Sunset Carson Rides Again (1948)

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

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Sunset Carson (himself), Al Terry (Bob Ward), Pat Starling (Joan Carson), Dan White (sheriff), Bob Cason (Sam Webster), Pat Gleason (boxing referee), Buddy McDowell and the Rodeo Revelers (themselves), Stephen Keyes (Murdock, the foreman), Ron Ormond (Jim Pizer), Bill Vall (Slugger), Joe Hiser (Shorty), Bob Curtis (Tin-Cup), Forrest Matthews (Nevens), Don Gray (Rand), Dale Harrison (Tomkins).Director: OLIVER DRAKE. Screenplay: Elmer Clifton. Film editor: Ralph Dixon. Photographed in 16mm CineColor by Clark Ramsey. Music director: Frank Sanucci. Script supervisor: Pearl Leiter. Production assistant: D.A. Towne. Sound recording and technical supervision: Telefilm, Inc. Associate producer: Oliver Drake. Producer: Walt Mattox.Not copyrighted by Yucca Pictures. U.S. release through Astor: 10 September 1948. No recorded New York opening. No Australian theatrical release. 63 minutes. COMMENT: Not exactly the worst "B" western ever made, but for exactly half its length it certainly comes mighty close. Fortunately a marked improvement occurs in the boxing scene in which Al Terry and Bob Cason battle most convincingly, and Mr Bob Cason then carries the rest of the film through to a reasonably satisfactory conclusion. Mind you, Mr Sunset Carson is consistently awful, and the film is always wretchedly photographed, and production values are always minimal. "Yucca" is indeed a true description!But on the other hand, Miss Starling and Mr Terry are reasonably attractive leads, and even the comic relief cowpokes are genuinely funny at the halfway mark. Up to this point too, Mr Drake's "direction" has been struggling to achieve zero out of ten, but suddenly he shoots up to around two or three out of ten. On the whole, however, it's a rare western indeed in which the musical interludes rate higher (maybe two and a half) than the rest of its array of "entertainment".

Ollie Drake was one of the great B Western writers, but as a director? Based on this sample, not so much.Sunset Carson was a very likable man (and I met him in person quite a while after this movie and he was still very likable), but he was never known as a good actor. Well, in this movie, he was almost the best in the cast.He was a tall and good-looking man, and apparently very strong. In one scene, he has to pick up another actor and, holding him on his shoulder, he mounts his horse! Most other actors would have had to drape the other over the horse then mount. Quite a feat.Standing out in the acting category was veteran villain John Cason, for some reason billed here as Bob Cason. He had a couple scenes where he had to take off his shirt and he showed he was a well-built and athletic-looking guy.Female lead was Pat Starling. Almost nothing is known about her except that she has 15 credits. She was a beautiful woman, and with a better director could have been seen as a very good actress.Providing music was one of the best Western bands I've seen and heard, The Rodeo Revelers seem to have made only this movie but the apparent leader, Buddy McDowell, was in two. He was quite a good fiddler.In one song, they sounded a bit like the Sons of the Pioneers, but in others they had their own sound, which was a good one. No credits are given, but at least one song sounds like the work of Oliver Drake.There is a pretty good print at YouTube. It's not great movie-making, but it has Sunset Carson and that's enough reason to watch.

Sunset Carson saves a young easterner in the desert and brings him back to his ranch, where Sunset is planning a boxing exhibition to fund a new school, while his crooked partner and brutish ranch-hands are planning to take the money. Meanwhile, the young man agrees to fight for Carson, despite allegations that Sunset killed his father!There's nothing much to recommend about this B-western, except for the color photography and some great fiddling by The Rodeo Revelers. The acting is bad and the action is often times pretty inept. While certainly not the worst B-western of the 1940's, there's definitely better examples. Sunset sure is brawny though. He just doesn't have much to do in the mostly talky script.

Ole Sunset Carson! The story opens as his acting coach rides into the sunset, shrugging his shoulders and mumbling, "I give up." To his credit, Carson looks good atop a horse. It's when he hits the ground and 'recites' his lines when things get rough.The 6'4" - er - actor stars in the color extravaganza along with a host of veteran performers who, in a way, acquit themselves fairly well. Best of 'em is co-star Al Terr, a New Yorker who probably learned to ride in Central Park. He is a Farley Granger lookalike.John Cason, the resident meanie, has been in many films and teevee shows, and the lovely Pat Starling has also been around. She had worked before with Sunset. She is a vision with a lovely voice and, speaking of music, the Rodeo Revelers provided the movie's highlight with some really good offerings.A big minus were the fight scenes. Very poor choreography. Guys are knocked down and out, and opponents responsible look like they're striking the air. There was a boxing scene involving Terr and Cason, however, that was well staged.Finally! I was prepared to thoroughly dislike the movie, a cheapie to end all cheapies, but as it went along I found it somewhat enjoyable - well - tolerable. I said tolerable not terrible.