Town Tamer *** (1965, Dana Andrews, Terry Moore, Pat O’Brien, Lon Chaney Jr, Bruce Cabot, Lyle Bettger, Richard Arlen) – Classic Movie Review 14,014

‘A TIME OF VIOLENCE! A TOWN OF SHAME! A MAN OF DESTINY!’ Dana Andrews, Terry Moore, Pat O’Brien, Lon Chaney Jr, Bruce Cabot, Lyle Bettger and Richard Arlen star in producer A C Lyles’s 1965 American Western film Town Tamer.

‘TRIGGERS ALL THE EXCITEMENT OF THE VIOLENT WEST!’

Director Lesley Selander’s 1965 American Technicolor and Techniscope Western double feature film Town Tamer is written by Frank Gruber, based on his 1957 novel Town Tamer, and stars Dana Andrews, Terry Moore, Pat O’Brien, Lon Chaney Jr, Bruce Cabot, Lyle Bettger and Richard Arlen.

Town Tamer is the fourth of the 13 A C Lyles Westerns that he produced for Paramount Pictures. It also stars Barton MacLane, Richard Jaeckel, Philip Carey, Sonny Tufts, Coleen Gray, DeForest Kelley, Jeanne Cagney, Don ‘Red’ Barry’, James Brown and Richard Webb.

Dana Andrews stars as aged gunman-for-hire Tom Rosser, who sets out to kill saloon owner Riley Condor (Bruce Cabot), who hired Lee Ring (Lyle Bettger) to kill him but shot dead his wife.

Frank Gruber’s expert screenplay is a big asset here, but then so are the venerable aged cast and A C Lyles’s production, as well as W Wallace Kelley’s Technicolor and Techniscope cinematography.

It was shot at Paramount Studios, Hollywood, in December 1964.

It was released by Paramount Pictures on July 7, 1965.

Runtime: 89 minutes.

DeForest Kelley is doubled in a fight by Michael Landon in his only feature film stunt double appearance .

Lon Chaney Jr starred in eight of the A C Lyles Westerns.

Andrew Craddock Lyles (17 May 1918 – 27 September 2013) was an American film producer for Paramount Pictures, who approached him to produce a Western when they realised they had none on their schedule. Law of the Lawless (1964) did well at the box office, so Paramount gave him the go ahead to produce more, filling his casts with many older actors who were his friends.

It turned out to be a run of 13 films, produced between 1964 and 1968: Law of the Lawless, Stage to Thunder Rock, Young Fury, Black Spurs, Town Tamer, Apache Uprising, Johnny Reno, Waco, Red Tomahawk, Hostile Guns, Fort Utah, Arizona Bushwhackers, and Buckskin.

Terry Moore (born Helen Luella Koford; January 7, 1929) is an American actress whose career has spanned more than eight decades. 

Frank Gruber (born February 2, 1904, died December 9, 1969).

The cast are Dana Andrews as Tom Rosser, Terry Moore as Susan Tavenner, Pat O’Brien as Judge Murcott, Lon Chaney Jr. as Mayor Charlie Leach, Bruce Cabot as Riley Condor, Lyle Bettger as Lee Ring / Marshal Les Parker, Richard Arlen as Doctor Kent, Barton MacLane as James Fenimore Fell, Richard Jaeckel as Deputy Johnny Honsinger, Philip Carey as Jim Akins, Sonny Tufts as Carmichael, Coleen Gray as Carol Rosser, DeForest Kelley as Guy Tavenner, Jeanne Cagney as Mary Donley, Don ‘Red’ Barry as ‘Tex’, James Brown as Davis, Richard Webb as Kevin, Roger Torrey as Mike Flon, Robert Ivers as Cowboy, Bob Steele as Ken, Dale Van Sickel as Bartender, Dinny Powell as Cook, Frank Gruber as Hotel Clerk.

It is followed by Apache Uprising.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 14,014

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