Ride Lonesome (1959)

A bounty hunter escorts a killer to town to be hanged, but is allowing the man's outlaw brother to catch up with him, for a showdown over a shocking previous murder.

Director:

Budd Boetticher

Writer:

Burt Kennedy

Stars:

Randolph Scott, Karen Steele, Pernell Roberts

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Randolph Scott	...	Ben Brigade
Karen Steele	...	Mrs. Carrie Lane
Pernell Roberts	...	Sam Boone
James Best	...	Billy John
Lee Van Cleef	...	Frank
James Coburn	...	Whit

Storyline

A wanted murderer, Billy John, is captured by Ben Brigade, a bounty hunter, who intends to take him to Santa Cruz to be hanged. Brigade stops at a staging post, where he saves the manager's wife from an Indian attack, and enlists the help of two outlaws to continue his journey more safely. However, the Indian attacks persist, the outlaws plan to take Billy for themselves, tempted by the offer of amnesty for his captor, and Billy's brother Frank is in hot pursuit to rescue him. But Brigade has plans of his own ...

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Plot Keywords:

outlaw | bounty | indian attack | brother | bounty hunter | 

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Taglines:

Scorching lead-hot action all the way!

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 February 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Auf eigene Faust

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Ranown Pictures Corp.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (as Eastman Color)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of James Coburn.

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Goofs

Bra straps are seen through Mrs Lane's shirt when Brigade tries to negotiate with the Indian, and in a later scene at the abandoned corrals.

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Quotes

Ben Brigade: [going to meet the Mescalero chief] He'll offer his trade. I'll turn him down.
Mrs. Carrie Lane: Then?
Ben Brigade: With any luck, they'll ride off. Stay out in the hills, try to figure some how else to get you away from us.
Mrs. Carrie Lane: I see.
Ben Brigade: No matter what happens, don't break down in front of 'em. If you do, they'll take it wrong. Shame 'em.
Mrs. Carrie Lane: I don't scare easy, Mr. Brigade.
Ben Brigade: I hope not.

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Connections

Referenced in Budd Boetticher: An American Original (2005)

User Reviews

Watch it with black coffee and beef jerky

Contemporary reviewers described the Ranown films as B+ Westerns. High quality scripts and execution on efficient budgets. Note that the hanging tree used at the climax of "Ride Lonesome" is surrounded by water in "Comanche Station". Unfortunately, in my opinion, some of the dialogue is recycled by Mr. Kennedy between the two films as the respective duos/allies (Best/Coburn - Akins/Homier) contemplate offing Scott and the younger says you they have to get him between them, you can't go at a man like Brigade/Cody straight on. However, its reasonable that desperados in a writer's milieu would use the same phrasing.

The action scenes in Ride Lonesome are excellent and it is impressive to see Scott's riding skills at his age, such as in the scene where they notice the warriors on the ridge and he accelerates his horse in order to get Karen Steele to safety.

The action is complemented by the night scenes where the elliptical dialogue between the characters provides intellectual comic relief.

Other items I liked are Lee Van Cleef's turn when he realizes why Brigade is being so obvious about their path. When I first saw the film I was impressed by James Best's performance but didn't notice the feather in his hat. Seeing it in a retrospective with a friend, he noticed the feather. My first reaction was that the character was part Indian, he thought it was meant to show the character as "chicken", ie punkish.