The Desperadoes main backdrop
The Desperadoes main poster

The Desperadoes

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5.7/10 • 28

1943-05-251h 27m

Western

Red-Blooded Action

Popular mailcoach driver Uncle Willie is in fact in league with the town's crooked banker. They plan to have the bank robbed after emptying it, and when Willie's choice for this doesn't show in time, he gets some local boys to do it. When his man does turn up he decides to stick around, as he is pals with the sheriff and also takes a shine to Willie's daughter Allison. This gives the bad men several new problems.

Directors
Charles Vidor
Editors
Gene Haylick

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Randolph Scott

    Randolph Scott

    Sheriff Steve Upton

  2. Claire Trevor

    Claire Trevor

    Countess Maletta

  3. Glenn Ford

    Glenn Ford

    Cheyenne Rogers

  4. Evelyn Keyes

    Evelyn Keyes

    Allison McLeod

  5. Edgar Buchanan

    Edgar Buchanan

    Uncle Willie McLeod

  6. Guinn "Big Boy" Williams

    Guinn "Big Boy" Williams

    Nitro Rankin

  7. Raymond Walburn

    Raymond Walburn

    Judge Cameron

  8. Porter Hall

    Porter Hall

    Banker Clanton

  9. Bernard Nedell

    Bernard Nedell

    Jack Lester

Reviews2

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Wuchak Avatar

Wuchak

Sep 15, 2022

6/10

Randolph Scott and Glenn Ford are very young in this decent old Western In 1863 Utah, a wanted gunman (Ford) meets a winsome woman that makes him want to go straight and settle down (Evelyn Keyes), but a murderous bank robber’s false accusations get him into trouble with the law. Scott plays the sheriff of the town, Claire Trevor a hotel madam and Edgar Buchanan a duplicitous widower. Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams is also on hand as a dubious expert with Nitroglycerin. "The Desperadoes" (1943) is worthwhile just to see Scott and, especially, Ford when they were younger. There’s also some spectacular Utah scenery in Technicolor and both Evelyn Keyes and Claire Trevor are pleasing to the eyes. Evelyn looks especially good in semi-tight brown leather pants. The tone is mostly serious with a few amusing bits, some of which work (the guys concentrating on poker during the saloon brawl) and some that don’t (Buchanan’s two-faced character is too revolting to be amusing). There’s also some lame writing, like Cheyenne Rogers forgetting to inform the guy he robs a horse from that there’s money in the saddlebags of his injured horse for him to replace it. Moreover, there are some glaring anachronisms: A train is shown in the opening with Utah Southern Railroad on the tender, yet the story takes place in 1863 and the USR wasn’t in service until 1871. Also, just prior to the horse stampede thru town someone says, "...they'll think they're riding into Custer's Last Stand," which didn’t take place until 1876. Assistant director Budd Boetticher met Randolph on the set and they would go on to team-up later for some very good Westerns, e.g. “The Tall T” (1957), “Decision at Sundown” (1957) and “Ride Lonesome” (1959). The movie runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot at Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, SoCal, with wilderness scenes shot in Utah at Johnson Canyon, Kanab Canyon, the Gap, and Paria. GRADE: B-

Media

  • The Desperadoes poster
  • The Desperadoes poster
  • The Desperadoes poster
  • The Desperadoes poster
  • The Desperadoes poster
  • The Desperadoes poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
bankerfriendshipsheriffprison escapemailman