Flesh and the Spur (1956)

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

"Flesh and the Spur" is a low-budget 50s western and you know it had a low budget because it stars John Agar and 'Touch' Connors (Mike Connors' name before the graduated up to GOOD roles). It's far from well made but not horrible.The film begins with one of the Random twins being murdered by some thug for his horse and gun. His identical twin (Agar) vows to find the man with the fancy gun that belonged to his brother and kill him. Soon after, he meets Stacy (Connors) and there is every indication that Stacy is bad. When they meet an Indian girl(?), she informs the twin that Stacy is bad...and he ignores her. In fact, never have I seen so many warning signs that someone is bad...but his new friend insists he's just peachy. What's next? Who cares...the film lost me due to some really wooden acting by Agar as well as the worst Indian character I've seen since William Shatner starred in "White Comanche". The lady sounds like she just graduated from charm school...and sounds about as Native American as the Kaiser!! A silly, dull and indifferently acted film (at best).

One of the infamous Checker gang escapes from prison and on the run shoots John Agar down and takes his weapon with him. As Agar's dad had two long barreled weapons made he gave one each to his twin sons. And it's John Agar out looking for the guy who killed his brother John Agar.During his search for the Checker gang Agar collects a curious crew around him. Michael Connors a wanted outlaw with an edge to him, talkative trick shot artist Raymond Hatton, and exiled Indian princess Marla English.Flesh And The Spur was strictly for the drive-in trade. Those matched long barreled pistols that are harped on have a homoerotic twist to them that you couldn't miss. Sometimes you think Agar is more interested in that matched set than in getting his father's killer. All these folks have done better work, especially Hatton whose credits go back to the earliest of silent films.

"Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake" director Edward L. Cahn helmed a variety of films during his prolific 31 year career, ranging from westerns, to war pictures, to horror chillers, to juvenile delinquent epics, and science fiction sagas. Unfortunately, too much of Cahn's work is not available to enjoy. He made about five or six oater during his career. The low budget "Flesh and the Spur" qualifies as an above-average western. Western veteran John Agar, who cut his teeth on two famous John Ford sagebrushers, co-stars with future "Mannix" lead Mike 'Touch' Connors in this absorbing little trail western about a search for a killer. Although Cahn's is nowhere near as memorable as anything John Ford called the shots on, this concisely made but cheap shoot'em up is just quirky enough to pass muster. Basically, "Flesh and the Spur" concerns the efforts of a rancher to find the dastard who murdered his brother. As it turns out, the killer not only stole a horse but he also stole an unusual revolver. Our hero sets out to find the killer and crosses trails with another man who is looking for an outlaw gang that the killer has ridden with. The two men strike up an uneasy friendship and ride the revenge trail. Along the way, they encounter some interesting characters who participate in this adventure. The title alone makes this 78 minute oater interesting. Indeed, it sounded to me like a sadomasochistic porno western, but it isn't. Cahn's western is reminiscent of the trail westerns that Randolph Scott made with director Budd Boetticher during the 1950s. Two men ride the same trail but there is something between them that remains unresolved until the final quarter hour. Several things about "Flesh and the Spur" set it apart from the usual sagebrusher. First, there is an interesting saloon fracas where the combatants wield spurs as their weapons of choice since they are not allowed to tote guns on the premises. There is a sharpshooter whose aim improves with every shot of liquor that he swallows. There is an offbeat duel at the fade-out where the combatants hold their six-guns in an awkward grip—called 'the border roll'—that makes it difference. Altogether, "Flesh and the Spur" amounts to a sturdy, solid, formula western that departs from the norm just enough to distinguish it. Watching Mike Connors as the extrovert gunslinger is fun, too. The expertise with which Cahn and his director of photography lens the opening scene--a convict escaping from prison--is first-rate stuff, particularly because they endeavor to conceal the identity of the escapee.

If I would have seen `The Flesh and the Spur' when it was originally released I would dismiss it as a weak western. Seeing it nowadays when westerns are so scarce I cannot help enjoying it. Probably because it has that flavor of the fifties. Mara English is a strong presence, she is sensual and interesting. Also Mike Connors is very good as Stacy Tanner.The film starts when a man runs away from prison and ends up killing John Agar´s brother.As he takes his gun, the rest of the film is about the search of Agar for the gun and the killer. During his search he becomes friendly with Connors and also rescues Mara English who eventually falls in love with him.