The Bounty Hunter (1954)

The Age of Commercialism

Purely Joyful Movie!

Best movie ever!

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Randolph Scott (Jim Kipp/James Collins), Dolores Dorn (Julie Spencer), Marie Windsor (Alice), Howard Petrie (Sheriff Brand), Hanny Antrim (Dr Spencer), Robert Keys (George Williams), Ernest Borgnine (hotel desk clerk), Dubb Taylor (Postmaster Danvers), Tyler MacDuff (Vance), Archie Twitchell (Harison), Paul Picerni (Jud), Phil Chambers (Ed), Mary Lou Holloway (Mrs Ed), Billy Vincent (fat tough in border store), Fess Parker (potential rowdy), Kathryn Marlowe, Shirley Whitney (saloon girls), Dorothy Seese (girl), Wanda Barbour, Gail Robinson (townswomen), Guy Teague (O'Hanlon), Vincent Perry (Parson Ellsworth), Hope Miller (Maria Domingues), Fess Parker (wild cowboy), Charles Delaney (sheriff), Budd Buster, Leo Curley.Director: ANDRE DE TOTH. Screenplay: Winston Millier. Story: Winston Miller, Finlay McDermid. Photographed in Natural Vision 3-Dimension and WarnerColor by Edwin DuPar. Film editor: Clarence Kolster. Music composed and directed by David Buttolph, orchestrated by Maurice de Packh. Art director: Stanley Fleischer. Set decorator: William Wallace. Make-up: Gordon Bau. Wardrobe: Moss Mabry. Assistant director: Frank Mattison. Natural Vision 3-D supervisor: M.L. Gunzberg. Natural Vision consultant: Howard Schwartz. Visual consultant: Dr Julian Gunzberg. Sound recording: Francis J. Scheid. Producer: Sam Bischoff. Executive producer: Randolph Scott. A Transcona Enterprises Production.Copyright 1955 by Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 25 September 1954. U.K. release: December 1954. Australian release: 29 September 1955 (sic). 7,083 feet. 78 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Hired by Pinkertons a whole year after the robbery, a bounty hunter manages to trail three train bandits to Win Forks. Unfortunately, he has few clues as to their identities. COMMENT: The chase western in which the hero was required to track down a gang of outlaws, undoubtedly became the most popular (as well as the most used) of the genre's formulae. An interesting variant (as here) has the hero ignorant of the physical appearances of those he is pursuing. Although there are certainly a large number of films in this vein, "The Bounty Hunter" is definitely one of the most entertaining and suspenseful. Despite the welcome intrusion of 3-D effects (most of which are quite dramatically integrated into the staging, though the delightful shock of the villain's hat being shot off into the camera is perhaps overplayed for its novelty appeal), "The Bounty Hunter" can be viewed as a classy follow-up to the highly successful collaboration of star Scott and director De Toth on "Riding Shotgun". Miller's screenplay presents much the same critical examination of small-town folk and their various self-interests. Perhaps the multiple characterizations are not quite as incisively written, and perhaps they are not quite as vigorously played, but these trifling shortcomings are more than compensated by both De Toth's masterfully fluid direction with its long takes in dazzling tracking shots, and Miller's strong plot that successfully springs a number of tingling but still perfectly logical surprises. Needless to say, the action spots are most excitingly staged (and there's more than enough of them to satisfy the fans). Scott even seems to perform a particularly hazardous stunt himself. On another essential script ingredient, the screenwriter has penned some telling dialogue. And it's all most ingratiatingly acted. Scott paces through with his usual charismatic assurance and charming savoir faire, attractive Dolores Dorn delivers a most believable heroine, while our favorite "B" villainess Marie Windsor colorfully winds a crooked finger at our impervious hero. Howard Petrie makes a sterling sheriff. It's also good to find Ernest Borgnine as the boorish desk clerk and Dub Taylor as a somewhat surly committeeman. Fess Parker can be spotted in a small bit right at the film's end.Lavishly produced on actual locations as well as the studio's thriving back-lot, "The Bounty Hunter" also boasts excellent color photography and a rousing music score.I couldn't spot the villains. No way! But even if you can (which would make you a darn sight more clever than me), you'll find this movie still charged with more than a triple dose of palm-sweating suspense.

The Pinkerton detective agency, unable to track down three violent train robbers after a year, turns to bounty hunter Randolph Scott. He's given very few clues to go on and has no idea what the men look like. Still, he manages to track them to a small town called Twin Forks. But the people there aren't particularly friendly towards strangers who show up asking questions.The last of six westerns director André de Toth made with Randolph Scott. This was filmed in 3D but only released in standard format. This explains why there are some 'in your face' shots where you have someone sticking something at the camera. Scott does fine in a by-the-numbers role for him and his stuntman works overtime in some decent action scenes. Despite the formula plot, the movie does a nice job of keeping the identity of the train robbers a secret. One is especially surprising. Nice supporting cast includes Ernest Borgnine, Marie Windsor, Dolores Dorn, and Dub Taylor. It's a pretty good western. Nothing extraordinary but above average for the period.

Another nice colour Western starring enigmatic goodie Randolph Scott - in a fight I'd prefer him on my side over John Wayne any day. But not his rubbish stunt double.Pinkerton's hire him as a bounty hunter to track down a band of baddies all the way to Twin Forks whereupon he unaccountably makes the townsfolk edgy and nervous with regard to his perceived propensity to shoot people solely for money. He tells them more than once that he has to stay "hyer" for a while to figure out just who the baddies are. However, they all seem like a shifty bunch even Scott's frilly love-interest with parasol and picket-fence; but it's fun trying to guess who the felons really are. For the most part it's routine fodder and yet another nod to Destry Rides Again but there's a couple of surprisingly clunky and almost embarrassingly aimless shooting scenes with hats or objects shot off straight at the 3D cameras – I even laughed during one of these untense moments.Andre De Toth directed slicker Westerns than this but I always enjoy this kind of film with all faults, so enjoyed this one even though I've seen tens of thousands better. A pleasant and wholesome time-passer I wouldn't mind seeing again real soon…and probably will if I know TCM UK.

With a title like "The Bounty Hunter", you pretty much know what you're getting from the outset. In this one, Randolph Scott takes the title role and works his character through a number of portrayals on the way to solving a year old crime involving the theft of a hundred grand. Jim Kipp (Scott) has the same effect on the citizens of Twin Forks that Audie Murphy did in 1959's "No Name on the Bullet", but in that one, John Gant was a professional killer. Here, Kipp's reputation precedes him, and it has the folks awfully jumpy about who he's come after. A couple of them even leave town figuring it's not worth the bother to stick around because after all, it might be them.I always like watching Randolph Scott in his Western films, not only for his rugged characterizations, but also for the expected change of outfits he brings with him. In this one, he starts out with the traditional all black attire he's generally known for, but changes appropriately for going out on the town and attending church service (for the first time). Dolores Dorn provides the romantic interest for Scott's character, while Marie Windsor is on hand as the bad girl who almost makes it unscathed to the end of the story.A couple of character actors here bear mentioning; Ernest Borgnine's on board as the red herring in the mix, a hotel desk clerk with a gimp leg that's supposed to direct your attention to one of the original hold-up gang that Kipp is gunning for. Then there's Dub Taylor, probably the only time you'll ever see him in a suit and tie as the town postmaster and one of the eventual baddies. No expected comedic role here for Taylor, who sidekicked a bunch of Western lead actors as good old Cannonball. I think I like him better as a grizzled old goof-ball.As the three villains of the piece are revealed on the way to the finale, I had to wonder about Marie Windsor's role. She was one of the original outlaws that the Pinkerton agent hired Kipp to go after, however in hindsight I find it curious that no one along the way would have fingered a woman in the mix. Just seems odd, that's all. Say, stay attentive for the very last scene when the rowdy cowboys ride their way into Twin Forks and ask who the sheriff is. The guy who seems let down by it all is Fess Parker!