The Lone Hand *** (1953, Joel McCrea, Barbara Hale, Alex Nicol, Charles Drake, Jimmy Hunt, James Arness, Tommy Rettig) – Classic Movie Review 11,746

Joel McCrea and Gloria Talbott in The Oklahoman.

The 1953 Western film The Lone Hand stars Joel McCrea as a peaceful cowboy called Zachary Hallock, who won’t join local vigilantes out to round up Jonah Varden (Alex Nicol)’s outlaw band, but joins up with the outlaws as an undercover agent

Director George Sherman’s 1953 Universal Pictures Western film The Lone Hand stars Joel McCrea as a peaceful but poor farmer-cum-cowboy called Zachary Hallock, who won’t join local vigilantes out to round up and put out of business outlaw Jonah Varden (Alex Nicol)’s band of villains – and instead joins up with the outlaws as an undercover agent.

The Lone Hand is a modestly engaging, if familiar and cosy Technicolor Western, very decently handled and performed, as well as nicely shot by cinematographer Maury Gertsman. McCrea and the screenplay by Joseph Hoffman (based on a story by Irving Ravetch) are both quietly impressive.

McCrea plays a widower with a son, who is conflicted about his father.

Barbara Hale and Jimmy Hunt are stalwart in unrewarding cliché roles as McCrea’s new bride Sarah Jane Skaggs and his son Joshua. Jimmy Hunt is also the film’s Narrator.

Also in the cast are Charles Drake, James Arness, Tommy Rettig, Roy Roberts, Frank Ferguson, and Wesley Morgan.

It runs 80 minutes.

It was released by Universal Pictures on 26 June 1953.

The US box office was $1,150,000, which seems modest, but probably enough to take it into profit worldwide. McCrea’s Westerns were popular.

The cast are Joel McCrea as Zachary Hallock [Zack Hallock], Barbara Hale as Sarah Jane Skaggs, Alex Nicol as Jonah Varden, James Arness [Jim Arness] as Gus Varden, Charles Drake as George Hadley, Jimmy Hunt as Joshua Hallock / Narrator, Roy Roberts as Mr. Skaggs, Frank Ferguson as Mr. Dunn the Banker, Wesley Morgan as Daniel Skaggs, Denver Pyle as Regulator.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,746

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