Johnny Concho *** (1956, Frank Sinatra, Keenan Wynn, William Conrad, Phyllis Kirk, Wallace Ford, John Qualen, Jean Byron, Claude Akins, Dorothy Adams) – Classic Movie Review 11,445

Johnny Concho (1956) is Frank Sinatra’s first Western, playing against type as the villainous anti-hero.

Director Don McGuire’s pseudo-psychological 1956 black and white Western film Johnny Concho stars Frank Sinatra as the mean and boastful but cowardly gunfighter Johnny Concho, who has to prove himself man enough to take on the villain Tallman (William Conrad) who killed his notorious gunfighter brother. Phyllis Kirk plays Mary Dark, the daughter of the Arizona town of Cripple Creek’s general store owner, who of course is in love with Johnny.

This smoothly crafted, reasonably pacy and intelligent middle-range Western ends up being no more than a B-movie, with few surprises or imaginative touches. But it is lifted with surprisingly agreeable performances, even if Sinatra is not seen at his best in Westerns. William C Mellor’s black and white cinematography and Nelson Riddle’s score are assets.

It stars Frank Sinatra, Keenan Wynn, William Conrad, Phyllis Kirk, Wallace Ford, John Qualen, Jean Byron, Claude Akins, and Dorothy Adams.

Frank Sinatra also produced. It is the first film produced by Sinatra. It is directed and co-written by former actor Don McGuire, who started screenwriting at the persuasion of his friend Jerry Lewis.

This is Sinatra’s first Western, playing against type as the villainous anti-hero. The film took $1.9 million at the box office but it was viewed as a failure, though also in 1956 Sinatra had a hit with High Society.

Johnny Concho is directed by Don McGuire, runs 85 minutes, is made by Kent Productions, is released by United Artists, is written by David P Harmon and Don McGuire, based on the story The Man Who Owned the Town by David P Harmon, is shot in black and white by William C Mellor, is produced by Frank Sinatra, and is scored by Nelson Riddle.

The main cast are Frank Sinatra as Johnny Concho / Johnny Collins, Keenan Wynn as Barney Clark, William Conrad as Tallman, Phyllis Kirk as Mary Dark, Wallace Ford as Albert Dark, Dorothy Adams as Sarah Dark, Christopher Dark as Walker, Howard Petrie as blacksmith Joe Helguson, Harry Bartell as Sam Green, Dan Riss as Judge Earl Tyler, Willis Bouchey as Sheriff Henderson, Robert Osterloh as Duke Lang, Jean Byron as Pearl Lang, Leo Gordon as Mason, Claude Akins as Lem, John Qualen as Jake, Budd Knapp (as Wilfred Knapp) as Pearson, Ben Wright as Benson, Joe Bassett as bartender Harry, and Strother Martin as townsman.

It was released in July 1956 in the United States.

Phyllis Kirk replaced Gloria Vanderbilt as Mary Dark.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,445

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