Utah Blaine (1957)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Fred F. Sears

Writers:

Louis L'Amour (novel)
Robert E. Kent (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 February 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

When Utah Blaine rescues Joe Neal from being lynched by a pack of land-grabbing vigilantes, Joe hires Utah has his ranch foreman...

Plot Keywords:

Rescue | Murder | Funeral | Land Grab | Hidden Room

Cast

Rory Calhoun	...	Utah Blaine
Susan Cummings	...	Angie Kinyon
Angela Stevens	...	Mary Blake
Max Baer	...	Gus Ortmann
Paul Langton	...	Rip Coker
George Keymas	...	Rink Witter
Ray Teal	...	Russ Nevers
Gene Roth	...	Tom Cory, Blacksmith
Dean Fredericks	...	Jug Davis (as Norman Frederic)
Ken Christy	...	Joe Neal

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Company:

Clover Productions

Quotes:

[first lines]
[a lynching party prepares to hang Joe Neal]
Lud Fuller: This is far enough. Easy now. If it falls off, it'll be all over. A broken neck ain't gonna get you out of this fast, Neal. Hurry it up, Bud. It'll be light soon. It's a long way back.
Joe Neal: You'll get yours, Lud. You'll get what's comin' to ya!
Lud Fuller: Ain't nothin' comin' to me, Joe, except a large hunk of the 46-Connected. Have a nice trip, Joe.

Wow, Nice Wardrobe Miss Cummings

Since the Westerns Channel continues to screen this Louis L'Amour based "B" western, there is actually a chance that people will be able to see it. The title character, "Utah Blaine", is played by Rory Calhoun in his prime. Calhoun certainly looks like a real western hero. It also features one of the last appearances by Max Baer Sr., former heavyweight boxing champion and Jethro's father.

"Utah Blaine" turns the conventions of the western genre around to suit the conservative agenda of the mid-1950's. Instead of the standard "BIG ranchers trying to drive the little guys out of business and get their land", here the egalitarian little people (led by Ray Teal-"Bonanza's" Roy Coffee) are trying to break up the big ranches and distribute the wealth. Progress is defined as establishing a better method to protect the property of the rich.

The best part is actress Susan Cummings (who played Marie in Roger Corman's "Swamp Women"). Cummings is Blaine's love interest and you can understand his attraction when you see her walk around in extraordinarily tight leather pants (and this was made in 1957). Not until "Coyote Ugly" would a film again put pants to such good use. It doesn't do much for the film's realism but you won't find me complaining.

As someone has already mentioned, the film relies on a lot of unlikely coincidences and unexplained developments to advance the plot. This actually gives it a beginning-to-end unity, as even the final shootout is wildly improbable. As the townspeople do battle with the gang of bad gunmen on Main Street, Rink (the worst of the lot) attempts to get out of town. He has Blaine pinned down behind a hay wagon on another street but instead of leaving he stays and tries to burn Blaine out of his hiding place. It's like the screenwriters forgot which one was trying to get away. And Rink is literally a two-gun cowboy, not only does he wear a pair of six shooters, he goes down shooting with a blazing pistol in each hand. What a guy! There is a lot of action and if you just laugh at the convenient coincidences the film can be quite entertaining.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.