Westbound, underated Randy western

[stuart.uk]

Spoiler Alert

When folk talk about the great Randolph Scott westerns of the 1950s Westbound is overlooked. I actually like the film, rating it up there with the more popular Scott films like Ride Lonesome and The Tall T

One of the reasons I like Westbound is Karen Steele's tomboyish wife, helping her husband run a way station for their boss Randolph Scott. In a film that reminds me of the earlier Scott western Man In The Saddle, Scott comes into contact with an old enemy played by Andrew Duggan, who's married to Scott's former sweetheart Virginia Mayo. When Duggan is killed at the end, instead of settling for Mayo, Scott prefers the other new widow, Karen Steele, who is now running the way station single-handed.

[mrsl]

Thanks stuart:

I don't recall hearing or seeing Westbound mentioned before. I'll have to keep my eye open for it. Sounds like it might be a good one to catch.


Anne

[MikeBSG]

Thanks for mentioning "Westbound." When I was a kid, this seemed to be the only Randolph Scott western on TV. I must have seen it three times on Channel 43's Western Theater Sunday afternoon.

Then when I grew up, I found out that "Westbound" wasn't considered a "real" Randolph Scott-Budd Boetticher Western, because Boetticher only made it for Warner Brothers so they would make "The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond."

I haven't seen "Westbound" since the early 70s, but I wouldn't mind seeing it again.

[movieman1957]

Having seen it recently I would not rank it up close to the other Boetticher/Scott westerns. I seems more routine mostly like the films Scott did with deToth earlier in the decade. There does not seem to be the edge or dark side that Scott has in the earlier pictures. I think someone mentioned that maybe was because Burt Kennedy was not involved.

Not a bad picture but, for me, it is the weakest of the lot.

[MikeBSG]

I watched "Westbound" earlier this year. I wasn't too impressed. It isn't bad, but it doesn't come close to "Seven men from Now" or "Commanche Station."

I think "Westbound" tries to be epic on a B movie budget and thus nothing gets developed as much as it could. Apart from Scott, most of the performances were pretty bland.

[mrsl]

Westbound, underated Randy western
by MikeBSG » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:48 am

I watched "Westbound" earlier this year. I wasn't too impressed. It isn't bad, but it doesn't come close to "Seven men from Now" or "Commanche Station".
I think "Westbound" tries to be epic on a B movie budget and thus nothing gets developed as much as it could. Apart from Scott, most of the performances were pretty bland.

Talk about digging into the archives! But I knew we had commented on Westbound before, and wondered what was said. I watched it twice in the past 3 days, thanks to my DVR and find I really like the story - more so than Mike BSG did. Once again, I feel like a part was written in for V. Mayo, just so she could have a job, honestly, except for The Best Years of our Lives, she sleepwalks through most of her parts. Anyway in this, once again she has married R. Scott's nemesis, but for her, little things like that are not important.

Throughout this movie, Scott is on the edge of explosion because from the minute he meets Karen Steele, he is thunderstruck, but unfortunately, she is married to the young fellow he met on the stage, so being Randolph Scott, he wouldn't dream of crossing the line. Andrew Duggan, as Mayos husband became more well known on various TV shows, and made the yearly circuit, never becoming a powerhouse, but able to hold his own. Here, for various reasons he's trying to end Scott's stage line and the race is on. For once, the townsfolk are on Scotts side and willing to help.

As with all Budd Boetticher movies, it's not overlong, nor is it loaded with 3 or 4 side stories that only lead to confuse the viewer. His movies stick to the main character and his interaction with his friends and enemies. I personally think it's quite good and a fun way to spend a short time.
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