Ride Lonesome (1959)

A bounty hunter escorts a killer to be tried for murder, but allows the man's outlaw brother to catch up with them to have a showdown over a previous shocking 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:

arizona territory | new mexico territory | new mexico desert | arizona desert | bisbee arizona | 

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Taglines:

Terror-cold tension... Hate-hot revenge!

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

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, Ranown Pictures Corp.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (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: [after meeting with the Mescalero chief] He's got a horse. Wants to make a trade.
Mrs. Carrie Lane: For what?
Ben Brigade: You. He said they'd been seeing you here. He wants to take you for his squaw.
Sam Boone: So what do we do now?
Ben Brigade: Play along with him.
Mrs. Carrie Lane: Play along with him?
Ben Brigade: If we don't, we're apt to stir up every buck in the country. Come on. Just do like I tell you.
Sam Boone: Brigade, can't abide to see a woman's hair hangin' from a Mescalero war lance. I sure hope you know what you're doing.

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Connections

Referenced in Budd Boetticher: Hollywood Stories (2016)

User Reviews

A smooth ride along bumpy trails.

This the sixth of seven westerns director Budd Boeticher made with producer/star Randolph Scott and while it follows the same basic formula of the others its not a bad thing since most on their own are well paced, action packed, suspenseful and ably lensed by Charles Lambert who has wonderful eye for the west and this is no exception.

In this one Scott plays bounty hunter Ben Brigade. He's taking murderer Billy John back to Sant Cruz for a reward and this gets the attention of two tired desperadoes since it includes amnesty for anyone who brings him back. With Indians on the warpath he forms an uneasy alliance with the two as well as take Mrs. Carrie Lane who runs the stage stop along with her. In addition to this quartet of issues Brigade is also being pursued by Billy's brother.

If they were car makers John Ford and Anthony Mann would make Cadillacs while Budd Boeticher would manufacture Volkswagons. While he does not have the star power or budget of those western masters he nevertheless produces the same quality product with impressive wide open space compositions effectively punctuated with symbols and clues. He may only make compact westerns but they almost always offer a good clean economical ride.

Scott's nearest threat in Ride Lonesome are not like previous cold blooded villains. Instead they are more Lenny and George from Of Mice and Men than James brothers but once they find out what the word amnesty means they are prepared to kill to get it.

Scott as usual is the same tough, humorless, stoic he plays in the other westerns while Barbera Steele is more dance hall girl than pioneer woman. What differentiates Ride Lonesome from the other Boeticher westerns is the characters of Sam Boone and Whit. They may be surly and have some rattle snake in them but they are loyal to each other and the interplay between Pernel Roberts and especially James Coburn make them interestingly sympathetic.