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Silver Lode

  • 19541954
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 21m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
Silver Lode (1954)
Western
In Silver Lode, Dan Ballard is arrested by 4 Marshals for murder and theft but he denies the charges and searches for the real culprit even as the townsfolk start abandoning him.In Silver Lode, Dan Ballard is arrested by 4 Marshals for murder and theft but he denies the charges and searches for the real culprit even as the townsfolk start abandoning him.In Silver Lode, Dan Ballard is arrested by 4 Marshals for murder and theft but he denies the charges and searches for the real culprit even as the townsfolk start abandoning him.
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Allan Dwan
  • Writer
    • Karen DeWolf(story)
  • Stars
    • John Payne
    • Lizabeth Scott
    • Dan Duryea
  • Director
    • Allan Dwan
  • Writer
    • Karen DeWolf(story)
  • Stars
    • John Payne
    • Lizabeth Scott
    • Dan Duryea
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 28User reviews
    • 26Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos33

    Dan Duryea, John Payne, and Lizabeth Scott in Silver Lode (1954)
    Silver Lode (1954)
    Silver Lode (1954)
    Silver Lode (1954)
    Silver Lode (1954)
    Silver Lode (1954)
    Silver Lode (1954)
    Silver Lode (1954)
    Silver Lode (1954)
    Alan Hale Jr., Dan Duryea, and Stuart Whitman in Silver Lode (1954)
    Silver Lode (1954)
    Silver Lode (1954)

    Top cast

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    John Payne
    John Payne
    • Dan Ballard
    Lizabeth Scott
    Lizabeth Scott
    • Rose Evans
    Dan Duryea
    Dan Duryea
    • Fred McCarty
    Dolores Moran
    Dolores Moran
    • Dolly
    Emile Meyer
    Emile Meyer
    • Sheriff Wooley
    Robert Warwick
    Robert Warwick
    • Judge Cranston
    John Hudson
    John Hudson
    • Mitch Evans
    Harry Carey Jr.
    Harry Carey Jr.
    • Johnson
    Alan Hale Jr.
    Alan Hale Jr.
    • Kirk
    Stuart Whitman
    Stuart Whitman
    • Wicker
    Frank Sully
    Frank Sully
    • Paul Herbert
    Morris Ankrum
    Morris Ankrum
    • Zachary Evans
    Hugh Sanders
    Hugh Sanders
    • Reverend Field
    Florence Auer
    Florence Auer
    • Mrs. Elmwood
    Roy Gordon
    Roy Gordon
    • Dr. Elmwood
    Walter Bacon
    • Townsman
    • (uncredited)
    Edgar Barrier
    Edgar Barrier
    • Thad Taylor
    • (uncredited)
    Marshall Bradford
    • Townsman
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Allan Dwan
    • Writer
      • Karen DeWolf(story) (screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Dolores Moran, who plays "Dolly" in the film, was married to producer Benedict Bogeaus at the time of production. It was her last film.
    • Goofs
      When Ballard hides near a haystack outside the Evans house, his shadow and the shadows of his pursuers fall on to the painted backdrop, revealing it as canvas and not a real landscape.
    • Quotes

      Dan Ballard: This man's accused me of murder.

    • Connections
      Featured in Century of Cinema: A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995)

    User reviews28

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    July 4th and the town of Silver Lode is about to be defined.
    Silver Lode is directed by Allan Dwan and written by Karen DeWolf. It stars John Payne, Lizabeth Scott, Dan Duryea, Dolores Moran and Emile Meyer. Music is by Louis Forbes and cinematography by John Alton.

    Dan Ballard (Payne) is a respected resident of the town Silver Lode, but on his wedding day Marshal Fred McCarty (Duryea) rolls into town looking to arrest him, accusing him of having murdered the Marshal's brother. The townsfolk refuse to accept the charge and stand up for Dan, and Dan loudly protests his innocence, but once suspicious mud is thrown it begins to stick and soon Dan finds himself running out of friends and is therefore forced to prove his innocence.

    Two things always pop up when the film Silver Lode is spoken about, one is the similarities to High Noon, the other is the veiled allegory of Senator McCarthy and his witch hunts. These are two things which are hard to ignore, though as a "British" lover of Westerns myself, the McCarthy politico aspect doesn't really resonate, but Silver Lode deserves to primarily be known for being the damn fine Western that it is.

    Fickle mob rule and knee jerk reactions drive Silver Lode forward, it's a thematic powder keg ignited with some skill by the prolific Dwann. Aided by the supremely talented Alton, Dwann achieves so much mood and tension from a small town set up, this is never dealing in expansive vistas, its primary goal is to suffocate Dan Ballard. Where once was freedom and love, now is a place closing in on him, with the story moving into a noir realm as Dan becomes a man whose past is proving to be inescapable. Then there is fate, another big noir ingredient, which has a big part in proceedings as events conspire to make Dan seem more of a guilty man the harder he tries to prove his innocence!

    It's a lean and mean screenplay, devoid of filler and characterisations are colourful. Payne makes for a good put upon hero, his Dan Ballard as written is stoic and tough, and resilience needs to be his middle name. Duryea does another in his great line of weasels, and here he is wonderfully cloaked in suspicion from the off. Tagging behind him are his three equally suspicious cohorts (played by Stuart Whitman, Alan Hale Junior and Harry Carey Junior), while the upstanding town elders (Sheriff, Judge, Reverend) have time to make a mark before the fragile nature of small town justice begins to take a hold - and the clock is ticking down on Dan Ballard's life.

    Most impressive is the influence on the story of the lady characters, so often a token interest in the "B" Westerns of the 50s. Deftly perched on either side of Ballard, the femmes are key characters in the piece. Rose Evans (Scott) is virtuous, brightly attired in white, she's the town sweetheart who Dan is set to marry, the question is will her loyalty to Dan remain? Dolly (Moran giving the best performance in the film and getting all the best lines) is a slinky saloon gal, in purple frills and with a tongue as sharp as a scorpion's sting, she still carries a torch for the unobtainable Dan.

    Alton's colour photography is most appealing but we don't see the best of his work until the finale inside the town church. With clever use of light, shadows and colour enhancements, Alton is able to sum up the whole tone of the story in this segment. As for if the finale is worth the wait? It is, but it's a little mischievous. Certainly it's interesting, a quirk of fate again playing a hand as two men do battle in the church bell tower. Notably there's a religious angle dropped into the narrative, but I'm at a loss as to why that would be the case? Still, it's a very small irritant, for this is a cracker of a Western, a lesson in achieving big things from such small beginnings. 8.5/10
    helpful•21
    5
    • hitchcockthelegend
    • Nov 20, 2012

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 23, 1954 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Desperate Men
    • Filming locations
      • Republic Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Benedict Bogeaus Production
      • Pinecrest Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 21 minutes

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