Showdown ** (1963, Audie Murphy, Kathleen Crowley, Charles Drake) – Classic Movie Review 9697

Director R G Springsteen’s dully conventional, but action-packed and busily plotted Audie Murphy 1963 Western film Showdown comes from towards the end of the war hero star’s considerable movie career.

Ric Hardman [Bronson Howitzer]’s screenplay is about a couple of hard-drinking dusty deadbeat drifters called Chris Foster and Bert Pickett (Murphy, Charles Drake) who steal security-bonds then get mixed up with the escaping outlaw Lavalle (Harold J Stone) and a gang of bad guys.

Murphy’s ex-flame, hostess Estelle (Kathleen Crowley), holds the key to the plot… and to the future of the both Murphy and the bonds.

Everybody seems a little bit past their prime here, but Showdown is no worse than many Murphy movies, and its convoluted yarn and ambiguous morals are quite attractive.

Also in the cast are Skip Homeier, L Q Jones, Strother Martin, Charles Horvath, Nacho Galindo, John McKee, Henry Wills, Joe Haworth, Kevin Brodie, and Dabbs Greer.

Showdown is directed by R G Springsteen, runs 79 minutes, is made and released by Universal, is written by Ric Hardman [Bronson Howitzer], is shot in black and white by Ellis W Carter, is produced by Gordon Kay and is scored by Hans J Salter.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9697

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