RIDE LONESOME (1959)

The Great American Western (Post 5 of 12)

Ride Lonesome

Ride Lonesome (which is only 72 minutes long) seems like a typical B-Western about a aging bounty hunter (Randolph Scott) bringing in a wanted criminal for a reward. But as the film progresses, we begin to see some slight variations on the typical themes. Two cowpokes riding with the bounty hunter also want to bring in the desperado for their own ends (That is if they can figure out what the word amnesty means). But they come to the aide of the bounty hunter more than once, even though they know that a confrontation may be looming between all of them. A pre-Bonanza Pernell Roberts and a wonderfully dimwitted James Coburn play the cowpokes.

Of course, the motivation of the bounty hunter himself isn't all that it first appears to be either. Throw in a beautiful widow, and you got yourself a pretty good entry in the genre.

We also have as baddies a pre-Dukes of Hazzard James Best and the always menacing Lee Van Cleefe.

And If part of my 1001 Movies Before You Die goals is to see a Randolph Scott movie before I die, I can now check that one off of the movie bucket list.