Westbound (1959)

So much average

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Though the story here is rather formulaic, there's some interesting stuff going on that managed to keep me involved with the picture. First off was that salted pie scenario in which the Southern sympathizing station master had to eat crow AND the pie once Captain John Hayes (Randolph Scott) got involved. That took some intestinal fortitude but I'm sure it was a lot better than getting roughed up by the hero. Chalk one up for the Captain.And say, I haven't seen this before - how good a shot would you have to be to shoot the holster off of somebody? Henchman Mace (Michael Pate) did it much to Hayes' surprise, so it at least tipped off the newly designated line boss of the Overland Stage Lines that he'd have some formidable opposition once things heated up. Running the show from his Palace Hotel, town boss Clay Putnam (Andrew Duggan) was somewhat different from your usual villain. He wanted to stop Union gold shipments from making it cross country to help fund the war effort, but he didn't want any bloodshed. Seems like a contradiction in terms, but it set up that unusual finale when he went after Mace.Ordinarily I wouldn't have picked up on this observation, but recently I've caught a fair share of horror flicks, and it seemed to me that the interior of the Putnam home could have come straight off the set of a Hammer Film production. There was all that furnished elegance and the bright red upholstery of the couch and chairs looked like they might have come off one of the Frankenstein or Dracula sets. I know, it sounds a little goofy, but that's the first thing that crossed my mind when Norma (Virginia Mayo) invited Hayes inside.Here's another thought, and I've seen this countless times in Westerns. I'm sure it's done for dramatic effect, but what would explain a horse drawn stagecoach from unhitching just as it's about to go over the side? Apart from saving wear and tear on your horses, it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't be pulled along in a stage wreck. I'm sure it has to do with the reason I mentioned, but it must have been some mess back in the day whenever it happened.Well going in the story line sounded awful familiar to me so I had to check if I'd seen it before. Turns out there's a 1940 film called "Virginia City" with the same basic idea, but in that one it's the Union Cavalry attempting to stop the Rebs from shipping gold from Virginia City, Nevada east to Richmond. The Union captain is played by Errol Flynn, and it turns out he's matching wits with a resourceful Confederate officer portrayed by... Randolph Scott. In a head to head contest, the earlier picture is the better of the two.One final thought. I never really noticed it before, but in this picture, depending on the scene, Andrew Duggan carries more than a passing resemblance to Kelsey Grammar.

Sadly, this is an ordinary western so unlike the sterling SEVEN MEN FROM NOW. So many of the stories have a familiar classic ring to them so it really comes down to how well then are preformed. This entry in the Scott-Boetticher cycle is poorly performed by the supporting cast. Unlike "SEVEN MEN" with the brilliant Lee Marvin and also the wonderful Gail Russell, this oater lets us down by the stars. Also the script doesn't have the dynamic of their other films. The love feelings or sometime love affairs of Scott with his leading ladies in these films is a key to the total enjoyment. Unfortunately, this film has little of heartfelt emotion that Russell and Scott provided in "SEVEN MEN"

This film is set during the Civil War. Randolph Scott is dispatched by the Union Army to the West in order to ensure that stagecoaches filled with gold make it unscathed--without the Confederates capturing it. Unfortunately, at one place along the route, Andrew Duggan is the town big shot and he's determined to wreck Scott's plans because Duggan is a Confederate sympathizer.Now it's pretty obvious early on that while Duggan is boss, that eventually there will be some sort of showdown between him and his foreman--the impulsive and violent Mace (Michael Pate). This was telegraphed all the way, as was the pending breakup between Duggan and his wife (Virginia Mayo). About the only surprise, and it was a very, very mild one, was how ineffective Scott was for much of the film. While he acted tough and in control, an amazing number of his people were killed before he took any serious action.The story in this Western isn't that unusual and seems very, very similar to at least a hundred other films in the genre. So, from the outset, the story is awfully derivative and keeps this film from really succeeding. However, because Budd Boetticher was the director and Randolph Scott the leading man, there was an aura of class and sophistication that made this film a bit better than just another ordinary Western. Scott, as usual, was exceptional in his low-key and realistic delivery. If only the source material had been a bit better.

In "When In Disgrace" Boetticher writes:" As far as my films with Randolph Scott are concerned, I have never included Westbound, which in my opinion could have continued right on into the Pacific Ocean. Westbound was a mission of rescue, nothing more. It wasn't until after the third picture with Randy that I was told he had one more contractual obligation at Warner Brothers, and I considered that a disaster." I consider Westbound a successful rescue mission. If Boetticher could not do much with the story, he did it with the characters. Karen Steele is the hard working woman whose husband Michael Dante comes back from the war without an arm. Randolph Scott, whose mission is to bring gold to the Union using stagecoaches, helps them make a station. Andrew Duggan is a rich man married to Virginia Mayo, who in the past had an affair with Scott. He is a man of the Confederacy, who will do anything he can against Scott's mission. All the actors, specially the two women are excellent, making a strong impression with their characters. The music is absolutely great, very catchy. Boetticher maintains his standard of creating good action scenes. Definitely much more than just another Randolph Scott western.