The Worst Film Ever

Simply A Masterpiece

hyped garbage

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Here's a Randolph Scott Western with a very perplexing ending. The character of Laurie Bidwell Isham (Joan Leslie) was so inconsistent it managed to spoil what could have been an effective story. OK, she married Will Isham (Alexander Knox) for his wealth and ambition after throwing over Owen Merritt (Scott), the laid back rancher. Having second thoughts about the whole thing made sense, but after she planned to run off with Owen and then opted to stay with the heel, that just ripped it. For the writers, it seemed like a necessary angle for Scott's character to close the deal with Nan Melotte (Ellen Drew), but it should have been handled a lot more cleverly. Oh well.Otherwise the story moved along at a nice pace and delivered it's share of action and suspense. One thing that seems virtually impossible to me though, and it's happened in a handful of Westerns I've seen, is how easily one can disengage the hitch on a runaway wagon the way Owen did in this one. It's often done with railroad cars as well, and I bet if you tried it yourself you'd strike out a hundred out of a hundred times because of the pressure forces at work.I saw John Russell's name in the opening credits and darn if I didn't recognize him when he showed up as the taciturn henchman Hugh Clagg. The picture staged a fairly impressive one on one between Russell and Scott, that had to be carried outside after the cabin they were in fell apart. Seriously, you have to see it for yourself. They had a nice tumble down the hillside as well, but I had to wonder why Clagg's horse would have been waiting for him where he landed to make a getaway. Just like I wondered how Owen and Nan managed to drive their wagon up the mountain in the first place. If there was a clear trail to that cabin, why didn't Clagg use it to get there? But tell you what, Randolph Scott didn't let me down in the wardrobe department. He donned his trademark all black outfit for the final showdown with the baddies, complementing it with a nice bandanna flourish. Bad guy Isham didn't make it to the end of the picture, so you're left to wonder whether Laurie wound up selling out to Merritt after he closes with Nan in a clinch. And steenkin' badges aside, Alfonso Bedoya fulfills his picture long wish to get a new hat.

I love Randolph Scott westerns and have seen most of his films. However, unlike the vast majority of his wonderful films, this one left me feeling rather indifferent. Some of it is because the plot is oh so familiar, some of it is because the villains aren't particularly believable or interesting (Alexander Knox and Richard Rober were simply too bland for their roles) but I think a lot of it was because the motivations of the baddies were just too vague. It was like they were bad because they were caricatures--not real people. Sure, Knox's character was supposed to be jealous...but this didn't seem enough to explain his actions. And, oddly, for once, Randolph Scott also seemed aimless--at least for part of the film.Another problem, and I've seen this in a couple other Scott films is that the stunt doubles simply didn't look like the people they were doubling for in the film. While the difference between the stunt man and Scott wasn't as bad as the one in I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA!, it was pretty close. Again and again during the fight at the cabin by the waterfall, you could clearly see it wasn't him.Despite all these problems, I am not saying that this is a bad western---it isn't a particularly inspired or interesting one. And, from Randolph Scott you just wouldn't expect ordinary. This was 100% ordinary.

I have to say this is one of the better Randolph Scott pictures that I've seen from his career previous to the "Ranown" films. It has a much more compelling story than a lot of standard oaters from the 40s and 50s, with not one but two interesting female characters.Scott plays Owen Merritt, a tough rancher who is provoked into a range war by the uber-competitive Will Isham (Alexander Knox). Isham has married a former flame of Merritt's (Joan Leslie) and can't stand the thought that she might have residual feelings for Merritt. Also in the mix is the more tomboyish Ellen Drew who plays a neighboring rancher who helps Merritt and falls in love with him.There's a very interesting social subtext to the story with the two women -- the Leslie character is from a poor rural background but wants to escape her history, while the Drew character is more grounded and self-aware and doesn't want to run from her own life. The Knox character is also interesting, psychotic and yet noble. Richard Rober plays the more coldhearted gunslinger who he hires to do his dirty work, and the dynamic between Rober and Knox is interesting as well.I quite enjoyed it and will gladly watch it again. It's not hugely memorable, and the ending is a bit of a let-down, but it has quite a few nice moments and a good western atmosphere with a more interesting story and characters than most. Andre de Toth's direction is very efficient and stately.

Man In The Saddle Is Classic In Every Sense Because It Was A Fantastic Formula So Popular During The Fifties When The Star, Not The Film Pulled The Fans Into The Theater. Scott Is Excellent In The Colorful Location Of Lone Pine, California. Detoth Had Come Aboard As Director Since Usual Scott Director Edwin Marin Had Recently Died Of A Heart Attack. Man In The Saddle Is The Action Western No Longer Produced And Sorely Missed By Many, And If It Is Veiwed With An Idea Of The Time it Was Made One can Almost Feel The Excitement Which Filled Theaters No Longer Enjoyed, As In Those Days. I Rate Man In The Saddle 4 Stars Out Of 4. Billy Holcomb