THUNDER OVER THE PLAINS

US, 1953, 82 minutes, Colour.
Randolph Scott, Phyllis Kirk, Lex Barker, Charles McGraw?, Elisha Cook, Henry Hull, Richard Benjamin.
Directed by Andre de Toth.

Thunder Over the Plains is one of the numerous Randolph Scott westerns from the '50s. It is efficiently made and enjoyable. Set in Texas in the period after the Civil War, the film shows the difficulties of the state joining the Union with carpetbaggers, the Texans impoverished by money deals, the role of the army: There is plenty of action and a sketch of the American heritage of Texas. There are some good character portrayals by Charles McGraw?, Elisha Cooke.

1. Interesting and entertaining western? A Texas western?

2. Colour photography, the atmosphere of the 1860s? Clashes, battles? The military?

3. The title and the focus on the Lone Star State? Action on the plains?

4. The voice-over technique and the situation in Texas? The late 1860s, the aftermath of the Civil War? Hostilities towards the North? Texas and the Union?. The tax assessors, the carpetbaggers and their extortion, the cotton crops? The American outlaws? The role of the military in keeping peace? The Texans in the military and local suspicion? The West Point graduates? The manipulations, extortions, murders? The restoring of order?

5. Captain David Porter and Randolph Scott's screen image? In the military? Suspicions by the locals? His administering law and order even though he knew that the carpetbaggers were in the wrong? The letter of the law? The clash with authorities? His relationship with his wife? Bill Hodges and his violence, approach to his wife? The Lieutenant-Colonel? and the issues? The cotton-growers and their being robbed? The carpetbaggers? Ben Westman and his outlaws? Porter's decisions? The murder and his wanting to discover the truth? His taking off uniform and putting himself in danger? Chases, shoot-outs, the taking of Westman? The real killers overcome? The restoration of order? A character of the West?

6. Ben Westman and the cotton situation, the humiliation of the carpetbaggers and their trousers, things becoming more serious, the sieges, the pursuit by the military, the taking of Westman? Justice to be done?

7. Bill Hodges and the West Point background, his flirting with Nora? The fight with Porter? His use of the gun?

8. Balfour and Standish, their double-deals, shrewdness with money, Balfour's killing? His being exposed?

9. The atmosphere of workers, vigilantes, the military?

10. A sketch of the American heritage? The origins of the state of Texas?