Stranger on Horseback *** (1955, Joel McCrea, Miroslava, Kevin McCarthy, John McIntire, John Carradine) – Classic Movie Review 10,616

Director Jacques Tourneur’s very fine 1955 American Anscocolor Western film Stranger on Horseback stars Joel McCrea, Miroslava, Kevin McCarthy, John McIntire and John Carradine. The well-honed screenplay by Herb Meadow and Don Martin is based on a story by Louis L’Amour, with a bunch of interesting characters and an archetypal plot.

Joel McCrea stars as circuit Judge Richard ‘Rick’ Thorne, who rides into the Western town of Bannerman to establish the rule of law and finds the town is controlled by rich cattle rancher Josiah Bannerman (John McIntire) and his family.

It also stars Miroslava as Josiah’s beautiful niece Amy Lee Bannerman, Kevin McCarthy as Tom Bannerman, who has killed a man but claims that it was self defence, and John Carradine as Colonel Buck Streeter, who offers Rick his help. Rick tries to bring killer Tom to justice and falls foul of his father Josiah, and falls for Amy.

The other cast members are Nancy Gates as Caroline Webb, Emile Meyer as Sheriff Nat Bell, Robert Cornthwaite as Arnold Hammer, Jaclynne Greene as Paula Morrison, Walter Baldwin as Vince Webb, Emmett Lynn as Barfly, Roy Roberts as Sam Kettering, George Keymas as Bannerman’s Henchman, Lane Bradford as Kettering Henchman, Dabbs Greer as Hotel Clerk, and Frank Hagney as Bartender.

Tourneur and McCrea did three Westerns together, also including Stars in My Crown (1950) and Wichita (1955). Tourneur also directed the Western Great Day in the Morning in the 1950s.

Stranger on Horseback is shot by Ray Rennahan in Anscocolor and runs a very brief 66 minutes. It is made by Leonard Goldstein Productions and Robert Goldstein Productions, is released by United Artists (1955), is scored by Paul Dunlap and is designed by Albert Hogsett.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,616

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