This atmospheric, black & white, Regalscope, B-western released through Twentieth Century Fox doesn't waste time raising a ruckus. Long rider Bart Jones (Scott Brady of "Johnny Guitar") rides into town during a dust storm, thwarts a shoot-out in a packed saloon, then fools an assassin that sends a barrage of lead through his hotel window and into a shaped bundled of bedclothes while the hero sleeps on the floor. Incidentally, this is the only loose thread that scenarist Don Martin and co-writer/director Edward Bernds never resolve in an otherwise swiftly-paced, concise oater about a range war between a big cattle rancher, Colonel Bonnard (Roy Engel of "Three Violent People"), and small fry cattle rancher, Captain Cruickshank (perennial western character actor William Fawcett of the 1949 "Batman & Robin"), who represents the other ranchers. Based on L.L. Foreman's novel, this slam-bang sagebrusher finds Jones aligning himself with the small ranchers against Bonnard and his men. Complications, however, pile up faster than a flock of vultures on a dead steer for our hero. Well-intentioned Sheriff Pete Colton (Bill Williams of "Night of the Zombies") warns the gun-toting protagonist that he won't receive a warm reception during his stay in town. As it turns out, Jones once rode for the mammoth land-grabbing Cattleman's Association and during his days with them, he had to kill a loud-mouthed, trigger-happy fellow named Red Jim Rorick, the husband of one of the small ranchers, widow Tay Rorick (Mala Powers of "Rage at Dawn") who takes a shine to our gun handy hero from the start. Jones takes sides with the small ranchers and they set out to tear down the Colonel's fence. Bonnard explains to Jones later in the story that he has to put up the fence to keep his high-grade cattle from mixing with the low-breed range stock. Jones warns them that such tactics will drive the poorer small fry out of business. This doesn't stop Bonnard from importing a Cattlemen's Association gunslinger, the Apache Kid (George Keymas of "Studs Longian") who spreads the word that Jones shot Tay's husband in the back. The Kid provokes a gunfight with a small fry rancher and kills him, prompting Bonnard to fire him, but the Kid refuses to ride out. Instead, he sends his henchmen out to kill Bonnard after the big-time rancher has decided to make amends with Captain Cruickshank and the small ranchers. As one other commentator has observed, "The Storm Rider" is an above-average western that shuns the usual stereotypes and defies the formula in several instances. The big-time rancher isn't so much the villain as it is the paw of big interests. Nevertheless, after he guns down the notorious Apache Kid in the final showdown, Jones has the presence of mind to climb on his horse and leave the heroine to the good guy sheriff.
Scott Brady, who made a career out of playing strong supporting roles, excels as the mysterious gunfighter from Abilene who wants to settle down and get his own cattle spread. During a lite lunch with another rancher's adolescent son, Brady delivers the anti-violence speech that characterized most westerns in the 1950s. He outlines an argument against buckling on a six-shooter to the lad. "Listen, son," he says, "That six-gun will get you into more trouble than 40 lawyers working day and night will get you out of." Jones makes it a habit to neither sleep in his hotel bed nor in his ranch house and it serves him well. You don't usually see this kind of out-of-the-box thinking, especially in a B-western. Like the quoted dialogue above, "The Storm Rider" contains several memorable lines. Director Bernds pays attention to small details, such as the sawdust on the floor of the saloon and the mirror missing from behind the bar. Originally, this western was released in the wide-screen process that Twentieth Century Fox used for its grade-B movies called Regalscope, so the photography looks really bad because nothing is ever framed up aesthetically. This trim 70 minute western is a delight for any hardcore western fan and said fans will spot many familiar faces among the supporting cast. Saddle up partner for hell-bent-for-leather horse opera. For the record, don't get this movie confused with the Lee Van Cleef Italian western "The Grand Duel" which some video releasing companies have retitled "Storm Rider." The Lee Van Cleef western and this Scott Brady western are two different steers.
Scott Brady, who made a career out of playing strong supporting roles, excels as the mysterious gunfighter from Abilene who wants to settle down and get his own cattle spread. During a lite lunch with another rancher's adolescent son, Brady delivers the anti-violence speech that characterized most westerns in the 1950s. He outlines an argument against buckling on a six-shooter to the lad. "Listen, son," he says, "That six-gun will get you into more trouble than 40 lawyers working day and night will get you out of." Jones makes it a habit to neither sleep in his hotel bed nor in his ranch house and it serves him well. You don't usually see this kind of out-of-the-box thinking, especially in a B-western. Like the quoted dialogue above, "The Storm Rider" contains several memorable lines. Director Bernds pays attention to small details, such as the sawdust on the floor of the saloon and the mirror missing from behind the bar. Originally, this western was released in the wide-screen process that Twentieth Century Fox used for its grade-B movies called Regalscope, so the photography looks really bad because nothing is ever framed up aesthetically. This trim 70 minute western is a delight for any hardcore western fan and said fans will spot many familiar faces among the supporting cast. Saddle up partner for hell-bent-for-leather horse opera. For the record, don't get this movie confused with the Lee Van Cleef Italian western "The Grand Duel" which some video releasing companies have retitled "Storm Rider." The Lee Van Cleef western and this Scott Brady western are two different steers.
