ROUGHSHOD
US, 1949, 89 minutes, Black and white.
Robert Stirling, Gloria Grahame, Claude Jarman Jr, John Ireland, Sarah Haden, Myrna Dell, Jeff Donnell, James Bell, Martha Hyer, Jeff Corey.
Directed by Mark Robson.
Roughshod is a little-known western of 1949, but interesting and entertaining in its way, a touch different, a touch more humane.
Three escapees from prison kill a man and take his clothes and horses and set out in pursuit of the man who is responsible for the leader going to prison. The film then introduces a would-be rancher, Clay (Robert Stirling) and his younger brother (Claude Jarman Jr in a strong role). Warned that they may be pursued, they try to take their horses to Sonora in order to set up a ranch. They encounter a group of four women who have been kicked out of Aspen as saloon girls. Their wagon has crashed. Clay takes the girls to the nearest homestead where it emerges that one of the girls is the daughter of the couple who own it – and the father does not want the girls in his house.
The rest of the film is the journey that Clay and his brother have with Mary (Gloria Grahame) and another girl who then teams up with a prospector. Clay is attracted to Mary but disapproves of her past. After some clashes, he puts her on a stagecoach to Sonora. It is at this time that the pursuers catch up with Clay and there is a shootout – rather calmer and lower-key than melodramatic shootouts in many westerns, which makes it all the more plausible.
The film was directed by Mark Robson, about to become a first list director after smaller films including several horror films for producer Val Lewton.
1. An interesting Western from the 1940s? Variations on themes? Settlers, horses, saloon girls?
2. The black and white photography, the picture of the West, the towns, the mountains, the homesteads? The musical score?
3. Clay and Steve, brothers, Clay and the involvement with the killer, responsible for his imprisonment? The target for vengeance? Clay and his looking after his brother, the difference in age? Their horses, wanting them over the mountains, to set up a ranch? The bonds between the two, the clash over Mary?
4. Steve, his age, devotion to Clay, buying the bullets, Clay buying him the gun? His interest in the women, kind towards them? Seeing Clay kissing Mary, his conclusions? His defying Clay? The reconciliation? Learning the alphabet from Mary? Pragmatic but the others urging him to learn?
5. The four women, kicked out of Aspen, saloon girls, reputations, the reason for their being ousted from Aspen? The wagon, on the mountain, seeing the dead body, the crash of the wagon? Clay finding them? Helping? Getting them to the Wyatt household? Not wanting to take them with him over the range? Mary as leader, Elaine and her illness, the other two girls? Mary and her discussions with Clay, her possibilities for changing? Her teaching Steve the alphabet?
6. The Wyatts, the welcome, discovery of their daughter, the father’s anger, wanting the women out? The mother glad to have her daughter back? The girls having to move on, having the meal? Clay and his discussions with Elaine, his view of the women?
7. The women using their wiles to persuade Clay to take them? His eventually giving in? The clashes with Mary? Finding the prospector, the girl talking with him, the gold, staying with him? Mary going on, the wagon into the river, Clay rescuing her? His anger? Her clothes? The stagecoach coming, her joining it?
8. The three escapees, the opening of the film, confronting the men, killing him, taking his clothes? The pursuit of Clay?
9. The eventual confrontation? Clay wanting Steve to go, his return? Stalking each other amongst the rocks, in the woods? The deaths? Steve being wounded? The confrontation with the main killer, Clay shooting him?
10. In town, the horses, the prospect of the ranch, the doctor helping Steve, Mary and her help, not getting the job, Clay and his apology, their future together?
