Roughshod (1949)

Good concept, poorly executed.

Absolutely Fantastic

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Unfortunately, this was the only Western directed by the talented Mark Robson. Has an excellent, tight screenplay by Daniel Mainwaring (AKA Geoffrey Homes) and Hugo Butler, from a story by Peter Viertel. The film boasts unusual violence for the Genre and for its time, with uniformly outstanding performances by Gloria Grahame, Claude Jarman Jr., Myrna Dell, John Ireland and Jeff Donnell. Character actors James Bell, Jeff Corey and Sara Haden were exceptionally good in small roles. Surprisingly, the usually dull leading man Robert Sterling proved he could act. Other highlights: the impeccable Joe Biroc photography, an evocative score by the underrated Roy Webb and the women costumes by Renie. Shamefully, as with many RKO Titles, WarnerVideo never released it on VHS, and the first DVD (Made on order) came out in January 2016!. If you love Westerns do not miss ROUGHSHOD, is on a par with the all time great.

The first western by Robson who had already made some extraordinary movies (who says they were Val Lewton's work?) such as "the seventh victim" 'the ghost ship" or "bedlam".And his western is quite good ,if not as mind -boggling as his precedent efforts.First of all,Gloria Grahame,who was often cast in films noirs ,shines in her part of a dance hall gal who dreams to be a housewife and to educate her young protégé,Robert Sterling's kid brother:my favorite scenes show her teaching him the alphabet and the "true" culture;it's a destruction of the bad gal cliché;and I love when Sterling tells her that he knows a lot of things she can't teach him: the nature ,the animals,the weather,an empirical knowledge for sure ,but one that is more useful than the culture you get from the books,when you are in the wilderness tracked down by outlaws (John Ireland is the ideal bandit,but his part is underwritten and his relationship with the hero is skimmed over);it seems the director was more interested in the Sterling/Grahame relationship:a hero who is (perhaps?We are not told about it) illiterate but who demands a "respectable" woman for his wife :the other one is just good for a kiss,but you cannot marry a chick with a racy past;his kid brother knows better than he does:the young actor is excellent and endearing.A rare thing in the forties (and in the westerns of the era),the action begins a few seconds before the cast and credits.

GLORIA GRAHAME is photographed expertly in this B&W western that stars ROBERT STERLING as a cowboy heading back to his new ranch with brother CLAUDE JARMAN, JR. at his side. Grahame not only looks good, but gets to deliver an interesting performance as the dance hall girl (prostitute really) who wants to find the right man and go down the straight and narrow path.She thinks she's found her man in Sterling, who looks a bit too boyish for the role of the rugged cowboy but nevertheless, he delivers an earnest and likable performance. The pairing of him with Jarman as brothers seems a bit incongruous since they look nothing alike--but again, good acting almost compensates for this minor distraction.For a villain, we have JOHN IRELAND in full mode as a nasty guy who wants to put a bullet in Sterling for past transgressions. The final shootout provides the story with the only really tense moments in a story that is more character-driven than an action western.Nothing special about any of the production values or Mark Robson's direction, except to mention that Grahame really walks off with most of her scenes even though her intense expression conveys little more than annoyance with the fact that Sterling seems oblivious to her charms. Still, there's a heart of gold in the gal who wants nothing more than to wear a gingham dress and play housewife, leaving her tawdry past behind.Summing up: A bit pokey but interesting enough to maintain interest because of some well played interplay between the characters.

Unusually adult Western for its time. Brothers Sterling and Jarman have to drive their horse herd over a dangerous mountain pass so they can start a ranch on the other side. Along the way, however, they encounter four stranded dance hall girls (Production Code euphemism for hookers). Now the brothers are torn between helping the women or getting their herd safely across. And, oh yes, there are the three baddies chasing Sterling, but they're in the movie mainly to provide action and not to drive the plot.Now, Robert Sterling doesn't exactly fit my image of a cowboy lead. He seems a shade too boyish and perhaps a little soft looking (likely why the unshaven stubble was added). However, he does well with the part, being convincingly tough when he needs to be. In fact, acting skill means more in this Western than in most because of the emotional interplay between the three principals, Sterling, Jarman, and Grahame. And, as it turns out, the chemistry between Jarman and Sterling is outstandingly unforced. There seems to be a genuine rapport between the brothers. Grahame, of course, specialized in this kind of compromised role in her all-too-brief and exotic career. Having her teach the skeptical Jarman to read amounts to an interesting character sidelight. In my book, however, the youthful Jarman walks off with the movie since he manages to be genuinely appealing without piling it on.For Sterling the challenge is whether to follow conventional morality and reject Grahame's overtures or to follow instinct and see the real potential in her. Jarman sees such inner qualities immediately since he has not yet learned to judge others according to stereotype. Fortunately the screenplay avoids getting sentimental over the conflict, and in fact handles the whole risky theme quite intelligently.The mountain shootout is scenic and well-staged. I wish I had a nickel for every nasty heavy John Ireland played during this period. But then, he was so very good at it. For a Western with a strong human interest side, director Robson avoids the usual pitfall of too much talk by moving things along nicely. All in all. the movie's an entertaining and satisfying 90 minutes with a genuinely humane message.