This Western is pretty plain all the way around, without much to recommend it. The story concerns a boy whose father, a rancher, died in suspicious circumstances, and the Marshal who tries to protect the boy against the bad guys. Although there are a fair number of developments, and a couple of action scenes, it never feels as if it really gets going, because the energy is just not there. The cast members don't give much life to any of the characters, and the script doesn't give them much of a chance, filled as it is with stale dialogue. You want to like it or at least to care about the characters, but it's too lifeless to arouse much interest.
3 Reviews
A prime contender for "The Worst Film Ever Made"!
JohnHowardReid27 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Yes, this film was made in 1944, but it's so incompetently produced, scripted, directed and acted that nobody wanted to release it. Finally, Astor Pictures came to the rescue on July 1, 1949. And it's now available to entertain us all on a not-so-good-quality Alpha DVD coupled with "Lightning Bill". True, the story has a bit of promise, but it's mostly there as a carrier for the musical numbers. And it's true that the songs also hold out a bit of promise, but they don't fire the heart any.
The director, Merle Connell, spent his Hollywood career 1944-60, working on the fringes as editor-director-photographer and once even as a producer. He's probably best known for his 1960 triumph, "Not Tonight, Henry", which he both photographed and directed. "Trouble at Melody Mesa", although not released until 1949, was his first film – and looks it! It's difficult to decide which are more incompetent – Connell's lethargic, Poverty Row direction (or rather lack of direction), Ned Dandy's ridiculous script, or producer Birger Williamson's two-cent production values. However, there's no problem picking the movie's worst feature – its acting. And here too, there's no problem picking out the worst of the worst, namely Lorraine Miller. I know that's not fair. If the acting is bad, we should blame the director. And if the director doesn't have time to tell his leading lady how to stand up straight and how to deliver her lines, we should blame the producer. And if the lines are so stupid, so inappropriate or just such a waste of time, we should blame the writer.
Now I know I'm forgetting somebody here, but I'm deliberately leaving him till last: Elmo Veron, the film's editor. Veron had the most amazing career. He is the Orson Welles of movie editors. Coming right out of the blue and without any experience whatever, he apparently – like Welles – started right at the top and gradually worked his way right down to the bottom. One assumes that Elmo assisted in M-G-M's editorial department at one stage, but if he did, none of this work is recorded. His first picture is "Captains Courageous" (1937) and this was followed – would you believe – by "Saratoga"! In other words, Mayer and all the M-G-M brass regarded Elmo Veron as the best film editor in the world! If there was even the slightest shadow of doubt about Veron's supreme ability, Mayer would have canvassed all the other major studios and they would have fallen all over themselves – no matter at what inconvenience – to assist Mayer in his hour of need!
So, as I said above, Veron gradually worked his way down the editorial ladder. In 1941, he edited two Andy Hardy pictures, plus "I'll Wait for You" and "Design for Scandal". In 1942, we find him with Andy Hardy and Joe Smith and Doctor Gillespie. In '43, he's with "Swing Shift Maisie". In 1944, he's no longer at M-G-M, but we find him at Paramount editing "Till We Meet Again". And then, after working on Poverty Row on "Trouble at Melody Mesa", he disappears until 1947's "The Return of Rin Tin Tin". In 1951, he pops up on a couple of TV episodes. In 1953, he edits his last movie, "Cry Vengeance", and then attacks TV in earnest. He retired in 1962 and dies in Los Angeles in 1990 at the grand old age of 87. And did anybody bother to interview him in all this time? No!
So, I ask again, what the dickens is Elmo Veron doing, vainly attempting to edit an ineptly acted, scripted and directed Poverty Row contender for one of the worst films ever made?
The director, Merle Connell, spent his Hollywood career 1944-60, working on the fringes as editor-director-photographer and once even as a producer. He's probably best known for his 1960 triumph, "Not Tonight, Henry", which he both photographed and directed. "Trouble at Melody Mesa", although not released until 1949, was his first film – and looks it! It's difficult to decide which are more incompetent – Connell's lethargic, Poverty Row direction (or rather lack of direction), Ned Dandy's ridiculous script, or producer Birger Williamson's two-cent production values. However, there's no problem picking the movie's worst feature – its acting. And here too, there's no problem picking out the worst of the worst, namely Lorraine Miller. I know that's not fair. If the acting is bad, we should blame the director. And if the director doesn't have time to tell his leading lady how to stand up straight and how to deliver her lines, we should blame the producer. And if the lines are so stupid, so inappropriate or just such a waste of time, we should blame the writer.
Now I know I'm forgetting somebody here, but I'm deliberately leaving him till last: Elmo Veron, the film's editor. Veron had the most amazing career. He is the Orson Welles of movie editors. Coming right out of the blue and without any experience whatever, he apparently – like Welles – started right at the top and gradually worked his way right down to the bottom. One assumes that Elmo assisted in M-G-M's editorial department at one stage, but if he did, none of this work is recorded. His first picture is "Captains Courageous" (1937) and this was followed – would you believe – by "Saratoga"! In other words, Mayer and all the M-G-M brass regarded Elmo Veron as the best film editor in the world! If there was even the slightest shadow of doubt about Veron's supreme ability, Mayer would have canvassed all the other major studios and they would have fallen all over themselves – no matter at what inconvenience – to assist Mayer in his hour of need!
So, as I said above, Veron gradually worked his way down the editorial ladder. In 1941, he edited two Andy Hardy pictures, plus "I'll Wait for You" and "Design for Scandal". In 1942, we find him with Andy Hardy and Joe Smith and Doctor Gillespie. In '43, he's with "Swing Shift Maisie". In 1944, he's no longer at M-G-M, but we find him at Paramount editing "Till We Meet Again". And then, after working on Poverty Row on "Trouble at Melody Mesa", he disappears until 1947's "The Return of Rin Tin Tin". In 1951, he pops up on a couple of TV episodes. In 1953, he edits his last movie, "Cry Vengeance", and then attacks TV in earnest. He retired in 1962 and dies in Los Angeles in 1990 at the grand old age of 87. And did anybody bother to interview him in all this time? No!
So, I ask again, what the dickens is Elmo Veron doing, vainly attempting to edit an ineptly acted, scripted and directed Poverty Row contender for one of the worst films ever made?
Ugh!
Spuzzlightyear2 January 2006
Almost the worst western you'll ever see, 'Trouble At Melody Mesa' features one of those "Who killed my brother?" plots so prevalent in westerns and basically slows it down to a near crawl with boring acting, an indecipherable plot and plodding action sequences. First, it's hard to tell who the real lead is, as there seems to be 2 main male protagonists here, both slow and oddly unattractive. The antagonist, who of course is the suspicious bad guy, isn't that bad, as if he knows he's got to be the one to rise above this mess. There is a love interest too. Lorraine Mickie. Now, I have no idea of who this person is, but I have to say that this is probably one of the worst performances I have EVER seen. Oh, god, she was so BAD. She gives Diane Mahree's performance in 'Manos, Hands Of Fate' some serious competition. Now, with a title like "Trouble at Melody Mesa" you'd expect some music right? Well, there IS country music performed, but it's played so lifeless and stilted. Like what was up with that? Also, if anyone can explain the ending to me, I'd be most grateful.
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