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

All of the following would later star or guest star in Bonanza: Karen Steele, Pernell Roberts, James Best, Lee Van Cleef, and James Coburn.

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Goofs

Brigade insists on bringing his prisoner to Santa Cruz, Arizona. The county of Santa Cruz was created in 1899. The film is set in an earlier time. For instance, the Apaches are on the warpath and the last major outbreak of the Apaches was in 1890.

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Quotes

Sam Boone: [referring to Mrs. Lane] Talk to her. Tell her we ain't here to harm her.
Ben Brigade: Why are you here, Boone? A man needs a reason to ride this country. You got a reason?

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Connections

Referenced in The Middleman: The Cursed Tuba Contingency (2008)

User Reviews

A To the Point Western

The Ranown Westerns of Boetticher and Scott are an example of efficient well acted story telling. Compared to some of the big budget westerns of the old Hollywood era and I include Cheyenne Autumn, Cimmaron, and that blasphemy Duel in the Sun as examples, story was sacrificed for spectacle and characters were types. In the Scott Westerns the story,the reality of the characters actions in that stark landscape and how they survived or didn't made for entertaining yet intelligent film watching. Ben Brigade is out for revenge and his bait is the younger brother of his enemy who out for revenge of his own,hanged Brigade's wife some time prior to the events of this drama. Unlike the villains in the Tall T and Commanche Station, Frank isn't the dark half of the hero-they would never ever share a campfire together,but they do have a since of family loyalty which would require them to risk all hazards. Another family group Boone and Whit played by a young Pernell Roberts and James Coburn enter as potential rivals for both hero and villain,they want James Bests' Billy as a ticket to amnesty and Boone's dream of owning a ranch. Then the SEX is added as Karen Steele the recently widowed wife of a stationmaster draws Apaches and increases the hormone overload of the four men,Brigades' memories of his wife and the others lust incarnate though Boone sees beyond that. somewhat. There's a clash with the Mescalero Apaches and the ultimate climax with Frank and his band of renegades who are only held together by his topdog charisma and nothing else. There is none of Ford's heavyhanded male humor,nor none of Mann's psych drama. Brigade is a self contained economic in his words,efficient in killing hero,no blustery backslapper. And Mr. Scott was secure enough in his stardom that he gave good lines and depth to the younger actors in the film. Class A Western