The Road to Denver (1955)

Director:

Joseph Kane

Writers:

Horace McCoy (screenplay) and
Allen Rivkin (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 June 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

Face-To-Face and Pistol-To-Pistol! BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER!

Plot:

The Mayhew brothers flee from one Texas town to another as older brother Bill repeatedly attempts to keep younger brother Sam out of jail...

Plot Keywords:

Trucolor | City Name In Title | Place Name In Title

Cast

John Payne	...	Bill Mayhew
Mona Freeman	...	Elizabeth Sutton
Lee J. Cobb	...	Jim Donovan
Ray Middleton	...	John Sutton
Skip Homeier	...	Sam Mayhew
Andy Clyde	...	Whipsaw Ellis
Lee Van Cleef	...	Pecos Larry
Karl 'Killer' Davis	...	Hunsaker (as Karl Davis)
Glenn Strange	...	Big George
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	...	Buzz (as Buzz Henry)
Dan White	...	Man in Buckboard (as Daniel White)
Robert Burton	...	Pete
Anna Lee Carroll	...	Miss Honeywell (as Anne Carroll)
Tex Terry	...	Mr. McGovern

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Trucolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (nf) | USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #17409) | UK:U | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Snow Canyon, Utah, USA

Company:

Republic Pictures

Quotes:

[Prologue]
Bill Mayhew: In the old days of the west, the big cattle spreads had spring and fall round-ups. Then the steers to be sold became a trail herd pointed to the nearest railhead often hundreds of miles away. The trail was sometimes tough with rain, wind and snow.

Routine with a Few Exceptions

Several reasons to comment on this entertaining but otherwise pretty routine Western. Scope out the saloon at the beginning. It may be the only Western watering hole I've seen with actual pink accents for inside and outside decor. How the heck did that happen in a macho horse opera. Maybe Republic had a few gallons left over from a Vera Hruba Ralston flick. Also, note how those early scenes along the sagebrush trails resemble the wistful Frederick Remington paintings of the early West. They're subdued pastels and in my book, quite striking, especially with the light snow cover unusual for any Western. Then there's Skip Homeier creating another of his cocky young punk characters he was so expert at. Working at lowly Republic would never get you an Oscar in snooty Hollywood. But in my book, Homeier was as good at etching memorable characters as any of the higher-priced talent. Too bad he eventually matured out of these roles, but here he's near his peak as the hot- headed young Sam Mayhew.

The movie starts off fast, but sags somewhat in the middle—probably to accommodate the stagey skills of Broadway heavyweight Lee J. Cobb. (Notice that he has no outdoor scenes, holding forth instead from his saloon headquarters. That was probably in his contract so he wouldn't have to travel to Utah locations.) I was really impressed with the screen presence of Ray Middleton as the limping John Sutton. He's such a quietly imposing character that exudes integrity and strength. He certainly qualifies for a bigger career. Much of the movie's appeal comes from the cast, even Mona Freeman as the sweet young thing. She may be miscast, snuggling up with 43-year old Payne, but she does have a winning personality. All in all, it's a worthwhile little Western with a positive message of the sort that unfortunately they don't make anymore.