Ride Lonesome

Ride Crowded
Solid entry in the legendary Buddy Boetticher--Randolph Scott Westerns cycle. To get to San Carlos and safety, Scott must first get through back-shooter James Best, then through burly Pernell Roberts, then through Best's evil brother Lee Van Cleef. And if that weren't enough, they all have to get through an angry Apache nation. I don't know why they call it "Ride Lonesome", because Scott's certainly riding with a whole pack of trouble, including his own inner demons.

Scott's character Ben Brigade is typical of the cycle. He's pig-headed, chauvinistic, uncommunicative (just count his lines), but with the usual iron-clad sense of honor. On the other hand, Pernell Roberts is personable, with a ready smile, a criminal past, and looking to reform his errant ways. There's going to be a shootout between the two, since Roberts needs to get Best from bounty-hunter Scott to get the amnesty he needs. But what's so special about these complex Boetticher westerns is-- you don't know who...

A grim Randolph Scott sets out to apply his own brand of justice in this fine Budd Boetticher movie
This Budd Boetticher (director)/Burt Kennedy (writer)/ Randolph Scott movie is a fine example of skilled craftsmanship matched with economy of purpose. Ride Lonesome moves quickly, the plot shifts beneath our feet, the photography is spare, the characters (there are only six billed actors) are distinctively drawn and the economy of writing, the economy of directing, the economy of editing and the economy of acting should make anyone who likes movies pay close attention. In fact, the only non-economical things about this movie are the over-blown music score and Karen Steele's bosom.

It takes only seven minutes to know what we need to know about Ben Brigade (Randolph Scott), the kind of man he is, what he's planning to do with the young murderer he captured, Billy John, and to be impressed as all get out with the hot, dry, boulder-strewn setting. But then the story starts to change. Something else is going on in Ben Brigade's head besides bounty hunting and bringing in Billy...

"Ride Lonesome (1959) ... Randolph Scott ... Columbia Pictures Classic Westerns"
Columbia Pictures / Ranown Pictures Corporation presents "RIDE LONESOME" (1959) (73 mins/Color) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Starring Randolph Scott, Karen Steele, Pernell Roberts, James Best, Lee Van Cleef & James Coburn --- Directed by Budd Boetticher and released in February 15, 1959, our story line and film, A wanted murderer, Billy John, is captured by Ben Brigade, a bounty hunter, who intends to take him to Santa Cruz to be hanged. Brigade stops at a staging post, where he saves the manager's wife from an Indian attack, and enlists the help of two outlaws to continue his journey more safely. However, the Indian attacks persist, the outlaws plan to take Billy for themselves, tempted by the offer of amnesty for his captor, and Billy's brother Frank is in hot pursuit to rescue him. But Brigade has plans of his own --- Last film from the Scott / Boetticher / Kennedy combination although Scott & Boetticher were to join up one further time with a different writer for "Comanche...

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