Randolph Scott

Westerns

My (now departed) father, Arch was a big fan of Randolph Scott westerns. Dad felt that Randolph was better actor and a better cowboy than most and his all time favourite western was Scott's Buchanan Rides Alone.

So I watched (at Dad's suggestion) a number of Randolph Scott westerns at our local cinema in the 1950s and then on our B&W TV in the early 60's - Australia didn't get color TV until 1975!

So this section is dedicated to my (now dear departed) father, Arch, pictured below :

I became a Randolph Scott fan myself firstly because we shared the same surname and then by noting that his westerns were always very interesting, with a good story, plenty of action and (at least in the cinema) great color photography.

Scott seem to me to have a great physical presence in his films with a persona of a stoic, craggy and uncompromising figure, and as I was to learn in later years, he chose his director, writer and support players well.

His collaboration with director Budd Boetticher resulted in 7 outstanding & highly regarded western adventures:

Seven Men from Now (1956), The Tall T (1957), Decision at Sundown (1957), Buchanan Rides Alone (1958), Westbound (1959), Ride Lonesome (1959) & Comanche Station (1960). The success of this seminal group of films was no doubt due to the expert writing of Burt Kennedy who commenced his writing career with Seven Men from Now (1956) and who then proceeded to write another three of the above films (The Tall T, Ride Lonesome & Comanche Station). Throughout the 1950s, this team produced many of the finest medium-budgeted Westerns ever made and in the process, Scott became one of the top ten box-office stars of that decade.

Of significance also was that his westerns were chock full of great co-stars doing interesting characterizations:

George 'Gabby' Hayes who had appeared in a lot of Hopalong Cassidy westerns (usually as 'Windy') appeared in 5 Randolph Scott westerns commencing with 1946's Badmen's Territory (1946) and concluding with his final screen appearance in The Cariboo Trail (1950). Robert Ryan, in preparation for major stardom, had strong roles in both Trail Street (1947) & Return of the Bad Men (1948). Richard Boone appeared in both Ten Wanted Men (1955) & The Tall T (1957) whilst Lee Marvin did a star turn in Seven Men from Now (1956). Maureen O'Hara, Angela Lansbury, Donna Reed, Angie Dickinson & Dorothy Malone made for strong female input in their appearances in Randolph's westerns.

Scott's most enduring co-star was, of course his beautiful palomino horse, Stardust.

So Dad, just like the Individual Movie Titles section, my collection of Randolph Scott westerns which is listed below is dedicated to you.

Now to what's in the collection …

Consider a total of 56 westerns in which Scott either starred in or had close to top billing with significant screen-time:

· Randolph Scott had lead roles in three excellent "B" westerns To the Last Man (1933), Wagon Wheels (1934) & Rocky Mountain Mystery (1935) which are all from the pen of Zane Grey

· Two feature length (90 minute) westerns: the Oscar nominated The Last of the Mohicans (1936) & The Texans (1938)

· There were also two westerns with music (very popular at the time): High, Wide and Handsome (1937) & The Road to Reno (1938).

· Susannah of the Mounties (1939) teamed Randolph Scott with (then)

girl-of-the-moment Shirley Temple in a strong western with "cutesy elements"

· Frontier Marshal (1939) in which Scott plays Wyatt Earp, is sandwiched between two classic "A" westerns in Jesse James (1939) and Virginia City (1940)

· Then follows When the Daltons Rode (1940) and a run of 44 starring roles in westerns through to Randolph's last film Ride the High Country (1962)

I call these 56 westerns The Classic Scotts

My collection consists of these 56 Classic Scotts

All 56 (37 of which are in color*) are in almost all cases excellent prints - my opinion of the level of print quality of each western is included in the individual listing below.

*Color: In the late 1940's, Randy's westerns moved from B&W to color. However the initial forays were with the technically inferior CineColor process. The system could produce acceptable color pictures at a fraction of what Technicolor cost. Most features made in Cinecolor were westerns, because the primary colors in those films were blues, browns and reds. While Cinecolor could produce vibrant reds, oranges, blues, browns and flesh tones, its renderings of other colors were often muted, such as bright greens (rendered dark green) and purples (rendered a sort of dark magenta).

Please realize this situation when viewing the CineColor westerns listed below.

Note that all of these films can also be found in the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section.

The set up and pricing are the same as for the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section namely:

· The DVDs in this section of the website consist of one movie title per DVD, each movie commencing when inserted into your DVD player (no delays or useless menus).

· DVDs are available in any combination of titles comprising 1, 2 or 4 DVD boxed sets

(Note: They are not available in 3, 5 or 6 DVD sets)

A typical 4 DVD boxed set is pictured below:

· The prices (including Express Postage anywhere) for these single movie DVDs are:

1 DVD Boxed Set price : AU$20 or US$20 or £10

2 DVD Boxed Set price : AU$25 or US$25 or £13

4 DVD Boxed Set price : AU$35 or US$35 or £18

· Email me for a current price in CN$, Euros, NZ$ etc

· PURCHASING TIP: the most economical way to buy movies from this section is in groups of 4 films,

-they are neatly assembled in a quad case with full artwork (see picture above) and sell for AU$35 or US$35 or £18. Since postage is included then each film can be delivered to your door for less than AU$9 or US$9 or £5 per movie!

(Note that AU$ prices are for AU postal destinations only,

international customers to use US$ or UK£)

Abilene Town (1946)

B&W - 89 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Ann Dorvak, Edgar Buchanan, Rhonda Fleming & Lloyd Bridges.

Directed by Edwin L. Marin

Following the Civil War in the town of Abilene, a delicate peace is inadvertantly shattered when a group of homesteaders lay down their stakes on the cattlemen's side of town, upsetting the balance that had existed thus far and sparking an all-out war between the farmers, who want the land tamed and property lines drawn, and the cowboys, who want the prairies to be open for their cattle to roam. Into the mix walks a patient sheriff - guess who!

Very Good B&W print (& much better than those commercially available)

Albuquerque (1948)

Color - 90 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Lon Chaney Jr. & Russell Hayden.

Directed by Ray Enright

Cole Armin comes to Albuquerque to work for his uncle, John, an overly strict and hard-hearted man who operates an ore-hauling freight line, and whose goal is to eliminate a competing line run by Ted Wallace and his sister Celia. Cole tires of his uncle's heavy-handed tactics and switches over to the Wallace side. John and his henchman Juke Murkil aren't impressed.

Perfect CineColor print

Badman's Territory (1946)

B&W - 97 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Ann Richards, Ray Collins & Morgan Conway.

Directed by Tim Whelan

An earnest Texas sheriff meets the likes of the James Gang, the Daltons, Sam Bass and Belle Starr as he paves the way for a lawless territitory known as Badman's Territory to become part of the Oklahama Territory and receive the protection of the Union. Rich characterizations especially from Gabby Hayes as the Coyote Kid in his first of five appearances in Randolph Scott westerns

Excellent B&W print

-NEW TITLE-

Belle of the Yukon (1944)

Color - 83 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Gypsy Rose Lee, Dinah Shore, Bob Burns, Charles Winninger & Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams

Directed by William A. Seiter

Honest John Calhoun aka Gentleman Jack (Randolph Scott) is a reformed con man who has fled north from the law and opened a successful dancehall & gambling establishment in the upper reaches of Malamute. Meanwhile, his former lover Belle De Valle (Gypsy Rose Lee), who he deserted when he absconded from justice, arrives as part of a new show troupe and finds her ex-boyfriend's new ways very powerfully. But Lettie Candless (Dinah Shore) also has designs on our hero.

Two Oscar Nominations (Best Song & Best Music)

Perfect Technicolor print!

Belle Starr (1941)

Color - 87 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Shepperd Strudwick & Chil Wills.

Directed by Irving Cummings

When Yankees march in and appropriate Belle Starr's land, she heads to Missouri and joins forces with a Confederate guerrilla. Belle marries the man, and together they become outlaws, hoping to avenge the fallen South. They continue their activities against exploiters until she is shot riding to alert Sam of a trap.

Said to be a combination of Jesse James and Gone with the Wind, this is a big budget western with a top cast

Perfect Technicolor print!

The Bounty Hunter (1954)

Color - 79 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Dolores Dorn, Marie Windsor, Howard Petrie & Harry Antrim.

Directed by André De Toth

A year after a violent train robbery the Pinkerton detective agency hires a bounty hunter to find the three remaining killers. He tracks them to Twin Forks but has no clue to their identity. He then bides his time, hoping that the crooks will tip their hands, lead him to the stolen money, and let down their guard long enough to allow for a speedy capture. Tensions surface as just his presence in town acts as a catalyst for trouble.

A highly entertaining yarn with the killers' identities being unknown (& hard to pick) until the very end

Very Good WarnerColor print!

Buchanan Rides Alone (1958)

Color - 78 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Craig Stevens, Barry Kelley, Tol Avery & Peter Whitney.

Directed by Budd Boetticher

On his way home to West Texas, Tom Buchanan rides into the Californian border town of Agry, and into a feud between several members of the Agry family. In helping out a Mexican seeking revenge on one of them, Buchanan finds himself against the whole family. Plenty of plot twists and my Dad's favourite western!

Perfect Columbia Color Wide Screen print!

Canadian Pacific (1949)

Color - 95 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Jane Wyatt, J. Carroll Naish, Victor Jory & Nancy Olson.

Directed by Edwin L. Marin

Filmed on location in the Canadian Rockies, this grand adventure western gives an account of the building of the Canadian Pacific railroad. Tom Andrews is a rough-and-ready surveyor who learns that fur trapper Dirk Rourke perceives the Canadian Pacific as a threat to his livelihood. Rourke foments an Indian uprising which very nearly destroys the railroad. But Andrews and his hardy band persevere. An exciting piece of filmmaking, evocatively photographed in Cinecolor by Fred Jackman Jr.

Perfect CineColor print

The Cariboo Trail (1950)

Color - 81 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Bill Williams, Karin Booth & Victor Jory.

Directed by Edwin L. Marin

While the gold fever is sweeping the Cariboo Region, extending from Kamloops to Prince George, of British Columbia in western Canada, a man heads up into the region with his herd of cattle, because he thinks he can make even more money by rearing animals in the fine pastures. However, his travelling companion turns against him and a local tycoon opposes his plans.

George 'Gabby' Hayes 5^th appearance in Randolph Scott western and unfortunately, his final screen appearance

Excellent CineColor print (Yes! - CineColor not B&W!)

Carson City (1952)

Color - 87 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Lucille Norman, Raymond Massey, Richard Webb & James Millican.

Directed by André De Toth

When a construction engineer known only as Silent Jeff, commences building a railroad between Nevada's Carson City and Virginia City in the 1870s, he is met with hostility by the locals, who feel that where there are trains, there are bandits. And as expected, a criminal gang headed by Big Jack Davis begins drawing up plans to plunder Carson City. When Silent Jeff vows to get rid of the town's criminal element, the villains frame him on a murder charge.

Richard Webb (later TV' s Captain Midnight) has a pivotal role.

Excellent CineColor print

Colt .45 (1950)

Color - 87 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Ruth Roman, Zachary Scott, Lloyd Bridges & Alan Hale

Directed by Edwin L. Marin

"A gun, like any other source of power, is a force for either good or evil, being neither in itself, but dependent upon those who possess it". A gun salesman's sample case of Colt 45's is stolen by an outlaw. Accused of being a member of the outlaw gang when they start using the Colts in their hold-ups, the salesman is obliged to track down the crooks. This movie became a TV series in 1957 (starring Wayde Preston as Chris Colt), and as such was retitled Thundercloud during re-release when the TV series was playing. It was the last screen role for the wonderful actor Alan Hale Sr. A fast-paced & well-cast film dotted with frequent bursts of violence and gunplay.

Perfect Technicolor print!

Comanche Station (1960)

Color - 74 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Nancy Gates, Claude Akins & Skip Homeier

Directed by Budd Boetticher

Loner Cody trades with the Comanches to get a white girl released. He is joined on his way back to the girl's husband by an outlaw and his sidekicks. It turns out there is a large reward for the return of the girl, and with the Indians on the warpath and the outlaw being an old enemy of Cody's, things are set for several showdowns.

Another typical interestingly plotted entry from the Scott/Boetticher/Kennedy teaming (their last), in which the old west moral code of right versus wrong gets a surprising twist ending.

Perfect Eastman Color Wide Screen print

Coroner Creek (1948)

Color - 90 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Marguerite Chapman, George Macready, Edgar Buchanan & Forrest Tucker

Directed by Ray Enright

Single-minded Chris Denning seeks vengeance against the seemingly respectable man responsible for a mysterious death of his fiancee's in a stagecoach raid

A single-minded gunman is bent on tracking down and killing the white man responsible for an Indian raid on a stagecoach. His fiancee was killed in the raid and a large army payroll was stolen. The villain is a "solid citizen" with fingers in several dirty pies. Based on a novel by western specialist Luke Short and having a great fist-fight between Scott & Tucker

Perfect CineColor print!

Decision at Sundown (1957)

Color - 77 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, John Carroll, Karen Steele, Valerie French & Noah Beery Jr.

Directed by Budd Boetticher

Bart Allison arrives in Sundown planning to kill Tate Kimbrough. Three years earlier he believed Kimbrough was responsible for the death of his wife. He finds Kimbrough and warns him he is going to kill him but gets pinned down in the livery stable with his friend Sam by Kimbrough's stooge Sheriff and his men. Then Sam is shot in the back after being told he could leave safely.

Randolph Scott in great form in another top notch Budd Boetticher directorial effort with a sharp script by good friend Charles Lang (who was to also script Buchanan Rides Alone - Scott / Boetticher next collaboration)

Perfect Technicolor Wide Screen print!

The Desperadoes (1943)

Color - 87 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Claire Trevor, Glenn Ford, Evelyn Keyes & Edgar Buchanan

Directed by Charles Vidor

Into Sheriff Steve Upton's peaceful Utah town rides outlaw Cheyenne Rodgers with trouble right behind him. When he finds romance with a local woman, and renews an old friendship with the sheriff, he is determined to turn his back on his old, lawless ways. But when the local bank is robbed, all fingers point to the innocent Rodgers.

An A league western thanks to Charles Vidor's direction and clever support play from Glenn Ford & Claire Trevor

Perfect Technicolor print!

The Doolins of Oklahoma (1949)

B&W - 90 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, George Macready, Louise Allbritton, John Ireland & Virginia Huston

Directed by Gordon Douglas

When the Dalton gang is ambushed by U.S. Marshals, Bill Doolin, the last surviving member, forms his own group of bank robbers. Although the gang is widely successful, things quickly heat up to a point where Doolin advises his men to lay low before reuniting after three months. Hiding out in a church in Claymore, Doolin is befriended by Deacon Burton, whose daughter, Elaine, he begins to court and eventually marries under the alias of Daley. But the past catches up with the former outlaw soon enough and he is forced to skip town. Resuming their illegal occupation, the Doolin gang is finally cornered and Doolin hides out at the former Daley homestead, where, to their surprise, Elaine has been patiently waiting for the return of her husband. Determined to leave his old life for good, Doolin plans to flee with Elaine to an unclaimed area between Kansas and Texas, but an old foe, Marshal Sam Hughes is waiting in the wings.

Randolph Scott co-produced and starred in this fabulous Western which chronicles the career of one of the last of the legendary Western outlaws.

Excellent B&W print

Fighting Man of the Plains (1949)

Color - 94 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Bill Williams, Victor Jory, Douglas Kennedy & Jane Nigh

Directed by Edwin L. Marin

Jim Dancer is one of the members of Quantrill's Raiders, staging attacks on Kansas on behalf of the fallen Confederacy in the years following the Civil War. During one raid, he kills the man he holds responsible for the death of his brother. The dead man was innocent, and Dancer becomes a fugitive from justice. Months later, he resurfaces as the marshal of a Kansas town, where he confronts a vicious gang and must seek help from another social outcast, Jesse James!

Written by the legendary Frank Gruber, this film was one of a group of Randolph Scott westerns produced independently by Nat Holt and released through 20th Century-Fox.

Extremely rare film: Excellent B&W print but not available in Cinecolor

The Fighting Westerner (1935) - see Rocky Mountain Mystery (1935) below

Fort Worth (1951)

Color - 80 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, David Brian, Phyllis Thaxter, Helena Carter & Dickie Jones

Directed by Edwin L. Marin

An gunfighter-turned-newspaperman, Ned Britt sets up shop in a Texas town and tries to expose the crooked machinations of cattle baron Gabe Clevinger. This brings him into conflict with his old friend Blair Lunsfold who has cast his lot with Clevinger. Further complicating matters is Lunsford's fiancee Flora Talbot who falls in love with Britt. As tensions threaten to erupt into all-out bloodshed, especially when Clevinger deploys brute force to prevent the arrival of the railroad, Ned Britt is forced to rethink his newfound philosophy that the pen is mightier than the sword.

Fabulous stuff from Randolph!

Perfect Technicolor print!

Frontier Marshal (1939)

B&W - 71 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Cesar Romero, Nancy Kelly, Binnie Barnes & John Carradine

Directed by Allan Dwan

Marshal Wyatt Earp of Tombstone and his brothers enforce the law as much by reputation as by gunplay. Occasionally the marshal's efforts are complicated by his "friendly enemy" Doc Halliday, a consumptive gunslinger who runs the gambling activities in town. When a murderous outlaw invades Tombstone and kills Halliday, Earp is moved to action and the result is the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Excellent B&W print

Gunfighters (1947)

Color - 87 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Barbara Ritton, Bruce Cabot, Forrest Tucker & Charley Grapewin

Directed by George Waggner

A gunslinger who's vowed to kill no more, goes to work for a land baron who's been driving out neighboring ranchers by fair means and foul. The baron's daughter falls for Scott, while the girl's sister is obsessed by her father's vicious henchman. The gunslinger eventually chooses the right side in the ranch war, leading to a showdown with Cabot and the breaking of his vow to never again fire a gun.

Zane Grey wrote the novel upon which Gunfighters was based.

Perfect CineColor print!

Hangman's Knot (1952)

Color - 81 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Donna Reed, Frank Faylen, Richard Denning & Lee Marvin

Directed by Roy Huggins

It's 1865 in Nevada and a unit of Confederate soldiers attack a Union troop carrying gold. They kill the soldiers and capture the gold only to learn the war ended a month ago. Deciding to keep the gold they flee but get chased by a group of drifters that want the gold. They get pinned down at a stage relay station and when deals between the two sides fail, the drifters decide to burn them out.

Highly regarded western which ranks alongside the Scott-Boetticher vehicles of a few years later.

Perfect Technicolor print!

-NEW TITLE-

High, Wide and Handsome (1937)

B&W - 110 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Irene Dunne, Dorothy Lamour, Charles Bickford, Akim Tamiroff & Elizabeth Patterson

Directed by Rouben Mamoulian

The setting is the small town of Titusville in 1870s Pennsylvania. Sally Waterson (Irene Dunne) and her father have stopped in town with their traveling medicine show, but when their wagon catches fire, they find themselves stranded. They're taken in by Mrs. Cortlandt and her grandson, Peter (Randolph Scott), who is trying to set up a pipeline that will supply oil throughout the state. Sally and Peter soon fall in love and marry. Neither their marriage nor Peter's pipe dreams flow too smoothly. The villainous element is represented by Walt Brennan (Alan Hale), who does his best to block the project to serve his own evil ends. Sally’s old circus friends come to the rescue with a herd of trained elephants!

A historical musical western comedy melodrama with several rousing musical numbers by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein.

A nicely restored B&W print

Jesse James (1939)

Color - 106 mins

Starring Tyrone, Power, Henry Fonda, Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly, Henry Hull & Brian Donlevy

Directed by Henry King

Irresistibly entertaining story of Jesse (Tyrone Power) and Frank James (Henry Fonda) becoming train and bank robbers to avenge the death of their mother killed at the behest of greedy railroad interests.

Director Henry King stages the action sequences in glorious outsized fashion, notably the famous bank-robbery scene in which Jesse rides his horse through a plate glass window. The scenes involving both James brothers are stolen hands-down by Henry Fonda, not so much because he was a better actor than Tyrone Power but because his character had all the best lines. Jesse James was filmed largely on location in Missouri.

Yes, Randolph Scott is not the star here but he has a pivotal (& "A" list star-making role) as Marshall Will Wright

Perfect Technicolor print!

The Last of the Mohicans (1936)

B&W - 91 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Binnie Bbarnes, Henry Wilcoxon, Bruce Cabot, Heather Angel & Robert Barrat

Directed by George B. Seitz

Randolph Scott has one of his best roles as Hawkeye in this exciting film adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's often filmed novel. During the brutal French and Indian War, Hawkeye is prevailed upon to escort Major Duncan Heyward and the two daughters of Fort William Henry commander Colonel Munro, Alice and Cora to safety through enemy lines. Hawkeye is assisted by his Indian friend Chingachgook and Uncas, Chingachgook's son; the two are the last survivors of the Mohican tribe. During their travels to the fort, Alice falls in love with Hawkeye, while Cora falls in love with Uncas. But along the way, the band is continually harassed by the demonic Huron Indian Magua.

Oscar Nominated for Best Assistant Director!

Excellent B&W print!

A Lawless Street (1955)

Color - 78 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Angela Lansbury, Warner Anderson, Jean Parker & Wallace Ford

Directed by Joseph H. Lewis

Famed Marshal Calem Ware, whose strenous activities on behalf of law and order have exacted a toll on his personal life is keeping the peace in the town of Medicine Bend. Ware hopes to someday be reconciled with his ex-wife Tally Dickinson now a touring musical comedy star. Just as Tally arrives in Medicine Bend, Ware is forced to deal with big-time criminals Thorne and Clark, not to mention their hired gun Baskam. Will he do his duty and rid the town of his outlaw element, or will he hang up his guns as Tally wants him to?

One of the highlights is a lively saloon-hall number performed by Angela Lansbury.

Perfect Technicolor print in Wide Screen

The Man Behind the Gun (1953)

Color - 82 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Patrice Wymore, Dick Wesson, Philip Carey & Roy Roberts

Directed by Felix E. Feist

Posing as a schoolteacher, undercover government agent Ransome Callicut arrives in 1850's California to gather intelligence about an insurrectionist plot to have the southern part of the state secede to the Confederate states. When he discovers a hidden cache of weapons, he reveals his true identity and assumes command of the local army post. Aided by sidekicks Monk Walker and Olaf Swenson he battles political assassination and other intrigues to unmask the ringleader of the plot and keep California in the Union.

Perfect Technicolor print!

Man in the Saddle (1951)

Color - 87 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Joan Leslie, Ellen Drew, Alexander Knox & John Russell.

Directed by André De Toth

A rancher is forced to stand by as his girl friend is lured away by a wealthy neighboring rancher. When the neighbor is killed, Scott is accused of the murder, and must clear himself. After a blood-spattered fistfight with a gunslinger and several gun battles, Scott consoles himself with schoolteacher Ellen Drew. Based on a novel by Ernest Haycox, Man in the Saddle was the first of the lucrative collaborations between star Randolph Scott and producer Harry Joe Brown.

Perfect Technicolor print!

The Nevadan (1950)

Color - 81 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Dorothy Malone, Forrest Tucker, Frank Faylen & George Macready.

Directed by Gordon Douglas

U.S. Marshal Andrew Barkeley, goes undercover in a federal penitentiary to get information on $250,000 in stolen money. Barkeley arranges for the chief suspect, Tom Tanner to escape from jail, so that he can trail him to the hiding place for the loot. Complicating matters is avaricious rancher Edward Galt, who also covets the stolen cash.

Another fine production from the team of star Randolph Scott and producer Harry Joe Brown.

Perfect Cinecolor print!

Rage at Dawn (1955)

Color - 87 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Forrest Tucker, Mala Powers, J. Carrol Naish & Edgar Buchanan

Directed by Tim Whelan

Terrorizing 1866 Indiana, the Reno brothers use the town of Seymour as a safe haven, paying off three crooked town officials. Sent in to clean up the gang is Peterson Detective Agency operative James Barlow, who poses as an outlaw to gain the confidence of the officials and the Renos. Complicating matters are Barlow's feelings for the Reno sister, Laura, who reluctantly keeps house for the boys out of family loyalty. Events heat up and rage surfaces as Barlow sets up the gang in a dawn train robbery.

Good Technicolor print in Wide Screen - much better than those prints commercially available

Return of the Bad Men (1948)

B&W - 90 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan, Anne Jeffreys, George 'Gabby' Hayes & Lex Barker

Directed by Ray Enright

Randolph Scott plays US Marshal Vance, assigned to rid the Oklahoma Territory of outlaws. This proves to be quite a challenge, inasmuch as virtually every frontier bad man has converged upon the territory. Led by the surly Sundance Kid (Robert Ryan), the rogue's gallery includes the Younger Brothers (Steve Brodie, Richard Powers, Robert Bray), the Daltons (Lex Barker, Walter Reed, Michael Harvey) and Billy the Kid (Dean White).

Excellent B&W print!

This genesis of this film can be traced to the success of 1946's Badman's Territory. RKO Radio decided to assemble another western about famous outlaws and this film was the result. The film posted a huge profit, spawning yet another famous outlaws western from RKO, 1951's Best of the Badmen.

Badman's Territory (1946) being a Randolph Scott western is available above - its also available from within the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section of the website.

Since Best of the Badmen (1951) is not a Randolph Scott western then it isn't available above, however it can be found in the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section.

Ride Lonesome (1959)

Color - 73 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Karen Steele, Pernell Roberts, James Best, Lee Van Cleef & James Coburn

Directed by Budd Boetticher

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 Station (1960)

Perfect Eastman Color Wide Screen print!

Ride the High Country (1962)

Color - 94 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, Mariette Hartley, Ron Starr & Edgar Buchanan

Directed by Sam Peckinpah

The time is the early 1900s, when the Old West was slowly and stubbornly giving way to the new. McCrea plays Steve Judd, an ex-lawman living on the fringes of poverty but maintaining his dignity and honesty. Hired to escort a gold shipment from the wide-open mining town of Coarse Gold, he engages his old pal Gil Westrum (Scott) to help him. But Gil hasn't Steve's integrity, and he and his young saddle pal Heck Longtree (Ronald Starr) hope to talk Steve into helping them steal the gold.

Sam Peckinpah's feature film directorial debut was intended as the cinematic swan song for both Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea and this western serves as an excellent valedictory for both men. A final shoot-out that allows Steve and Gil to reconcile their differences and pave the way for the film's elegiac finale.

Randolph Scott's last film!

Perfect MetroColor print in Wide Screen!

Riding Shotgun (1954)

Color - 73 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Wayne Morris, Joan Weldon, Joe Sawyer, James Millican & Charles Bronson

Directed by André De Toth

Larry Delong has taken a job as a shotgun rider on the stagecoach because he's after a ruthless stagecoach hold-up gang who killed his sister and young boy. Larry wants to kill the gang leader Dan Marady and he figures the best way to do it is ride as a decoy to smoke him out. The gang realizes that Larry is on the stage heading for Deep Water and decide to lead him into a trap.

Perfect WarnerColor print!

-NEW TITLE-

The Road to Reno (1938)

B&W - 72 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Hope Hampton, Glenda Farrell, Alan Marshal & David Oliver

Directed by S. Sylvan Simon

In this lively musical western, a cowboy Steve Fortness (Randolph Scott) learns that his wife is heading to Reno for a quickie divorce. And before long he finds himself in competition with a suave Easterner who has fallen in love with her. Further Fortness is dismayed and embarrassed when the city-slicker easily out rides him during a bronco-riding exhibition. Will he win back his wife in this climate of intense competition?

A nicely restored B&W print

-NEW TITLE-

Rocky Mountain Mystery (aka The Fighting Westerner) (1935)

B&W - 83 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Charles 'Chic' Sale, Mrs. Leslie Carter, Willie Fung & Ann Sheridan

Directed by Charles Barton

Lawman Larry Sutton (Randolph Scott) is assigned to solve a series of murders occurring at a radium mine. Among the suspects is mine owner Mrs. Adolph Borg (played by legendary Broadway star Leslie Carter in a rare film appearance). Hoping to beat Sutton to the solution is local sheriff Tex Murdock (played by veteran vaudevillian Chic Sale). The key to the mystery would seem to be a sinister Chinese gent named Ling Yat (Willie Fung), but is he all that he seems?

A remake of the Golden Dreams (1922), Rocky Mountain Mystery was reissued as The Fighting Westerner.

Like Wagon Wheels (1934) below, this western was adapted from a Zane Grey story.

Excellent B&W print

Santa Fe (1951)

Color - 87 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Janis Carter, Jerome Courtland, Peter M. Thompson & John Archer

Directed by Irving Pichel

Set in the years following the Civil War, the film centres on Britt Canfield, one of four ex-Confederate brothers who head West to carve out a new life. While his three siblings cast their lot on the wrong side of the law, Britt accepts a job with the Santa Fe Railroad. Inevitably, Britt is obliged to bring his wayward brothers to justice, though he knows full well that the person responsible for their downfall is gambling boss Cole Sanders. In a well-staged climax, Britt squares accounts with the evil Sanders and his hulking henchman Crake.

The creative team of producer Harry Joe Brown and star Randolph Scott turned out some of the best westerns of the 1950s, and Santa Fe is no exception.

Perfect Technicolor print!

Seven Men from Now (1956)

Color - 78 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Gail Russell, Lee Marvin, Walter Reed, John Larch & Don 'Red' Barry

Directed by Budd Boetticher

Ex-sheriff Ben Stride tracks the seven men who held up a Wells Fargo office and killed his wife. Stride is tormented by the fact that his own failure to keep his job was the cause of his wife's working in the express office and thus he is partly responsible for her death. Stride encounters a married couple heading west for California and helps them. Along the way they are joined by two others, Masters and Clete, who know that Stride is after the express-office robbers. They plan to let Stride lead them to the bandits, then make away with the loot themselves. But they aren't the only ones carrying a secret.

The first and one of the best of the Randolph Scott / Budd Boetticher / Burt Kennedy collaborations,

Often considered to be best of the best of Randolph Scott's westerns, his role was originally slated for John Wayne.

My all-time favourite western! - it grabs you by the throat, right from the start, then doesn't let go, not even for a moment. Seventy eight minutes later: you're exhausted!

Perfect WarnerColor print in Wide Screen

7th Cavalry (1956)

Color - 75 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Barbara Hale, Jay C. Flippen, Frank Faylen & Leo Gordon.

Directed by Joseph H. Lewis

Returning to Fort Lincoln, Captain Benson learns of Custer's defeat at the Little Big Horn. At the inquiry as Custer's Officers blame Custer for the defeat, Benson tries to defend him. But Benson was suspiciously absent at the time of the battle and is now despised by the troops. So when an order to retrieve the bodies from the battlefield arrives, Benson volunteers for the dangerous mission of returning back into Indian territory

Perfect Technicolor print!

Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend (1957)

B&W - 87 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, James Craig, Angie Dickinson, Dani Crayne & James Garner

Directed by Richard L. Bare

A cavalry troop is wiped out in a Sioux massacre because they were sold faulty ammunition and were unable to defend themselves. Buck Devlin, whose brother commanded the ill-fated troop, musters out of the service with pals John and Wilbur and vows to find the men responsible for the crime.

This was Scott's last outing with Warner Brothers and being shot in B&W, it sat on the shelf before being released as B western - a fate that it didn't deserve particularly as it provides a chance to see early big-screen work of James Garner and Angie Dickinson

Excellent B&W print

The Spoilers (1942)

B&W - 87 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne, Margaret Lindsay & Harry Carey

Directed by Ray Enright

Prospector Roy Glennister (Wayne) is continually persecuted by Alexander McNamara (Randolph Scott), who has the law on his side, until the two decide to settle their dispute man-to-man in a spectacular reel-long fistfight. Dietrich plays saloon-hall gal Cherry Mallote, who becomes the romantic bone of contention between Glennister and McNamara.

Yes, the plot, involving the cheating of Alaskan gold rush prospectors by a crooked gold commissioner, requires that Randolph Scott play a villain! - an incredible fist fight!

Oscar Nominated for Best Art Direction.

Excellent B&W print

The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953)

Color - 83 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Claire Trevor, Joan Weldon, George Macready, Lee Marvin & Ernest Borgnine

Directed by André De Toth

Having been a spy for Quantrill's raiders during the Civil War, Jeff Travis thinking himself a wanted man, flees to Arizona where he runs into Jules Mourret who knows of his past. He takes a job on the stage line that Mourret is trying to steal gold from. When Mourret's men kill a friend of his he sets out to get Mourret and his men. When his plan to have another gang get Mourret fails, he has to go after them himself.

Yep, that’s both Lee Marvin & Ernest Borgnine in supporting roles.

Perfect Technicolor print!

Sugarfoot (1951) - (aka Swirl of Glory)

Color - 80 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Adele Jergens, Raymond Massey & S. Z. Sakall

Directed by Edwin L. Marin

A former Confederate Army officer known only as "Sugarfoot" is hoping to start life anew and to this end rides into the town of Prescott, Arizona. But he manages to incur the wrath of territorial bigwigs Jacob Stint and Asa Goodhue, who've carried a grudge against him since the Civil War. Fortunately he also gets on the good side of saloon-hall singer Reva Cairn. The scene is set for conflict.

Sugarfoot was renamed Swirl of Glory when released to television, to avoid confusion with the TV series Sugarfoot

Very Good Technicolor print!

-NEW TITLE-

Susannah of the Mounties (1939)

B&W - 78 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Shirley Temple, Margaret Lockwood, Martin Good Reader, J. Farrell MacDonald, Moroni Olsen & Victor Jory

Directed by Walter Lang & William A. Seiter

The sole survivor of an Indian attack, orphan girl Susannah ‘Sue’ Sheldon (Shirley Temple) becomes the mascot of the Canadian Mountie outpost headed by Superintendent Andrew Standing (Moroni Olsen). Mountie Angus "Monty" Montague (Randolph Scott) and his sweetheart (and Standing's daughter), Vicky (Margaret Lockwood), appoint themselves as Susannah's unofficial parents, doing their best to help the girl overcome her terrible ordeal. Eventually, it is "little miss fix-it"Susannah who brings peace between the Mounties and the Blackfeet, but not before Monty is nearly burned at the stake by the renegade Indian responsible for fomenting all the trouble.

Based on a novel by Muriel Denison

Excellent B&W print

Tall Man Riding (1955)

Color - 83 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Dorothy Malone, Peggie Castle, William Ching, John Dehner & Robert Barrat

Directed by Lesley Selander

Forced to lay low for several years after being forced out of town by land baron Tucker Ordway, Larry Madden returns to wreak vengeance against Ordway and claim the land that is rightfully his. Madden also hopes to rekindle the flames of romance with his ex-fiancee, Ordway's daughter Corinna.The tension lies not in whether or not Madden will get what he wants but whether or not he can be dissuaded from becoming a murderer and, then a fugitive for the rest of his life.

A sturdy western this, dealing with territorial land granting in Montana - the film benefits from the brisk, no-nonsense direction of Lesley Selander, in one of his few Warner Bros. assignments

Perfect WarnerColor print!

The Tall T (1957)

Color - 78 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Maureen O'Sullivan, Arthur Hunnicutt & Skip Homeier

Directed by Budd Boetticher

Having lost his horse in a bet, Pat Brennan hitches a ride with a stagecoach carrying newlyweds, Willard and Doretta Mims. At the next station the coach and its passengers fall into the hands of a trio of outlaws headed by a man named Usher. When Usher learns that Doretta is the daughter of a rich copper-mine owner, he decides to hold her for ransom. Tension build over the next 24 hours as Usher awaits a response to his demands and as a romantic attachment grows between Brennan and Doretta.

Perhaps the grittiest of the Randolph Scott-Budd Boetticher collaborations, The Tall T was adapted by Burt Kennedy from the Elmore Leonard short story The Captive.

Perfect Technicolor Wide Screen print!

Ten Wanted Men (1955)

Color - 80 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Jocelyn Brando, Leo Gordon, Lee Van Cleef & Skip Homeier

Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone

A powerful rancher John Stewart, attempts to establish law and order on his vast Arizona spread without resorting to violence. Less peacefully inclined is Stewart's chief rival Wick Campbell, who believes that might is right. To this end, Campbell recruits the services of hired gun Frank Scavo and eight other henchmen to drive all competition out of the territory. Complicating matters is a dispute between Stewart & Campbell over a Mexican girl that Stewart's been sheltering. Caught up in all this is Stewart's newly arrived brother Adam and his nephew Howie who falls in love with the Mexican girl, much to Campbell's chargrin.

Richard Boone in a strong supporting role.

Perfect Technicolor print!

The Texans (1938)

B&W - 92 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Joan Bennett, May Robson, Walter Brennan, Robert Cummings & Raymond Hatton

Directed by James P. Hogan

In the rough-and-tumble world of post-Civil War Texas, ex-Confederate soldier Kirk Jordan (Randolph Scott) crosses paths with ranch owner Ivy Preston (Joan Bennett). Although a loyal Southerner, Jordan can't get past the waste and tragedy of the four years that have just ended, but Ivy is eager to help keep the war for the Confederacy alive, running guns to her would-be lover, unrepentant ex-Confederate captain Alan Sanford (Robert Cummings), who is prepared to ally himself with the Mexican emperor Maximilian as a means of starting a new war against the "Yankee" government. Ivy is attracted to Jordan after he boldly helps her evade an army checkpoint, until she finds out how relatively peaceable he is. Jordan and his sidekick, Cal Tuttle (Raymond Hatton), are prepared to make a cattle drive to the new railhead at Abilene and sell at a handsome profit, but Ivy wants nothing to do with the United States or Yankee money.

Excellent B&W print

Thunder Over the Plains (1953)

Color - 82 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Lex Barker, Phyllis Kirk, Charles McGraw & Henry Hull

Directed by André De Toth

The scene is Texas, in the years just following the Civil War. Carpetbaggers have taken hold of the Texas government and imposed a near-dictatorship, hiding behind the legal protection of the Union Army of Occupation. Though his heart belongs to Dixie, Captain David Porter is honor-bound to uphold the law of the land, even though it protects criminals and persecutes the innocent. Eventually, Porter reveals his true feelings as he tries to clear Texas patriot Ben Westman from a murder charge framed by villains Standish and Balfour. Meanwhile, Captain Bill Hodges tries to make time with Porter's long-suffering wife Norah (Phyllis Kirk).

A complicated but compelling story with a strong narrative and loads of action!

Perfect WarnerColor print!

-NEW TITLE-

To the Last Man (1933)

B&W - 70 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Esther Ralston, Jack La Rue, Buster Crabbe, Barton MacLane & Noah Beery

Directed by Henry Hathaway

In Kentucky just after the Civil War, the Hayden-Colby feud leads to Jed Colby (Noah Beery) being sent to prison for 15 years for murder. Lynn Hayden (Randolph Scott) moves his family to Nevada to start life anew and when Colby gets out of prison he heads there also seeking revenge. A war between cattlemen and sheepherders is ranging there and pretty soon it involving the same two families all over again. Lynn tries to avoid more killing but the inevitable showdown has to occur, complicated by Lynn Hayden and Ellen Colby's plans to marry.

In addition to its many other plusses, To the Last Man introduces a novel method of billing the actors: each player is introduced by name as he or she appears on-screen.

From the pen of Zane Grey, To the Last Man manages to pack plenty of A-level production values into what was essentially a B-picture budget.

Excellent B&W print

Trail Street (1947)

B&W - 84 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan, Anne Jeffreys, George 'Gabby' Hayes & Steve Brodie

Directed by Ray Enright

A Kansas town is without a Marshal and the nearby farmers are unable to grow crops due to the summer drought and trail riders that run cattle over their land. Bat Masterson arrives to bring law and order whilst his Deputy accidentally finds a variety of wheat that will withstand the drought. But the farmers are giving up and leaving and Bat must convince them to stay. He wants them to continue farming and also help round up the local gang of outlaws & criminal ranch owners

Robert Ryan has a great role in this exciting western.

Excellent B&W print

Virginia City (1940) - 121 mins

Starring Errol Flynn, Randolph Scott, Miriam Hopkins, Humphrey Bogart, Frank McHugh, Alan Hale & Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Union Captain Kerry Bradford (Errol Flynn) is pitted against Confederate Colonel Vance Irby (Randolph Scott), against the backdrop of the American Civil War. Bradford breaks out of a Confederate prison commanded by Irby during the latter days of 1864, a period that saw the South's dwindling resources virtually shrink to nothing. There is a slim chance to smuggle a multi-million gold shipment from Virginia City, Nevada, to the South and Irby is given the assignment. Bradford, hearing of the plan, is given the job by the Union to prevent the smuggled gold from reaching the Confederacy.

Excellent B&W print

Wagon Wheels (1934)

B&W - 60 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Gail Patrick, Billy Lee, Monte Blue, Raymond Hatton & Jan Duggan

Directed by Charles Barton

Randolph Scott plays a trail guide named Clint Belmet leading a wagon train journey from Missouri to Oregon, through Indian attacks and outlaw treachery. Murdock (Monte Blue), the main villain, foments trouble between the whites and Indians on behalf of a cartel of foreign fur traders, adding international intrigue to proceedings.

Like Rocky Mountain Mystery (1934) above, this western was adapted from a Zane Grey story.

Wagon Wheels is a remake of the 1931 Gary Cooper starrer Fighting Caravans.

Good B&W print

The Walking Hills (1949)

B&W - 78 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Ella Raines, William Bishop, Edgar Buchanan & Arthur Kennedy

Directed by John Sturges

While tailing a murder suspect, a private detective follows the suspect into a poker game. When one of the players reveals he knows the location of a lost wagon train full of gold, everyone in the game is suddenly bound up in an expedition into the desert to find the treasure. But heat, sand, wind, and the revelation of personal secrets combine to threaten not only the treasure hunt but the lives of the hunters as well. Lust and greed collide head-on when gorgeous Chris Jackson enters the picture.

Yes that’s director John Sturges would later employ the same cat-and-mouse formula in Bad Day at Black Rock (1954).

Excellent B&W print.

Westbound (1959)

Color - 72 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Virginia Mayo, Karen Steele, Michael Dante, Andrew Duggan & Michael Pate

Directed by Budd Boetticher

John Hayes left the Civil War behind him when he took on the job of managing the Overland Stage Lines out of a small Colorado town. Clay Putnam has not forgotten that the Confederacy lost and he plans on robbing Hayes' Overland Stage of one of its gold shipments from California to the North. He wants the gold to stay in the South to revive the Confederate cause. Meanwhile, his wife Norma complicates matters since she was Hayes' old flame, and Putnam's cronies want the gold for themselves.

A fast-paced western with a number of twists, its is an fine example of the Scott / Boetticher pairing.

Perfect Wide-Screen WarnerColor print!

Western Union (1941)

Color - 95 mins

Starring Robert Young, Randolph Scott, Dean Jagger, Virginia Gilmore & John Carradine

Directed by Fritz Lang

Fritz Lang's second color film and second Western, follows the process of installing the cross-country Western Union telegraph wires while telling the story of two brothers whose destinies have brought them together. Vance Shaw (Randolph Scott) is an ex-criminal whose job is to protect the Western Union workers against attacks by gangs of bandits. But, when he learns that his renegade brother, Jack Slade, is leading one of these gangs, Vance realizes this job will not be easy. Tension increases as the daughter of Vance's boss, Sue, comes into the picture with her young and inexperienced suitor, Richard Blake (Robert Young). With Vance and Richard waging psychological warfare over Sue's affections, the Western Union lines are threatened at every turn by gangs of bandits impersonating Indians.

"Fritz Lang's striking use of Technicolor enhances the actual Western landscapes and the real Oglala Indians cast in the film. Virtuoso cinematography and signature Langian psychological suspense elevate this western tale of destiny, desire, and coming of age to a fever pitch of excitement and melodrama"

Western Union was the second Technicolor western effort from director Fritz Lang.

Perfect Technicolor print!

When the Daltons Rode (1940)

B&W - 81 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Kay Francis, Brian Donlevy, George Bancroft & Broderick Crawford

Directed by George Marshall

Young lawyer Tod Jackson arrives in pioneer Kansas to visit his prosperous rancher friends the Daltons, just as the latter are in danger of losing their land to a crooked development company. When Tod tries to help them, a faked murder charge turns the Daltons into outlaws. Tod is now torn between staying loyal to his friends and upholding the law. Falling in love with Bob Dalton's former fiancée Julie, also complicates his predicament.

A rattling good story with a non-stop marathon of action in the final quarter.

Excellent B&W print.

Home