George Cukor said he'd always wanted to make a western, and this rollicking 1960 adaptation of a Louis L'Amour novel provided him with good material. It starts out tremendously, with creditors chasing Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren's ragtag theatrical troupe across state lines, and the credits, supported by Daniele Amfitheatrof's splendid scoring, promise a good time. What follows is a bit inconsistent; it's never sure if it wants to be a giddy theatrical comedy or a gritty western, and farce and violence don't mix well. Quinn seems miscast and devoid of personality, and Loren tries to overcompensate with some stilted line readings. She's gorgeous, of course, delectably costumed by Edith Head, and the rest of the troupe-Eileen Heckart, a fetchingly grown-up Margaret O'Brien, and a hammy Edmund Lowe-provide plenty of diversion. Steve Forrest ably plays a studly, surprisingly complex villain, and Ramon Novarro is an excellent villain. Few westerns carry such a beautiful color palette, and it moves swiftly and satisfyingly. Not quite the masterpiece it wants to be, but it's consistently entertaining, and great to look at.
Review of Heller in Pink Tights
