The Last Posse (1953)

When the anxiously awaited posse returns with neither prisoners nor the stolen money, we learn in flashback what happened. Having been cheated by Sampson Drune, a father and his two sons ... See full summary »

Director:

Alfred L. Werker

Writers:

Seymour Bennett (story), Connie Lee Bennett (story),

Stars:

Broderick Crawford, John Derek, Charles Bickford

Cast

Cast overview:
Broderick Crawford	...	Sheriff John Frazier
John Derek	...	Jed Clayton
Charles Bickford	...	Sampson Drune
Wanda Hendrix	...	Deborah
Warner Anderson	...	Robert Emerson
Henry Hull	...	Ollie Stokely
Will Wright	...	Todd Mitchell
Tom Powers	...	Frank White
Raymond Greenleaf	...	Arthur Hagan
James Kirkwood	...	Judge Parker
Eddy Waller	...	Dr. Pryor
Skip Homeier	...	Art Romer
James Bell	...	Will Romer
Guy Wilkerson	...	Scott Romer

Storyline

When the anxiously awaited posse returns with neither prisoners nor the stolen money, we learn in flashback what happened. Having been cheated by Sampson Drune, a father and his two sons have robbed him and fled. A posse led by Drune took off after them and although unwanted, the town's drunken Sheriff joined them. The Sheriff's influence on Jeb, the adopted son of Drune, was the key to Jed later revealing who killed Drune, the robbers, and what happened to the money.

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Plot Keywords:

posse

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 July 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der letzte Suchtrupp

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

What's he trying to do-die with his boots on?

The Last Posse is directed by Alfred L. Werker and co-written by Seymour Bennett, Connie Bennett and Kenneth Gamet. It stars Broderick Crawford, Charles Bickford, John Derek and Wanda Hendrix. Primary location used for the shoot is Lone Pine, Alabama Hills, California, with Burnett Guffey on photography duties. Out of Columbia Pictures, story tells of how a returning posse on the trail of outlaw robbers, return to Roswell, New Mexico, minus their leader and with their accompanying sheriff critically wounded.

Much better than its B movie origins, The Last Posse is strong in characterisations, visually smart and being structured as it is, primarily in flashback, also getting a bit of unusual intrigue tossed into the Oatmeal. It's also very well acted, with Crawford and Bickford making for a nice gruff opposing pair, and the support cast is filled with solid performers like Henry Hull, Warner Anderson and Skip Homeier. Director Werker (He Walked By Night) does a good job of keeping the story nicely paced, dotting the plot with some well staged action along the way, and the finale, thankfully not telegraphed, doesn't disappoint at all. But in the main it's the writing and Guffey's photography that lifts it above average. The various members of the posse are either troubled or driven by motive, making for a good psychological mix, and this in turn is well realised by Guffey's crisp black and white photography of the Lone Pine, Alabama Hills landscapes. The numerous boulders and odd shaped rocks impose on the characters and the desert flats make a grim stage for the unfolding story.

Easily recommended to the Western movie fan. 7/10