I love Randolph Scott westerns. In this genre, his films usually stand out from the rest because of his laid back but likable characters as well as the usually better than average scripts. His films he made with Bud Boetticher and Sam Peckinpah are true classics. However, it was inevitable that he also made quite a few very ordinary films and THE NEVADAN is about as ordinary as you can get. Now I am NOT saying it's a bad film--it's just that there are way too many familiar plot points--to the point where they seem more like clichés than anything else.
The film begins with prisoner Forrest Tucker escaping while on his way to another prison. When he met up with "ordinary guy" Scott, I knew that it would turn out in the end that Scott was a lawman--rarely did Scott ever play the villain and there have been quite a few other films where a lawman makes friends with a robber to find out where he stashed the missing loot. And, surprise, surprise, that's exactly where the film ended up by the end. In addition, there must be a clichéd "big bad boss" (George Macready) who also wants to get the gold and, as usual, he'll stop at nothing to get it.
I can't tell you how many other films reminded me of THE NEVADAN, but because it had all been seen before, there were absolutely no surprises. However, given Scott's likable persona, at least the journey to the all-too-predictable finale was pleasant.
Oh, and did I mention...there also was a love interest for Scott--and it was Macready's daughter! Again, been there, done that--though often it's a wife, not a daughter.
The film begins with prisoner Forrest Tucker escaping while on his way to another prison. When he met up with "ordinary guy" Scott, I knew that it would turn out in the end that Scott was a lawman--rarely did Scott ever play the villain and there have been quite a few other films where a lawman makes friends with a robber to find out where he stashed the missing loot. And, surprise, surprise, that's exactly where the film ended up by the end. In addition, there must be a clichéd "big bad boss" (George Macready) who also wants to get the gold and, as usual, he'll stop at nothing to get it.
I can't tell you how many other films reminded me of THE NEVADAN, but because it had all been seen before, there were absolutely no surprises. However, given Scott's likable persona, at least the journey to the all-too-predictable finale was pleasant.
Oh, and did I mention...there also was a love interest for Scott--and it was Macready's daughter! Again, been there, done that--though often it's a wife, not a daughter.