JohnHowardReid
Present-day fans will probably find it hard to believe that Alan Ladd was once a top Western star. In fact, a top movie star, period. In England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, he always rated well ahead of John Wayne. In fact, Ladd's name on a cinema billboard guaranteed sell-out business. The only time that Wayne ever achieved this sort of overseas popularity was when he co-starred with Maureen O'Hara in The Quiet Man (1952). Ladd's following was highest of the high in the States too. In 1953, over two million readers of Photoplay magazine voted him as the world's number one male movie star. (Marilyn Monroe was the 1953 female choice). Ladd westerns that continued to draw huge British, Irish and Oz crowds long after their original release, included: The Light of Western Stars (1940) (available on Public Domain DVDs) in which Ladd's role was small and which director Lesley Selander had him play mostly with his back to the camera - an exciting film anyway, the third version of the Zane Grey novel, produced by "Pop" Sherman on a top budget, this one also starred Victor Jory and Jo Ann Sayers;
Michael Morrison
Superb actors with an excellent script are skillfully directed by Lesley Selander and beautifully photographed by that great veteran Russell Harlan.Don't let the inventiveness and beauty of the camera work and directing distract you from the skill and beauty of, for example, actress Jo Ann Sayers, of whom I know nothing else than that she was marvelous in this role. She expresses so much with her eyes and face and doesn't need words.Victor Jory is probably better known as a villain, but in "The Light of Western Stars" he is a great hero cowboy, giving one of his best performancess of my knowledge.Noah Beery, Jr., is somewhat of a disappointment in his role as a "Mexican" sidekick: His accent is less than impressive, though as usual Mr. Beery himself is very likable and, other than the accent, his acting is more than adequate.Russell Hayden, on the other hand, gives one of his very best performances. I have had trouble before with his enunciation; he often sounded as if he had badly fitting dentures.Here, he is clear and solid, and his facial expressions and body movement are those of a real pro.There are other great old veterans giving great performances in this involved story of the not-so-old West, a clever and inventive Zane Grey story, crafted into an excellent script by Norman Houston.I highly recommend "The Light of Western Stars," which you can see at YouTube.
bkoganbing
Victor Jory who was so much better as a villain is the hero of this Paramount adaption of Zane Grey's classic western novel The Light Of Western Stars. Jory plays the hell raising foreman of a ranch who makes a bet with crooked sheriff Tom Tyler that he'll marry the next woman who arrives in town. Which happens to be Ruth Rogers brother of Russell Hayden and they're the new owners of the ranch he's foreman of. Hayden is already there learning the ranch business from J. Farrell MacDonald. Tyler provides protection for the gun running and smuggling activities of Morris Ankrum who sets up on the Hayden/Rogers spread. It all ends in a nasty shootout with Ankrum's bunch and still another showdown with Tyler.Noah Beery, Jr. plays the Mexican sidekick of Jory in a role that I can only describe as gay. He's so singularly devoted to Jory you have to believe it's beyond friendship. Alan Ladd is seen briefly as one of the ranch hands and I doubt he could have imagined within two years he'd be ruling the roost over at Paramount.Zane Grey fans should be pleased with this film. For others it's a rather routine shoot 'em up western with a rather unique angle on male bonding for a western. The most unique until Brokeback Mountain.
Tony-252
An entertaining movie just over the hump of the 30's shoot'em up westerns, taking on social values as alcoholism, race prejudice, and the basic frailties of man. Most westerns of this time were usually the White hat vs the Black hat and were rather simple. Victor Jory's character is basicly a good guy but had been a hired gun in Mexico and turned into a common drunk due to his conscience. He is saved by Jo Ann Sayers who won't give up on him and leads him on the path of righteousness. You can see from Victor Jory's performance (looks and mannerism's), although good, why he eventually took on the parts of villains. He made a better villain than a hero by just being himself, he had a natural sinister manner which projected on the screen.
AD
