RETURN OF THE FRONTIERSMAN

US, 1950, 74 minutes, Colour.
Gordon Mac Crae, Julie London, Rory Calhoun, Jack Holt, Frank Clark.
Directed by Richard Bare.

Return of the Frontiersman is a routine Western of 1950. What makes it a little different is that Gordon Mac Rae plays the central character, the son of the local Sheriff, getting himself into all kinds of trouble, a lot of fistfights which he generally loses, and being sent to prison. He is also being framed for murder and a series of bank robberies.

Jack Holt plays his father, the sheriff, who has to imprison his son and take a posse to pursue. Julie London is visitor from St Louis who is accosted by Mac Rae, forced at gunpoint to help with an operation to remove a bullet, taking her as a kind of hostage until she realises that he is innocent and, of course, by the end of the film, so brief, romance.

The villain of the piece is played by Rory Calhoun, a gambler and the editor of the local paper, but who has organised a gang and letting his friend be the fall guy.

These brief westerns were entertaining as supporting features in the 1950s.

1. A popular and entertaining western of the period?

2. Colour photography, the town, the scenery outside the town, the mountains, the canyons? The musical score?

3. The total, 1872, the end of the desperado period, attempts at imposing law and order? Gunfighters versus Frontiersmen.

4. Logan, the fight the bar, Larrabee taking his side, the court sitting in the saloon, the guilty verdict, the sheriff sending his son to jail? The brawling gambler also sent to jail? His whistling, Logan having the opportunity to sing? His friend bringing the gun, his escape?

5. Logan being blamed for the death of the gambler, Ryan and his leading the forces against Logan? Pressuring sheriff, his criticisms of him? The policies?

6. Logan, the escape, the previous encounter with Janie, holding the gun, her firing and the posse pursuing? Going to the house, drawing the gun, the pressure from the doctor to withdraw the bullet? His taking Jenny, the buggy ride?

7. The bank robbery, the injuries, blame on Logan, especially with the clothes that he wore?

8. Logan and Janie seeing the robbery of the Stagecoach, her realising the truth? Tracking down the gang? The men dressed in Logan’s clothes, his being shot?

9. The posse, following Logan, seeing the gang at the stagecoach, the shootout?

10. Larrabee, his place in the town, not going with the posses, the irony of his having the gun which shot the gambler, the truth, Logan seeking his help, their
fight, at the waterfall?

11. Justice done in the town, the truth told, the sheriff punching Ryan for his outspokenness, the happy romantic ending?