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Western

El Paso

- There was one law in El Paso ... you learned to kill quick ... if you wanted to live long!

Ex-confederate officer Clay Fletcher jumps at the chance to reunite with his once lady-friend, Susan Jeffers, when his father, Judge Fletcher, sends him on an errand to El Paso, Texas to get the signature of Susan's father, Judge Jeffers, on a legal document. Once there he finds the judge has become a drunk and a laughing stock, doing the bidding of local magnate Bert Donner and his running dog, Sheriff La Farge. Just as Clay starts straightening out the town's problems, events occur which force him to abandon the legal system and instead adopt the murderous tactics of a vigilante.

Release Date : 1949-03-22

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Paramount Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

John Payne

Character Name : Clay Fletcher

Original Name : John Payne

Gender : Male

Gail Russell

Character Name : Susan Jeffers

Original Name : Gail Russell

Gender : Female

Sterling Hayden

Character Name : Bert Donner

Original Name : Sterling Hayden

Gender : Male

George 'Gabby' Hayes

Character Name : Pesky Tees

Original Name : George 'Gabby' Hayes

Gender : Male

Dick Foran

Character Name : Sheriff La Farge

Original Name : Dick Foran

Gender : Male

Eduardo Noriega

Character Name : Don Nacho Vázquez

Original Name : Eduardo Noriega

Gender : Male

Henry Hull

Character Name : Henry Jeffers

Original Name : Henry Hull

Gender : Male

Mary Beth Hughes

Character Name : Stagecoach Nellie

Original Name : Mary Beth Hughes

Gender : Female

H.B. Warner

Character Name : Judge Fletcher

Original Name : H.B. Warner

Gender : Male

Robert Ellis

Character Name : Jack Elkins

Original Name : Robert Ellis

Gender : Male

Catherine Craig

Character Name : Mrs. Elkins

Original Name : Catherine Craig

Gender : Female

Arthur Space

Character Name : John Elkins

Original Name : Arthur Space

Gender : Male

Steven Geray

Character Name : Mexican Joe

Original Name : Steven Geray

Gender : Male

Irving Bacon

Character Name : Stage Passenger (uncredited)

Original Name : Irving Bacon

Gender : Male

Argentina Brunetti

Character Name : Don Nacho's Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Argentina Brunetti

Gender : Female

Jack Perrin

Character Name : Barfly (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Perrin

Gender : Male

Denver Pyle

Character Name : Vigilante (uncredited)

Original Name : Denver Pyle

Gender : Male

Dan White

Character Name : Henchman (uncredited)

Original Name : Dan White

Gender : Male

John Bose

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : John Bose

Gender : Male

Nacho Galindo

Character Name :

Original Name : Nacho Galindo

Gender : Male

John Hart

Character Name :

Original Name : John Hart

Gender : Male

Herbert Heywood

Character Name :

Original Name : Herbert Heywood

Gender : Male

Reed Howes

Character Name :

Original Name : Reed Howes

Gender : Male

Peggy McIntyre

Character Name :

Original Name : Peggy McIntyre

Gender : Male

Lorin Raker

Character Name :

Original Name : Lorin Raker

Gender : Male

Lawrence Tibbett Jr.

Character Name :

Original Name : Lawrence Tibbett Jr.

Gender : Male

Renata Vanni

Character Name :

Original Name : Renata Vanni

Gender : Female

Pierre Watkin

Character Name :

Original Name : Pierre Watkin

Gender : Male

Lee 'Lasses' White

Character Name :

Original Name : Lee 'Lasses' White

Gender : Male

Gloria Winters

Character Name :

Original Name : Gloria Winters

Gender : Female

Chief Yowlachie

Character Name :

Original Name : Chief Yowlachie

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Legal Eagle and the Johnny Rebels. El Paso is directed by Lewis R. Foster and Foster also adapts the screenplay from a story written by J. Robert Bren and Gladys Atwater. It stars John Payne, Gail Russell, Sterling Hayden, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Dick Foran, Eduardo Noriega, Henry Hull and Mary Beth Hughes. Music is by Darrell Calker and cinematography by Ellis W. Carter. Location filming is at the Iverson and Corrigan Ranches and El Paso and Gallup. El Paso, and lawyer and ex-Confederate captain Clay Fletcher (Payne) is forced to go against his principles and go outside the law to bring order to the town. It's a town where the judge is alcoholic and manipulated by the corrupt sheriff and a nefarious landowner. In the mix here is a very decent film, and certainly there's a story that if given a bit more meat could have been most potent. Unfortunately it's a bit choppy in its telling and execution, while the Cinecolor it was shot in looks washed out and cheapens still further what was already a picture being made without a big budget. Thematically it's strong, there's a vigilante thread that's attention grabbing, with some nice suggestive shots used by the director, and a theme of ex-soldiers returning from the war - only to find their land and rights being vanquished by the self imposed powers that be - carries with it some pertinent sting. There's also some good humour in here, notably a running gag involving Hughes' Stagecoach Nellie. Cast are fine, with Hayden and Payne fronting up for their fans, Hayes does another grand grizzled old coot turn, and Noriega, in spite of being under used, is excellent. Crude back projection work undermines some half decent action sequences, whilst the extended shoot-out finale is nicely played out during a dust storm - which may be to hide some flaws in the production? But regardless it has good effect. Frustrating picture for sure, but for Western die-hards there's enough here to enjoy and not feel angry about. 6.5/10