Albuquerque ** (1948, Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes, Lon Chaney Jr) – Classic Movie Review 9210

Director Ray Enright’s 1947 Albuquerque [Silver City] is only a routine Western but Randolph Scott is secure in the saddle, there is a fine roster of support actors, and the action is well taken care of in a yarn about a cowboy drifter, Cole Armin (Scott), protecting a wagon-train service from his freight-line owner uncle John (George Cleveland), the town bad guy.

Uncle John has recruited Cole to work for and eventually inherit his freight-hauling empire in the American Southwest. But, after he arrives in Albuquerque, Cole sees the error of his ways and switches sides to the uncle’s good guy business rival, Ted Wallace (Russell Hayden). Cole then uses Letty Tyler (Barbara Britton) to spy on his adversaries.

The movie starts with a stagecoach holdup, in which Ted’s sister Celia Wallace (Catherine Craig) is robbed of $10,000 but fellow passenger Cole saves little Myrtle Walton (Karolyn Grimes) from the runaway horses.

Scott’s fans will be happy enough as the star is in fine form, but the direction is aimless and haphazard, and Gene Lewis and Clarence Upson Young’s screenplay (based on the 1941 novel Dead Freight for Piute by Luke Short) hasn’t much that is especially new or entertaining to offer. The Cinecolor photography by Fred Jackman is very welcome, though.

In Britain it was called Silver City because it was thought that the Brits didn’t know where Albuquerque was.

Also in the cast are Barbara Britton, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes, George Cleveland, Lon Chaney Jr, Russell Hayden, Catherine Craig, Russell Simpson, Irving Bacon, Bernard J Nedell, Karolyn Grimes, Jody Gilbert, Dan White, Walter Baldwin and Jack Halloran.

Albuquerque [Silver City] is directed by Ray Enright, runs 90 minutes, is made by Pine-Thomas Productions, is released by Paramount Pictures (1948) (US), is written by Gene Lewis and Clarence Upson Young, based on the novel Dead Freight for Piute by Luke Short, is shot by Fred Jackman Jr, is produced by William H Pine and William C Thomas, is scored by Darrell Calker, and is designed by Frank Paul Sylos.

Pine-Thomas Productions previously specialised in low budget films, but in December 1946 they formed a separate company, Clarion Productions, to make one prestige film a year and Albuquerque was to be its first.

It was shot between January and March 1947 on location at the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California, and in Sedona, Arizona, and in the studio at Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood.

Scott was popular and the film was a hit, earning almost $1.7 million (US rentals) on a budget of $728,000.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9210

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