#DayOfTheOutlaw (1959) :
Just loved whatever the hell Robert Ryan and Burl Ives were doing – bad or good, didn't matter!
Andre de Toth's final Western feature doesn't really have a clear villain or hero. Actually, it has both, but they behave like characters with dual personalities – sometimes as heroes, sometimes as villains. There is little action and little drama, but the thrill and adventure are much better. The film is about Starrett, a cattleman who built a town out of nothing, and now the new town's people are turning against him. When he is about to face three of them in a duel at the same time, a group of rogue cavalrymen enters the town and takes over. They are looking for a place to stay for the night as they are being chased. The leader of the group, Jack Bruhn, is an ex-army man who keeps his men under control and stops them from killing people or taking advantage of women in the town. Starrett and the townspeople are left with no other choice but to cooperate with them, but what if the men cross the limits anyway? Will Bruhn or Starrett be able to stop them? In about 92 minutes, the film keeps things easy and smooth without making a mess. The first and biggest flaw comes towards the end, and it literally pulls the film down. The entire last episode of Starrett taking the men on in the snow-covered mountains gets messy and somewhat unrealistic. The film loses its grip there. Before that moment, it was quite a gripping show. Robert Ryan is first portrayed as a bad fella and then transforms into a good man. His last conversation with his girlfriend is a sign of his bravery and what a great gentleman he is. Burl Ives is superb. I just loved every single bit of these two, while the rest of the cast was pretty passable. Andre de Toth has done well, but not enough. Day of the Outlaws is a fine watch anyway, but I can't overlook the fact that it could have been better.
RATING – 6/10*
#AndreDeToth #RobertRyan #BurlIves #TinaLouise