I was very impressed with the direction of this film. Everybody is acting believably and sincerely in their roles. The film's main Love triangle stars, Alan Ladd, Robert Preston and Brenda Marshall, are hitting every line out of the ballpark. Actors with stock character, smaller roles such as Donald Crisp, William Demarest (My three Sons), and Frank Faylen (Dobie Gillis' father)are taking their parts seriously and making them interesting. It is sad that director Leslie Fenton seems to have retired a few years after this film at the age of 50. As a former actor, he knew how to direct actors and get excellent performances out of them. The cinematography is another plus. Ray Rennahan won Academy Awards for "Gone with the Wind" and "Blood and Sand" and was nominated for five others. He was among the very best color cinematographers in the Golden Age of Hollywood. He also worked on the television series "Whispering Smith" starring Audie Murphy, in 1961. While there are no dazzling scenes, every scene is sharply lit and a pleasure to watch.
There is a slight hitch in the script in that a dramatic climax comes about half way into the 88 minute film. This story involves Whispering Smith chasing outlaw Barton. There is then a switch to a second story involving the previously mentioned love triangle and Whispering Smith having to face his old friend Murray who has married Marion, the woman that Smith was in love with.
The movie does drag a bit after the first climax. There is also a ridiculous montage where the villains cause three trains to crash inside of one month and they loot the wrecked trains. It seems silly that the railroad did not send Smith back to investigate after the first crash.
What lifts the movie over this jerkiness is the great chemistry between the three leads. It is sad that this was Brenda Marshall's next to last picture. Her career ended two years later at age 38 after she married William Holden. Ladd went on to do "Shane"(1953) and Preston was fantastic in "Music Man" (1962) and "Victor Victoria" (1982).
Not quite a classic Western, but a good, solid well-acted and beautifully photographed one.
There is a slight hitch in the script in that a dramatic climax comes about half way into the 88 minute film. This story involves Whispering Smith chasing outlaw Barton. There is then a switch to a second story involving the previously mentioned love triangle and Whispering Smith having to face his old friend Murray who has married Marion, the woman that Smith was in love with.
The movie does drag a bit after the first climax. There is also a ridiculous montage where the villains cause three trains to crash inside of one month and they loot the wrecked trains. It seems silly that the railroad did not send Smith back to investigate after the first crash.
What lifts the movie over this jerkiness is the great chemistry between the three leads. It is sad that this was Brenda Marshall's next to last picture. Her career ended two years later at age 38 after she married William Holden. Ladd went on to do "Shane"(1953) and Preston was fantastic in "Music Man" (1962) and "Victor Victoria" (1982).
Not quite a classic Western, but a good, solid well-acted and beautifully photographed one.