THE ROAD TO DENVER

US, 1955, 90 minutes, Colour.
John Payne, Mona Freeman, Lee J. Cobb, Skip Homeier.
Directed by Joe Kane.

The Road to Denver is almost the archetype of the conventional western. Two feuding brothers have to escape from Texas to Colorado. The kindly ranch-owner takes on the good brother, who clashes then with the bad brother. The daughter of the kind landowner falls in love with - possibly - each of them. The bad brother goes to work for the owner of the saloon who wants to take over the potential stagecoach. There is horse-rustling, shoot-outs - all in the tradition of the west.

1. Traditional western? Popular ingredients? Predictability?

2. The Utah settings and the atmosphere of the west? Landscapes, towns? Musical score?

3. Bill and Tom and their relationship, Bill bringing up Tom, Tom as a spoilt brat? The rodeo and his losing his bet, fighting, Bill breaking him out of jail? Going to Colorado? Changing their names? Bill getting the job, Tom picking the fight with the landowner because of the Civil War? The parting of the ways?

4. Bill as the solid upright citizen? Paying for his meal by washing up, Sutton seeing him, offering the job, Elizabeth, her cooking, at home? Working hard, getting the horses, getting them back from Donovan's men? The stagecoach, taking the gold, going along with Donovan's plan, giving him the box of rocks? The confrontation with Tom, Tom's inability to kill his brother? The happy ending?

5. Tom, the spoilt brat, the rodeo, picking fights, parting of the ways with Bill, the gambling with the cards in the saloon, meeting Donovan, working for him, shooting the horse-owner, going to jail, the plan for the gold, the confrontation with Bill, unable to shoot him? His attraction towards Elizabeth?

6. Sutton, benign, helping Bill, wary of Tom, the horses, the gold? His love for Elizabeth? Elizabeth, caring for her father, the cooking, the dance, Bill and Tom at the dance? Going to see Tom in the prison? The happy ending?

7. Donovan, typical saloon owner, the gambling, his men? Wanting to make money, going to the dance, rustling the horses, planning for the gold, the shoot-out?

8. The conventional characters at rodeos, ranchers, saloons, gamblers, the town dance, the sheriff? Popular ingredients of the American western?