Oslo Jargo (Bartok Kinski) Red Sundown is a 1950's Western directed by Jack Arnold, who grownup kids will know from some of his 1950's films: Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), It Came from Outer Space (1953), and The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957).I love the song at the end and start, "Red Sundown", it's one of those catchy Western title songs or ballads popular in 1950's Westerns, it also reminded me of the song in "5 Card Stud" (1968) sung by and staring Dean Martin.I liked the old color in this film. Rory Calhoun (who did all sorts of stuff including film noir and Westerns) is the main guy here, he's a bit weak as an actor, playing a gunfighter and the main protagonist. Some fight gets started in a bar over a table and then the guys hunt him and his friend. They find them at some shack, whereby his friend saves him by burying him in an absurd scene. The shack gets burnt but he survives. He goes to a small town, where he gets hired by the local sheriff as his deputy. The sheriff Jade Murphy is played by Dean Jagger who was a familiar face in 1950's films. The fight between squatters and some cattle baron ensues with the sheriff and his deputy trying to sort it all out. Throw in some young lady, who is the sheriff's daughter.I did notice Lee Van Cleef in a flashback, which was uncredited. Director Jack Arnold may have used stock footage of his many films. Also, look for a young, unrecognizable Grant Williams from the fun "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (1957).I think there's too much dialogue in this one, yet the film is a bit above average, just barely. That's because it has decent direction, good production values, and capable acting. It isn't great, but still something to watch for Western film lovers.

Spikeopath Red Sundown is directed by Jack Arnold and written by Martin Berkeley. It stars Rory Calhoun, Martha Hyer, Dean Jagger, Robert Middleton, James Millican, Lita Baron and Grant Williams. Music is by Hans J. Salter and cinematography by William Snyder. Gunslinger Alec Longmire (Calhoun) decides to honour a promise and change his ways. Arriving in Durango he quickly gets the opportunity to put his skills to good use when he becomes deputy to Sheriff Jade Murphy (Jagger), the latter of which is struggling to control the despotic behaviour of cattle baron Rufus Henshaw (Middleton). A promise made. A new life… From the higher end of 1950s Western programmers, Red Sundown couples the action and character staples with smart writing. From the off the pic signals its intentions by pushing some machismo front and centre, only to then add some sombre tones and rueful dialogue smarts. The whole story has something worthwhile to say, some keen observations. Not all gunslingers are the same, some enjoy the killing, some do it by necessity, but the message is clear, don't tar all with the same brush. Another thread deals with impressionable youngsters, where again some smart dialogue is afforded the principal player. There's a code issue that I hadn't heard of before as regards the weapon of choice in a stand-off, and there's some nasty bite that comes by way of how Henshaw treats his mistress, Maria (Baron). If a man wants to get away from guns then he should get away from them. As the shoot-outs and stand-offs come and go, as Martha Hyer arrives in a bullet brassiere, story settles into the common good versus bad theme, with a little romance on the side. It's despot and his hired thug, Chet Swann (Williams), against the honest sheriff and his reformed deputy. Arnold keeps things fizzing along nicely and he's well served by his lead cast members, with Calhoun, Middleton and Jagger particularly impressing. Hyer does well with what is a thankless female role, while Williams, who would become The Incredible Shrinking Man a year later, is only just on the right side of lunatic caricature. Bonus here, though with much sadness, is Millican, who puts in a heart aching performance as a gunman whose time is ebbing away. Millican was dying of cancer at the time and wouldn't see the film released. Poignancy added to what is a film; that while it's far from flawless, earns the right to be better known. 7.5/10

dougdoepke In the 1950's, Universal was cranking out these Audie Murphy and Rory Calhoun Technicolor oaters at a furious pace. Calhoun gets his turn here. He may not manage Murphy's hard-eyed stare, but he does well enough in the grim determination department. Then too, this feature was fortunate to get Jack Arnold away from mutant creatures long enough to lend the proceedings his cut-above-average direction.So, can ex-gunslinger Calhoun stay away from guns long enough to keep his promise to dying buddy Millican. Notably, this was the latter's final film, and movie veteran Millican departs on a particularly poignant note, rare for any Western, A or B. Anyway, Calhoun has good intentions, but there're always the baddies who've got other ideas. Here, the pudgy but agile Westerfield naturally wants all the land, not just some, and Sheriff Jagger is not quite up to handling his gun-toting crew. So guess who he hires as deputy. Plus the sheriff's comely blonde daughter (Hyer) helps Calhoun make up his mind, despite his earlier promise.Now Calhoun can handle heavyweight Westerfield as their surprisingly acrobatic barroom brawl shows. But can he handle professional gunslinger Williams (Swann), who appears to have been born with a perpetual sneer. This is Calhoun's real test, after which maybe he can at last keep his promise. But then Swann is one sly gunman. Here Williams goes against type since he usually plays a good guy. But the sneer is a good touch and speaks volumes.All in all, it's a good little Western even if it never leaves greater LA (Thousand Oaks). Thanks to Arnold, however, the pace never drags, plus there's Millican's truly moving performance, worthy I think of at least a sagebrush Oscar.

zardoz-13 Rory Calhoun struggles to turn over a new leaf in Jack Arnold's sure-fire but formulaic western "Red Sundown," co-starring Martha Hyer, Robert Middleton, Dean Jagger, and Grant Williams. Hollywood westerns entered the post-war years and purveyed messages about the evils of gun-play, especially the influence of a six-gun over an individual's destiny. Earlier, the iconic Gregory Peck oater "The Gunfighter" (1951) depicted the disadvantages of toting a pistol. Similarly, "Red Sundown" deplores the way of the gun and lays it's ideology on with a trowel. For example, two hero-worshipping youngsters are obvious message bearers. Gunfighters are their role models. Our stalwart hero is a swift-shooting gunslinger himself who wants to hang up his hardware. For the record, Rory sports two six-guns; one worn on his right hip while another jockeys his left hip with the handle of the revolver facing forward. The casting in this horse opera is splendid, with Rory Calhoun living up to his usual standards. Grant Williams is particularly slimy as a paid pistolero with a leer. He has three effective scenes where he threatens a rancher and his wife, another where he turns tail and flees in the face of the protagonist's shotgun, and a scene in the hero's room. Hyer is cold, cruel ice; she doesn't believe that Ale Longmire has ridden a different trail. This is one of those lean, mean, low-budget westerns that Universal Pictures turned out like hot cakes during the 1950s. Arnold helms the action with an accomplished assurance. He never lets a scene wear out its welcome, and the production values look sturdy. The fistfight between Calhoun and Middleton is a brief but brutal knockdown drag-out affair. Middleton makes a thorough-going villain. Of course, Leo V. Gordon is the ultimate ruffian. Later, Williams starred in Arnold's iconic "The Incredible Shrinking Man."