Riding Shotgun (1954)

Dreadfully Boring

Am I Missing Something?

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

. . . of how to Make America Safe Again. RIDING SHOTGUN shows that towns in which everybody is willing and able to take pot shots at everyone else can really reduce their crime rates, even when plagued by felonious gangs. If firearms had been outlawed in the town of "Deepwater" before "Dan Marady's" gang of gun-slinging outlaws showed up, only Dan's outlaws would have had access to firearms after they had tricked the local lawmen into leaving town. Fortunately for the "Bank Club" casino--Dan's armed robbery target--Deepwater is an "open carry" settlement, in which everyone is armed to the teeth. (The good guys even keep "in practice" by shooting at EACH OTHER while waiting for the bad guys to show up! Fortunately, "Laconic Larry" is skilled at shooting guns out of the opposing duelists' hands when other good guys are firing at HIM!) RIDING SHOTGUN proves that Guardian Angels mostly keep good guys from getting shot in the USA, as long as they're allowed to be on a "level playing field" where everyone old enough to walk is packing a firearm. Certainly RIDING SHOTGUN can serve as a timely reminder to show your support Today for your local chapter of BANGS (Broke Americans Need Gun Stamps).

This is quite a suspenseful western story, filled with tension. Bad man Dan Marady ( James Millican ) and his gang of robbers, plan to rob a casino. First they holdup a stagecoach which draws the local sheriff and his posse into a wild goose chase. The trick is to leave the town defenseless so the gang can come back and rob the casino. At the start of the picture, Randolph Scott is riding shotgun on the stage but is lured away before the holdup by the opportunity to settle a score with Millican. But Scott is over powered by Pinto ( Charles Bronson ) one of Millican's men. Scott is tied up and left to die. By the time Scott is able to free himself and get to the town, he discovers the stage was robbed, the driver and his rider killed and a passenger wounded. Unfairly and ignorantly, the townsfolk assume Scott is one of the gang and everyone wants him lynched. Three people try to protect him, a Cantina owner lets him take refuge in his place of business. Deputy sheriff ( Wayne Morris ), an old friend of Scotts tries to calm done the mob, which wants to siege the Cantina. The daughter of the casino owner ( Joan Weldon ) has a romantic interest in him, and believes he's innocent and tries her best to help him. After being holdup in the Cantina for hours, the townsfolk cannot wait any longer and now, the suspense really builds to an exciting climax. I do not want to spoil the ending for the reader. I will say, this Andre De Toth directed, Warner colour, 75 minute story is an extremely fine western film. The pacing of the story is flawless. Randolph Scott is at his very best, and Charles Bronson excels in his villain role. All the characters that make up the townsfolk are excellent in each of their performances. This is another underrated western that never fails to entertain

"Riding Shotgun" is a very entertaining western, were only they all so good. It boasts an unusual story and pacing: 80 percent of the movie takes place between a bloody stagecoach robbery in the beginning of the movie and a violent casino robbery at the conclusion of the movie. During this 80 percent middle period, Scott is alone in town trying to convince the elders to recall the sheriff and posse which have gone after the stage robbers, who Scott knows robbed the stage to draw the sheriff-posse out of town so they could more easily rob the casino. And the townsfolk think Scott is part of the gang of stage robbers and wants the sheriff-posse recalled to protect the gang. So what we have is this intriguing story, rugged handsome Scott, good color photography, some humor supplied mainly by deputy sheriff Wayne Morris and cantina-owner Fritz Feld, an interesting/wacky group of townsfolk (in varied dress,looks and demeanor ), beautiful Joan Weldon, and Scott's narration. Unfortunately the ending doesn't live up to the delicious intro, but the ride was most enjoyable. And nice fade-out.

Another Randolph Scott vehicle; and it's pretty lame from the outset. He's a stage-coach guard who is kidnapped by a gang and left for dead. When he gets back to town, most everyone suspects him of being in cahoots with the baddies. So why would he go back to town by himself and risk arrest or lynching? Don't ask.What follows then is a wobbly wander through most every western cliché of the period as he falls foul of one citizen or another. The townfolk vacillate over what to do. The deputy isn't sure. Scott's character claims that the baddies are actually going to rob the town (its bank and casino) nobody buys that either.It's a pretty slow, often boring and confused plot that gradually shuffles along. There's a lot of guff about him getting a horse to ride out and warn the absent sheriff and posse. But he can't get one. A cowboy in a wezzie who can't get a horse?! For an interim he is holed-up in a small bar and on 3 separate occasions, a decent deputy turns up to talk him into surrender.In due course the gang turns up at the bank. Despite his earlier warning, nobody even sees them arrive. He gets there; there's a clumsy shoot-em-up. All is understanding and forgiveness thereafter. I'd have thought his being at the bank during its hold-up actually consolidated his guilt - but there you are.There's nothing much to recommend it. A youthful Charles Bronson makes an appearance as a baddie. That's about it.Scott made some memorable westerns in his time, he did precious little else. Perhaps inevitably then, he made a few bummers. 'The Man From Lamarie' was another. Thank heavens John Sturges came to town. And also John Wayne.