CORONER CREEK
US, 1948, 90 minutes, Colour.
Randolph Scott, Marguerite Chapman, George Macready, Edgar Buchanan, Sally Eilers, Wallace Ford, Russell Simpson, Forrest Tucker.
Directed by Ray Enright.
Coroner Creek was the third western in a row with Randolph Scott directed by Ray Enright, after Albaqueque and Trail Street. It is quite an effective western, a revenge story.
The film opens with an Indian raid on a stage coach, masterminded by a renegade white man. A woman is abducted and later is found to have killed herself with the white man’s knife. Her fiancé, played by Scott, embarks on a long revenge quest, eventually arriving at Coroner Creek. He meets the strong owner of the hotel, Marguerite Chapman, fights with a local hand, played by Forrest Tucker, is employed by a rival ranch owner, Sally Eilers, and discovers that the person he has been searching for is the local owner, the self-made Younger Miles. He is played with his usual evil intensity by George Macready - is best and most sinister performance was in Paths of Glory.
There are many action sequences, some tough fights, a really brutal instance of Tucker stomping on Scott’s hand, and an effective final shootout. Typical of of Scott’s westerns during the 1940s, but above average of its kind.
1. A strong Randolph Scott western? Revenge theme?
2. The western locations, colour, the mountains, the ranchers, the town of Coroner Creek? The hotel, the bar? Prison? The musical score?
3. The opening, the Indian raid on the stage coach, the presence of the mysterious white man? The Indians drunk, killed? The passengers killed? The woman abducted?
4. The introduction to Chris Danning, a Randolph Scott character? Quiet, intense? Coming into town, with the Indian guide, getting the information from the Indian about the man with the scar? The collage of his searching for this man and failing?
5. The hotel, Kate and the request for him to take Abby home? The information about her husband? The drive, the encounter with the men, the fight with Ernie, making up, the offer of the job?
6. The meeting with Miles, identifying the scar and the blue eyes? His challenging him, comment about his wife? His later apology? Tension in the bar?
7. Della, come to town, friendship with Kate, the material for the dresses, overhearing the challenge to Miles? Offering Danning the job? His acceptance, going to the ranch,
Della’s husband and his death, her managing? Introduction to the men, the clash with Yordy and ordering him off? The friendship with Andy, discussions, support?
8. Kate, owning the hotel, taking care of Abby? Interest in Danning, trying to persuade him to abide by the law? Their discussions, his intensity?
9. The confrontation with the men, the fight with Ernie, and stomping on his hand, and his return with the gun, the further fight, Danning biting Ernie, his defeating Ernie, the threat to the settler and his moving off the land? Miles attacking him?
10. Yordy and his plan with Miles, Miles despising him, Danning going to see Yordy, warning him off? The vigil, Kate following him, Miles arriving and shooting? Later setting the fire himself, the destruction of the cattle?
11. The sheriff, dependent on Miles, his daughter marrying Miles, Miles and his private cruelty, public respectability, his hitting his wife, the piano, the sheriff witnessing this, his change of the heart, working with the law?
12. The shooting of Andy, Ernie and the hand coming in, the witness, the arrest, in the cell, the challenge to the sheriff, Miles arriving, killing the sheriff, the escape?
13. Danning and his decision to move on, his rebuke of Leach, Leach later giving evidence about Andy’s death? Danning stepping in after the prison escape? Kate and her helping, with the gun?
14. The build-up to the shootout, in the barn with the men? The confrontation with Miles? Miles climbing the ladder, Danning confronting him with the truth, the knife, his falling and being killed by the knife?
15. Danning, the achievement of his revenge, having to think about the future, the support of Kate?
