Silver Lode
|
Our Price: $13.50 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $9.78 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Silver Lode
Movie Review: Very fine RKO western ....and an excellent DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
SILVER LODE may be the finest western that RKO released in the mid-1950s. With expert and taut scripting, high production values (it's one of producer Benedict Bogeaus' best), excellent direction under the veteran Allan Dwan, this little oater also has two of the best performances of its two male leads: John Payne and Dan Duryea. Payne, a veteran of numerous Westerns for Paramount [e.g., EL PASO and THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK] and Republic [e.g., THE ROAD TO DENVER], here turns in a tour de force as the innocent, but hunted and accused hero. He is very fine indeed, his lines crisply given, adding to the mounting tension. Duryea, one of Hollywood's finest "bad guys," almost outdoes Payne; Duryea is simply studpendous. The final scene between the two--in the town bell tower--is quite striking and remarkable.Secondary starring roles are filled with some very competent Hollywood veterans---Robert Warwick, Emile Meyer as the town sheriff, Harry Carey Jr. and Alan Hale Jr. as members of Dan Duryea's "posse." Lisbeth Scott is Payne's love interest; she's does quite well.
VCI has given us a fine, clean print, and attaches the original trailer at the end, along with bios of the leading actors, all very helpful.
Silver Lode is the kind of movie that will repay watching from time to time. It is way above average as oaters go. Recommended highly both to those interested in good Western fare and, yes, to others interested simply in good cinema.
Movie Review: A 1954 western with shades of High Noon
Summary: 5 Stars
A Federal Marshal and his deputies ride into the western town of Silver Lode during 4th July celebrations claiming to have a warrant for the arrest of one of its citizens Dan Ballard on this his wedding day. Slowly the townsfolk turn against Ballard leaving him with only the support of the two women in his life.
The stoic hero is played by John Payne with his back against the wall for most of the film and Dan Duryea is the villain of the piece. Lizabeth Scott is Ballard's fiance and Dolores Moran plays the saloon girl. The film moves along at a fine pace well directed by Allan Dwan
John Payne turns in a fine performance as the hero and "Baddies" don't get much better than Dan Duryea! Altogether a fine western DVD movie plus Trailer etc
Movie Review: surprisingly political, well-put-together b-western
Summary: 4 Stars
I'd never heard of this low-budget, talky and politically-minded western until I saw it new in the video store. Though it's far from being one of the greats I'm glad I checked it out - mostly for lead Dan Duryea, one of my favorite seedy leading men/bad guys from noir, in the first western I've seen him in.
Duryea is Ned McCarty, riding into the town of Silver Lode on July 4th, after a man named Dan Ballard (John Payne, yet another face familiar from noir), who is in the process of being married to Rose Evans (Lizabeth Scott - a third noir icon!), daughter of the town's big cheese. Ballard is an upstanding citizen who's done well for himself in two years in the town and has become well-loved by everybody, but when McCarty comes in claiming that he's a US marshall charged with bringing Ballard back to California (I guess Silver Lode is probably in Nevada though I don't think it's ever stated) for murdering his brother, the town starts to turn against him. Ballard being the straight-shooter kind of guy admits to the killing - though he claims the other guy drew first - and people start to remember that it was always kind of odd that he pulled into town with loads of money out of nowhere years ago. Soon the whole town, except for his bride-to-be, is against him, as he tries to prove that McCarty isn't a real marshall and turn McCarty's mean against each other.
A well-done, taut and economical little thriller with very little gunplay until the last act, with the only real problem being that Payne is just too obviously the good guy and Duryea just as obviously the bad one. Perhaps with other actors not as stereotyped at that point there would have been more ambiguity; then again ambiguity seems to run counter to the obvious political McCarthy undertones - Ballard standing in for accused Communists, of course. Still quite nicely done, the two leads are fine (I've never been a fan of Lizabeth Scott, a low-rent Lauren Bacall to my mind, but she has little to do here and can't be faulted) and there are a couple of great tracks across the town as Ballard tries to escape the citizens turned against him. Dwan was one of the great action directors back in the silent days and he still had it in the mid 50s.
Movie Review: Silver Screen buff
Summary: 4 Stars
John Payne, Dan Duryea and Lizbeth Scott gave tense, very good performances in this color western. John Payne was especially good at showing what can happen to a person as he is slowly stripped of his self-respect, reputation and every friend in town, who desert him. Finally, he is down to nothing but self-preservation and survival. Lizbeth Scott is Payne's loyal love interest and Dan Duryea plays a convincing and clever villain. There are insinuations of 'McCarthyism' in the film, but they are too simplistic to be taken seriously. The career of Senator Joseph (Tailgunner Joe) McCarthy had a lot more to it than could be talked about here.
I thought the color balance, sound and image clarity were very good for this DVD.
Movie Review: A glass of cold barley water
Summary: 3 Stars
An elder gunslinger is marrying a beautiful young blonde when a posse of Trouble ride into town. The townsfolk forsake him and, save for the women who love him, he stands alone to meet his fate. Welcome to High Noon Redux, also known as SILVER LODE.
SILVER LODE is a `message' movie, with more or less the same message its illustrious predecessor had - McCarthyism is bad. Or, as the dvd jacket blurb begins, "A fictional account of the most shameful moments in American history. McCarthyism justice western style: a case of guilty by association." On the off chance that the original audience missed the connection, the chief bad guy in this one, wonderfully played by A-List heavy Dan Duryea, is named `Ned McCarthy.' Get it?
I don't have much patience for message westerns, and SILVER LODE definitely fits into the Ox-Bow Incident/High Noon continuum. I find myself drawn out of the movie too often, usually to criticize minor plot points (No judge would ever have so cavalierly allowed a shady, unidentified US Marshall extradite one of his town's citizens!) or to whine about how preachy it is.
Still, SILVER LODE boasts a strong cast, headed by Gary Coo...er, I mean John Payne as the innocent accused and B-movie queen Lizabeth Scott as his almost-bride. Duryea is, as usual, excellent and great fun to watch. SILVER LODE also contains more than its fair share of well choreographed and photographed action scenes.
A bit heavy handed, SILVER LODE is a movie with a message that borrows liberally from the mother lode of anti-McCarthyism westerns, HIGH NOON. The higher your tolerance for being preached at, the more you'll enjoy this movie.
More Movie Reviews:
1 2
1 2