WesternCrimeRomance

Colorado Territory

- A mighty, memorable new adventure hurtling out of the heroic vastness of Colorado Territory.

After escaping from jail, outlaw Wes McQueen is convinced by his old partner in crime to do one last heist.

Release Date : 1949-06-11

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Wes McQueen

Original Name : Joel McCrea

Gender : Male

Character Name : Colorado Carson

Original Name : Virginia Mayo

Gender : Female

Character Name : Julie Ann Winslow

Original Name : Dorothy Malone

Gender : Female

Character Name : Fred Winslow

Original Name : Henry Hull

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reno Blake

Original Name : John Archer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Duke Harris

Original Name : James Mitchell

Gender : Male

Character Name : United States Marshal

Original Name : Morris Ankrum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dave Rickard ('The Old Man')

Original Name : Basil Ruysdael

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brother Tomas

Original Name : Frank Puglia

Gender : Male

Character Name : Homer Wallace

Original Name : Ian Wolfe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pluthner

Original Name : Harry Woods

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prospector

Original Name : Houseley Stevenson

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Carl Andre

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : George Bell

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Oliver Blake

Gender : Male

Character Name : US Marshal (uncredited)

Original Name : Monte Blue

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Ben Corbett

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Daley

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Bert Dillard

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Filmer

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Carl Harbaugh

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Hallene Hill

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Horvath

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Kelsey

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Victor Kilian

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Kruger

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : James Mitchum

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Montgomery

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Merlyn Nelson

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Artie Ortego

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Phillips

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Maudie Prickett

Gender : Female

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Frosty Royce

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Phil Schumacher

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Strang

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Glen Thompson

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Territorial Doom. Colorado Territory is directed by Raoul Walsh and adapted to screenplay by Edmund H. North and John Twist from the novel "High Sierra" written by W.R. Burnett. It stars Joel McCrea, Virginia Mayo, Dorothy Malone and Henry Hull. Music is by David Buttolph and cinematography by Sidney Hickox. Raoul Walsh remakes his own High Sierra from 1941 but supplants it into a Western genre setting - with tremendous results. McCrea plays outlaw Wes McQueen who springs from prison and vows to go straight, but with a price on his head he is coerced into one last railroad robbery. If he can escape the law then he can make a go of it as a new man, with a new name, and comforted by a new found love of a good woman, Colorado Carson (Mayo). Can he escape the law and those who would sell him out for money? A remake of a classic film noir, Colorado Territory is itself classic film noir. Whilst not reaching the dizzying star heights of Bogart's 41 version, this is a film of great strengths. Thematically it's noir gold dust, the great Walsh not pandering to anyone and ensuring the dark edges of Burnett's novel play out on screen - including the shattering finale. The photography is grade "A", both in chiaroscuro textures and sumptuous location framings. Cast can't be faulted either, McCrea a genuine horseman is firmly at home in a Western setting, Mayo and Malone positively light and sex up the screen, while classy performer Hull lends weighty support. High end Western staples are adhered to, with robbery actions, fights, stunts, villainous betrayals and back stabbers, these marry up to the noirish cement of a man unable to escape his fate, his past weighing heavy on his shoulders, all ensuring there's constantly a doom laden feel permeating the story. Rarely mentioned when talk turns to film noir Westerns, but it should be since it's one of the best. 9/10