Western Watch: Colt. 45 (1950)

Watched:  07/13/2024

Format:  Amazon

Viewing:  First

Director:  Edwin L. Marin

I'm not a proud man, and so I will cop to watching this movie to catch Ruth Roman in another flick - especially something like a fairly short western action film.  Plus, I get a kick out of both Randolph Scott and Austin's own Zachary Scott (no relation to Randolph), who plays the villain in this movie.  

The basic set-up is that Randolph Scott is a war veteran and salesman for the new Colt .45, which he used in the Mexican-American War to great effect.  He's now selling them to law enforcement on the frontier, which has not previously seen a repeating, multi-shot handgun - ie: a revolver.  The tactical advantage of 6 shots over 1 is pretty obvious, I hope.    

While showing off his wares, the idiot sheriff (who doesn't get the value) picks a handfight with his prisoner, Zach Scott, who handily wins the fight, grabs the .45s and kills the Sheriff before running off, leaving Randolph - who the townsfolk decide is an accomplice.  Zach Scott goes on a rampage, founding the .45's gang, and raiding wagons carrying gold from a mining town.

Ruth Roman plays the wife to an early-career Lloyd Bridges, and the two are essentially hostages to Zach Scott's gang - except, Lloyd has realized farming doesn't pay as well as stealing gold, so he teams up with Zach Scott while tell his wife that they're biding their time and playing it safe.

Bridges, Roman, Zachary Scott

Meanwhile, Randolph teams up with the local Native Americans, who have suffered at Zach Scott's hands.  

What is a brief movie - only 75 minutes - is full of innumerable twists and turns, which I was not expecting.  I dare say - the story is actually really solid.  But, because emotions barely exist in these movies, Ruth Roman is shot by her husband, watches her husband get killed and falls for a fatherly Randolph Scott (at age 52 to Roman's 28) inside of 72 hours.  Things happen fast in the Old West.

Curiously, this is a western that jettisons the idea of Native Americans as an existential threat and says "fuck that noise, the Native Americans are the good guys here."  Though they're portrayed exactly as you're used to from a 1940's Western, it's wild to see a movie decide they're on the side of the angels and, also, ninjas, and do the heavy lifting for Randolph in the back 1/3rd of the movie.

But, yeah, the plot is crazy and would now fill an entire season of a prestige TV show.   But I won't spoil it.  

ma'am

Given the name and release date, I wonder if it's a response to 1950's Winchester '73, which was a prestige movie, and calling on my memories from 1999, really good.  But this movie's release date is literally a week ahead of the Jimmy Stewart film, so one assumes shenanigans.

But does that movie have Ruth Roman?  It does not.

Westerns can be about many things, and not to argue with my film school faculty who had thoughts on the subject, it's remarkable how similar they really are to cop, superhero and other action-oriented media.  Because what they're often about is standing up for your town, yourself, justice, etc... in a world where there's no systems that can handle the injustice occurring.  So we're gonna need to pull out our guns.  What singles out Westerns is the environment in which these stories spill out, the emptiness of the frontier where justice is a slippery mistress.

Also, horses.

BTW:  years ago, PaulT and I attended a screening of a Randolph Scott movie at The Alamo, hosted by the Zellner Bros. when I had no idea who they were.  I'm pretty sure they showed it because they thought Randolph Scott was inherently funny somehow I didn't quite grok.

I mean, he's not my favorite.  But he has a quality and earnestness I like.  And I think if you search this site on the topic of Zachary Scott, my opinion is pretty clear.  He's a fave.

Anyway, if ever it comes on, give it a few minutes and see if it doesn't work for you.