Ride the Man Down *** (1952, Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Rod Cameron, Forrest Tucker, Barbara Britton, James Bell, Chill Wills, J Carrol Naish and Jim Davis) – Classic Movie Review 13,723

The dispute over a dead man’s property escalates into a bloody range war in the 1952 American Western film Ride the Man Down starring Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Rod Cameron, and Forrest Tucker.

‘Luke Short’s Saturday Evening Post Fighting Story!’,

Director Joseph Kane’s 1952 American Western film Ride the Man Down is written by Mary C McCall Jr, based on the novel by Luke Short, and stars Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Rod Cameron, Forrest Tucker, Barbara Britton, James Bell, Chill Wills, J Carrol Naish and Jim Davis.

A valuable ranch changes hands after the death of its owner, when Celia Evarts (Ella Raines) and her uncle John Evarts (James Bell), inherit the Hatchet Ranch after Celia’s father dies, but locals try to rustle the land away from the new owner, Celia.

Celia’s ranch foreman Will Ballard (Rod Cameron) and Sheriff Joe Kneen (J Carrol Naish) help her, but her fiance Sam Danfelser (Forrest Tucker) betrays her and sides with greedy neighbouring rancher Bide Marriner (Brian Donlevy).

A very solid all-round cast helps to save this minor action-adventure Western from falling into the rut of run-of-the-mill low-budget Westerns.

Ride the Man Down is an undemanding and perhaps rather obvious Western drama, but it is done with great professional vigour, especially Joseph Kane’s direction, Mary C McCall Jr’s screenplay and Jack A Marta’s Trucolor location shooting cinematography.

The film was released on November 25, 1952, by Republic Pictures.

Running time: 90 minutes.

It is partly shot in Kanab Canyon, Johnson Canyon (Juab County, Utah), and Cave Lakes in Utah.

Also in the cast are Taylor Holmes, Paul Fix, Roy Barcroft, Douglas Kennedy, Chris-Pin Martin, Jack LaRue, Al Caudebec, Roydon Clark, and Claire Carleton.

Mary C McCall Jr (April 4, 1904 – April 3, 1986) was a charter member and the first woman president of the Writers Guild of America (then the Screen Writers Guild).

McCall recalled: From the outset this was as happy a spell of work as occurs but rarely in a screenwriter’s life. I loved the novel. In transferring the story to the visual medium we didn’t have any problems.’

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,723

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