Johnny Reno (1966)

Too much of everything

Simply Perfect

Sadly Over-hyped

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

This film is poor even by the standards of an AC Lyles 'old geezer' western. Audiences back when this was released must have realised that it was bottom of the barrel schlock and laughed throughout. Anachronistic songs and music, old rheumatic actors in need of doubles, pathetic choreography; anyone seeing this in 1966 must have felt that they had gone through a timewarp and re-emerged in the 1950s.The highlight has to be the saloon fight between Dana Andrews and Lyle Bettger or, rather, the fight between their stunt doubles since the faces of the stuntmen are visible throughout and Bettger's has a different hair colour. I also laughed out loud when a rubber dummy was catapaulted into the air after an explosion and when a character was all smiles about 10 seconds after being told that her father was dead.RG Springsteen was a hack but had directed a relatively competent film (Bullet for a Badman) only a little while previously so it is not clear why, other than cheap budget and rushed shooting schedule, he is so slapdash here. Note also that Andrews' ride to Jane Russell's house is conveyed by using footage recycled from earlier in the film.

Aside from a sappy intro and closing tune, this is a pretty good western, though the main theme is a bit familiar. After all, there must have been a thousand westerns that had a big, bad boss-man who basically ran a town and got his own way...only to meet up with honest man who could not be intimidated or bought. Fortunately, however, there were enough new elements to the familiar story to make it worth seeing.The film begins with Dana Andrews happening upon a couple men running from the law in a nearby town. They assume Andrews is after them and begin firing. Andrews kills one and captures the other. Oddly, they thought he was after him but he just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time. So, he takes the lone survivor to a nearby town for trial, but it soon becomes apparent that the town has no interest in a trial--they will hang the guy! Well, Andrews isn't about to let that happen and he gets the VERY reluctant Sheriff (Lon Chaney, Jr.) to help. There's way too much unsaid that he needs to investigate, but no one in the town seems to be talking--they all just want a good hanging and it's the local rich boss that seems to be behind everything.Good acting and direction along with a few decent plot twists make this one worth your time. Not a great film but a very good one. And, like a typical A.C. Lyles production of the 1960s, it employs actors whose careers had seen better days--and makes good use of them.

How ironic if Tom Drake and his brother hadn't fired on U.S. Marshal Dana Andrews one of them wouldn't have wound up dead and we would have had no film called Johnny Reno.Dana Andrews plays the title role and he's drawn into a nasty local situation when that ambush happens. He brings Drake back to town to stand trial, but finds the town in a strange mood. They literally genuflect when their Mayor Lyle Bettger gives an order. Bettger really did not want to see Drake again.Drake's accused of killing the son of a nearby Kiowa chief. That in it self is strange, why is Bettger and the town all worried about the death of an Indian which Drake protests he never did? Turns out there's a lot more going on than meets the eye.A.C. Lyles once again provides work for several players of the forties and fifties who unless they were doing television found work increasingly hard to get. Jane Russell reprises one of her tough as nails, heart of gold women she took out a patent on. Lon Chaney, Jr. plays the part of an over the hill sheriff, very similar to what he did in High Noon. He does show why Gary Cooper did not want him backing him up in that.Lyle Bettger adds another to his collection of twisted psychos he did like no one else could in the fifties. Richard Arlen and John Agar have decent size roles in this as well.Not a great western, but thank you A.C. for bringing all of this cast together.

JOHNNY RENO is just one of many second feature Westerns produced by A.C. Lyles at Paramount in the 1960's. These Westerns were of great interest to me when they were shown at our local cinema as they always had many veteran actors in supporting roles. For example take a look at the credits for "Johnny Reno" - Dana Andrews, Jane Russell, Lon Chaney Jr, John Agar, Lyle Bettger, Tom Drake, Richard Arlen, Robert Lowery, and (uncredited) DeForest Kelley. Quite an impressive cast for a second feature western!! I always used to sit up and pay attention when the words "An A.C. Lyles Production" came up on the screen as I knew this film was going to be rather special!! One of A.C.s best friends was James Cagney who only directed one film in his entire career - "Short Cut to Hell" (1957) which he did purely as a favour to A.C. to get him started as a producer. (It was a remake of the Alan Ladd film "This Gun for Hire"). Now in his 80's A.C. still has an office on the Paramount lot which he visits most days. A.C. can be seen regularly on the TV series "Biography" where he is often interviewed with his memories of the "Golden Days of Hollywood" and the many stars he knew personally from that era. Clive Roberts.