-star way to get an Audie fix when I don't have time for a whole movie...or when my family is rebelling and demanding we watch someone other than Audie for a change!

NOTE:  All photos used in this article are from the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website  (HERE)

For more information about the production history of Whispering Smith, check out this article at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website (HERE)

Bad Boy (1949)

Awhile back, I caught the TCM premiere of Bad Boy, the 1949 film which features Audie Murphy in his very first leading role.  Starring alongside Audie in this somewhat-touching drama are Lloyd Nolan and Jane Wyatt, with James Gleason, Martha Vickers, and Rhys Williams in support.  According to Robert Osborne, who always provides the viewer with a wealth of interesting information, the producer of this film insisted that Audie be cast in this role, otherwise he would not finance it.

Bad Boy is Audie's third movie, but it's the first one in which he has a starring role.  In fact, the credits read, "And in his first starring role, Audie Murphy."  Audie portrays Danny Lester, a violent and angry young man who has been running from the law since leaving home at age 13.  Now 17, Danny is brought before the juvenile court on armed robbery and assault charges.  The judge (Selena Royle) believes that Danny's hardened, unrepentant attitude warrants the severest punishment she can give him---the juvenile reformatory until adulthood, and then 20 years in the state prison.

However, Marshall Brown (Lloyd Nolan), of the Variety Clubs Boys' Ranch, who believes there are no hopeless cases, petitions the judge to release Danny into his custody.  He feels sure that just as the Ranch has been successful at rehabilitating other young juvenile delinquents, it will do the same for Danny.

Against her better judgment, the judge agrees to Mr. Brown's request, and Danny is sent to the Ranch, where, Brown soon discovers, the troubled young man proves to be much more difficult to rehabilitate than the other boys entrusted to his care.

Will Danny ever turn from his rebellious, lawbreaking ways?  Will he ever become a productive, giving member of society?  Or is he destined to be one of the boys the Ranch is unable to reach?  These are the questions which play out in the balance of the film.

Bad Boy is an extremely solid 3-star movie to me.  It's a great "message" movie, about investing in the lives of others and about not giving up when the going gets tough.  Audie Murphy is very good in this role. He is believable, and he brings to life a character I really cared about and rooted for. Audie's performance here in Bad Boy resulted in a 7-year contract with Universal, thus, establishing his career as an actor.

In this film, Audie is 25-years old, but I must say, he looks much younger.  When you realize that this film was made a full four years after the end of the war, you really begin to understand that when he received all his many military awards, he was hardly more than a boy.  It's kind of breathtaking to realize he was so young when he was in combat.  (This is one of the publicity photos for Bad Boy.  Wow!  Does Audie look young!)

This film is definitely worth watching. I don't believe it's out on DVD; however, it is available through Amazon's instant video.  If you are an Audie Murphy fan, you'll definitely want to catch him in his first starring role.

Happy viewing!!!


NOTE:   All photos used in this article were obtained from the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website (HERE)

Cast a Long Shadow (1959)

From 1959, comes Cast a Long Shadow, a Western starring Audie Murphy, Terry Moore, and John Dehner.  Based on Wayne Overholser's novel of the same name, this film features James Best, Rita Lynn, and Denver Pyle in supporting roles.

Wealthy Jake Keenan has died, leaving his ranch to Matt Brown (Audie Murphy), an illegitimately-born young man, who has always believed that Keenan was his father.  Having been gone from New Mexico a long time, and uninterested in the ranch of a man who treated his mother so badly, Matt jumps at the chance to sell his new inheritance to the very men who had worked it for years.  He'll return only long enough to finalize the sale, then be on the road again.

Matt's return to the ranch brings former flame, Janet (Terry Moore), back into his life.  Though they had been in love, Janet broke things off. Older now, she vows that she knows what she wants, and it's Matt.  Because of Matt's "no name" status, though, Janet's brother declares that he's not good enough, which only serves to fill Matt with the desire to prove himself.

Before the sale can take place, Chip Donohue (John Dehner) discovers that the ranch is heavily in debt, and unless payment is made within days, the bank will foreclose. The only way to make payment is to get the cattle to market immediately.

Determined to prove himself to the town naysayers, Matt changes his mind about selling; instead, he'll run the ranch, and he'll lead the drive to market. More than that, he'll do it his way...with no input from anyone and a policy of zero tolerance for those who disobey him.

Though Janet insists that being a big man doesn't mean Matt has to throw away his good qualities or rule with an iron hand, Matt is determined to do things his way...even if he is killed in the process.  How everything plays out is the balance of the film.





Though Cast a Long Shadow is not a spectacular film---nor one of my favorite Murphy Westerns---I still found it to be interesting and exciting.  The action got underway immediately, and things never dragged.  Unlike the majority (if not all) of Audie's Westerns, this one is not in color, but that only serves to give the feeling that it's an early 1950's film, rather than late '50's.

Out on DVD, this should be fairly easy to track down. For me, it's a 3-star, "like it" film---nothing outstanding, but definitely watchable.

Happy viewing!


NOTE:  All photos used in this article were obtained from the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website (HERE)

The Gun Runners (1958)

It was last June, in honor of Audie Murphy's birthday, that I discovered The Gun Runners, and while I reviewed it then, since it is one of my two (so far) favorite Murphy films, it would be totally remiss of me not to spotlight it while he is star of the month.  Besides, while my first viewing of this film found me rating it 4---and very close to 5---stars, repeated viewings have definitely moved it into the 5-star "love it" category.  (Alas, since I "discovered" this film last year, it will not be part of my "5-star film discoveries of 2013.")  So, without further ado, here is a revision and expansion of my review of The Gun Runners.

The third film adaption of Ernest Hemingway's To Have and Have Not is 1958's The Gun Runners, starring Audie Murphy and Eddie Albert.  Directed by Don Siegel, this film, which features Patricia Owens and Everett Sloane in supporting roles and introduces Gita Hall (in the first of her two films), is my second favorite version of the Hemingway story (John Garfield's The Breaking Point is my absolute favorite).

Living in Key West, where he runs a charter fishing service with his boat, the Lucy M, is former Navy man, Sam Martin (Audie Murphy), a good guy who doesn't have it in him to do wrong. Though finances are a constant struggle, he and his wife Lucy (Patricia Owens) are happy and very much in love.

After failing to be paid close to $1,000 for a job, Sam hits a local casino, where his financial burden comes to the awareness of craps player Hannigan (Eddie Albert), who hires Sam to take him fishing.

Accompanying Hannigan on the excursion is Eva (Gita Hall), and though she puts the moves on him, Sam has no intention of cheating on his wife.  (The lines he uses to decline her advances are the exact same ones John Garfield uses to turn down Patricia Neal in The Breaking Point.)

Using the fishing excursion only as a ploy, Hannigan's real destination is Havana, where he has arranged a meeting with a band of Cuban revolutionaries.  After an eventful night--in which Hannigan shoots a man---Sam returns to Key West, completely determined to avoid any future contact with his lawbreaking passenger and the political unrest in Cuba.

However, when the mortgage on the Lucy M is bought by Hannigan, Sam has no choice but to do the man's bidding.  Behind on his payments, Sam finds his boat in foreclosure, and the only way he will be able to get her back is to deliver Hannigan---and the guns he is supplying the revolutionaries---to Cuba...something he absolutely does not want to do.

Will this man, who doesn't have it in him to go bad, go bad after all?  How it all plays out is the balance of the film.




As stated above and discussed HERE, John Garfield's The Breaking Point is my absolute favorite version of this story (and the most faithful to Mr. Hemingway's work).  The Gun Runners, though, is easily my second favorite (and not far behind The Breaking Point), leaving the Bogey/Bacall adaption as the one I like the least (and a 2-star film for me). Sacrilege, I know, but To Have and Have Not just doesn't do it for me.  Oh, I readily admit that Bogey and Bacall have amazing chemistry, but the story itself doesn't touch me at all.  I don't care about any of the characters, and both times I watched the film, I found myself longing for it to end.  The Gun Runners, though, as with The Breaking Point, I completely and totally love.

Because I don't care for To Have and Have Not, I very nearly didn't even give the other two adaptions a try. It was only because of my determination to see John Garfield's entire filmography that I bothered with The Breaking Point, and I must be honest, I wasn't expecting much. Wow, would I have been missing out if I had skipped it, for it immediately became my absolute favorite John Garfield film (still is).  Because of that positive experience, and because I like Audie Murphy, I took a chance with The Gun Runners, and as with The Breaking Point, I was so glad I did.  I was wild about it, and it immediately shot to the top of my "favorite Murphy films" list.  Repeated viewings have only served to increase my love for it.

I completely adore Audie in this film.  Besides loving his character, I love his look.  In his early 30's here, his face has matured from his earlier Westerns, and he is incredibly handsome. Acting wise, while Audie Murphy was no John Garfield, he is extremely solid in this role---I find him to be just as believable as Garfield; and with his soft-spoken demeanor, Mr. Murphy brings a different kind of vulnerability to the character than Garfield does. The film's storyline is interesting, exciting, and thought-provoking, the characters are memorable, and the playful, romantic interaction between Murphy and his wife is very sweet---it's not often you get a chance to see a romantic side of Audie. (The same playful interaction occurred between John Garfield and wife Phyllis Thaxter in The Breaking Point, and I loved it there as well.)

Eddie Albert is terrific in his role as the "heavy."  Who knew he had that kind of stuff in him?  I sure didn't.  He is about as far from Green Acres' Oliver Wendell Douglas here as he is from the moon!  Taking on the Walter Brennan/Juano Hernandez role here is Everett Sloane, and he puts in a good performance.  I'm not familiar with Patricia Owens at all, but she is sweet wife material.  I really like her in this role.  Plus, she and Audie have great chemistry together.

All these things work together to make The Gun Runners a 5-star "love it" film for me.  If you are a fan of Audie Murphy, you will definitely want to see this.  Also, if you've read the Hemingway story, you might want to watch this and see how it compares.

Out on DVD, The Gun Runners ought to be fairly easy to track down; plus it is available through instant viewing on Net Flix.  I do hope you get a chance to see it, as I think it is terrific!

Happy viewing!!


NOTE:  All photos in this post were obtained from the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website (HERE)

Battle at Bloody Beach (1961)

Perhaps in an attempt to get away from the Western roles into which he had been typecast, Audie Murphy starred in the little-known, low-budget 1961 World War II flick, Battle at Bloody Beach.  Set in the Philippines during the time of the Japanese occupation, this Herbert Coleman film also stars Gary Crosby and Dolores Michaels and introduces Alejandro Rey.

Having been in the Philippines at the time of the Japanese invasion, American civilian, Craig Benson (Audie Murphy), and his new bride, Ruth (Dolores Michaels), were separated in the resulting chaos.  Craig was evacuated with other Americans to Australia, and now, two years later, feeling sure that his wife was not killed or taken prisoner but is hiding out somewhere, he has returned to the islands to search for her.  With Craig's knowledge of the islands, the U.S. Army has given him authority to arm Filipino resistance leaders, one of whom is Julio Fontana (Alejandro Rey).

Before providing Julio with the guns and ammunition, Craig insists that Julio bring to him any Americans he has been hiding, so that they may be evacuated to Australia.  Seven people are brought forth, one of whom is Ruth, who had been rescued and taken in by some kindly Filipinos.  Since her rescue, she has been working for the resistance efforts, and also, believing Craig to have been killed in the air raid, she became romantically involved with Julio. Although Craig's plan is to gather his wife and the other Americans and return to the States, Ruth isn't ready to leave the resistance fighting...and maybe not Julio either.

While at the beach where they will meet up with the U.S. sub which will carry them to safety, the Japanese Army approaches.  Will any of the Americans survive the onslaught?  And if they do, will Ruth choose to stay behind with Julio and the resistance?  Or will she choose to travel home with her husband?  These are the questions which play out in the balance of the film.

This film has many horrible reviews, yet I am actually going to recommend it---but not without a caveat and an explanation of my movie-viewing habits.  When it comes to movies, I often march to the beat of my own drum.  Many films that critics (and movie viewers) love do nothing for me; similarly, many films trashed by others are quite acceptable to me.  I suppose that's because I'm just a (classic) film enthusiast, not a film critic, and, therefore, I don't put on a critic's hat when I sit down to watch a movie.  I'm not looking to pick it apart or to point out all that's wrong with it; in fact, if the film's storyline interests me, I may not even notice its imperfections, and even if I do, I can easily overlook them and focus, instead, on the positive. Thus, while Battle at Bloody Beach is a flawed film and has many horrible reviews on IMDB, I was able to look past the flaws and enjoy it (unlike most of the reviewers).

Some pluses:  Interesting storyline---and one not covered a great deal in WWII films.  Also, Audie Murphy gives a good performance and is very believable in his role.  His character is likable.  Knowing what I do about Audie's war experience and his long battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (HERE), there is a scene in the film which really tugged on my heart.  After the Japanese soldiers have shot and killed one of the local girls who had befriended him, infuriated, Benson turns around, yells "Damn you," then splays forth several rounds from his machine gun.  A similar situation occurred after a German bullet took the life of Audie's best friend, Lattie Tipton, right in front of his eyes.  "With no thought for his own safety, Audie went wild.  Springing from the foxhole, he hurled grenade after grenade at the enemy.  Between tosses, he peppered them with machine gun fire."  Surely that episode had to cycle through Mr. Murphy's mind as that scene was filmed.

Another plus (for me) is how Audie looks in this film.  He's 36 here...and gorgeous!  Although he still looks young, gone is the cute little babyface.  Instead, there's a mature, very handsome, man, with a few light lines on his face and a tiny touch of gray in his hair.  While I enjoy Audie's early works (and especially love To Hell and Back), I find that I lean most heavily to his late '50's and 60's films, as I feel more comfortable swooning over a man in his mid 30's and 40's, as opposed to a 25-year old!

Other pluses are Alejandro Rey and Dolores Michaels, both of whom are believable in their roles.  I liked them both.  This is a low-budget film, though, and that is very apparent in some of the scenes.  Also, because the film was fairly short (83 minutes), the characters weren't fully developed.  In addition to Ruth, there were 6 other Americans to be evacuated. There was a mother and a young son, a bickering married couple, and an older married couple.  The film's short length precluded an opportunity to get to know enough about those characters to really care about them. Even the love triangle between Ruth, Craig, and Julio wasn't all that intense or passionate.  Still, Battle at Bloody Beach is what it is---an interesting, watchable, low-budget film.

Although nowhere near the caliber of earlier war films, this one may pique the curiosity of those who have interest in WWII's Pacific theatre, especially the occupation of the Philippines.  Also, Murphy completists will undoubtedly want to watch this.  If, however, you're looking for a cinematic masterpiece and can find no enjoyment in a somewhat-flawed, low-budget effort, you will probably want to skip this.  I, though, enjoyed it enough to rate it 3 stars ("good, enjoyable, like it okay")...and to record it to disc, so I can watch it again.

This film is not out on DVD, but, thanks to the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website's "rerun" page, I discovered that it was being shown on Fox Movie Channel yesterday.  They will be airing it again this Thursday, June 13th, at 10:00 a.m. (ET), so set your DVRs if you'd like to catch it. If, however, you'd like to see it and don't get FMC, shoot me an email.  I still have it in my DVR and would be happy to record you a copy and toss it in the mail.  (After all, we Audie fans have to help each other out when possible!)

Happy viewing!!


NOTE:  All direct quotes are derived from American Hero, The Audie Murphy Story, by Peggy Caravantes, Avisson Press, Inc., 2004.

All photos used in this post were obtained from the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website (HERE).

Posse from Hell (1961)

Posse from Hell, from 1961, is a Western starring Audie Murphy and John Saxon, with Zohra Lampert, Vic Morrow, Royal Dano, Rudolph Acosta, and Robert Keith in supporting roles. Directed by Herbert Coleman, the film is based on Clair Huffaker's novel of the same name.

After breaking out of the death cell, four cruel outlaws (among them Vic Morrow and Lee Van Cleef) descend upon the sleepy little town of Paradise. Shooting the marshall and four other men and then robbing the local bank, they ride out of town, taking a young woman hostage with them.

With his dying breath, the marshall deputizes his friend Banner Cole (Audie Murphy), a loner who has lost faith in people.  Though Banner would really prefer to track the outlaws himself, he puts together a posse of seven men.

The hodgepodge of a posse includes Jeremiah Brown (Robert Keith), who, based on his Civil War career, thinks he ought to be in charge and, thus, often bucks Banner's authority; the kidnapped girl's weak-willed, drunken uncle (Royal Dano); a local Indian (Rudolph Acosta), looking for acceptance by the townspeople; and city slicker, Seymour Kern (John Saxon), a banker in town on business.  Goaded by the local bank president into joining the posse, his manhood grows while on the trail of the killers.  For once, he feels like a man at a man's game.

The men's relentless search for the outlaws first leads them to the woman hostage (Zohra Lampert), left---raped and abandoned---on the trail. Although her despair over the treatment she received at the hands of the outlaws has left her with little desire to live, she warns Banner that the gang is vicious and that with a posse of his size, he won't be able to stop them.  More determined than ever, however, Cole spurs his posse onward. Little by little, the posse grows smaller, as men are either killed or desert.  In the end, two men remain. Which two and how it all plays out is the balance of the film.



Posse from Hell is a very solid 3-star film for me...3.5 stars really.  On my rating scale, it falls somewhere between "like it" and "really like it."  It's interesting and exciting and even sports a couple very touching moments.  There's terrific character development, particularly in Audie's and John Saxon's characters.  Both men bring their characters to life beautifully, and it is interesting watching them change.  Zohra Lampert, as the kidnapped/raped young woman, is fantastic!

This film is not on the TCM schedule anytime soon; nor, to my knowledge, is it out on DVD.  It is, however, available in its entirety on YouTube.  I think it is definitely worth watching.

Happy viewing!!


NOTE:  All photos in this post were obtained through the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website (HERE).