Louis L’Amour | Through the Shattered Lens

I’m a big fan of westerns made in the 1940’s and 1950’s. I’m also a big fan of the writings of author Louis L’Amour. STRANGER ON HORSEBACK, a 1955 western based on a story by L’Amour, is a good example of why I love both, and it’s currently playing on Amazon Prime, HBOMAX, and Tubi.

STRANGER ON HORSEBACK opens on the traveling Circuit Judge Rick Thorne (Joel McCrea) as he rides his horse into a small western town that seems to be run by the Bannerman family. We hear his thoughts on western justice, and it goes something like this… “a judge needs three things to bring justice to this country; a law book, a horse and a gun. The further west he gets, the less he needs the book.” That’s a L’Amour line if I’ve ever heard one. As soon he gets into town, he finds out from Colonel Buck Streeter (John Carradine) that young Tom Bannerman (Kevin McCarthy) has gunned a local man down and Thorne is determined that the young man face trial for the killing. That doesn’t set too well with Tom’s dad Josiah Bannerman (John McIntire), who bluntly tells the judge that his son will not face trial for murder. After Thorne and the local Sheriff Nat Bell (Emile Meyer) arrest young Tom, it’s just a matter of time before Thorne has to take on the Bannerman clan and their hired guns. Meanwhile, Amy Lee Bannerman (Miroslava), Tom’s cousin, starts making some love moves on the judge. Is she truly falling for the righteous judge, or is she trying to save her cousin’s ass?

Director Jacques Tourneur (CAT PEOPLE, OUT OF THE PAST, WICHITA) has crafted an extremely economical, classic western. Clocking in at just 65 minutes, the story can’t afford to waste any time and gets right to the action. Joel McCrea is perfect as the morally impeccable judge who will face off against impossible odds to make sure young Tom Bannerman goes to trial for murder. Kevin McCarthy is the exact opposite as the arrogant, amoral killer whose family name has protected him all of his life. John McIntire, as the patriarch of the Bannerman family, is as tough as they come and nobody is going to tell him what to do, or hang his son. He’s not necessarily against his son hanging, but as he implies at one point, if anyone’s going to hang my son, it’s going to be me! And Miroslava is awfully cute as the Bannerman who ends up putting her feelings for the judge over the family name. Sadly, the actress would take her own life just after filming this movie.

STRANGER ON HORSEBACK was filmed in Sedona, AZ, which makes for a beautiful backdrop to this combination of western and legal thriller. The fact that McCrea is playing a judge rather than a sheriff is an interesting twist on the classic western story. His primary focus is to make sure Tom Bannerman gets his due process, but still faces a jury for his crimes, and he’ll do anything to make sure that happens. And it doesn’t take him very long to do it, because it felt like there should have been more movie when the words THE END flashed across the screen. I guess I was enjoying myself, because this 65 minute movie felt even shorter than you might expect!

John Wayne is just one of those actors I love. He’s made so many great movies. My personal favorites are RIO BRAVO, TRUE GRIT, BIG JAKE, THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER, THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE, THE SEARCHERS, THE QUIET MAN, RED RIVER, THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS and STAGECOACH. But hell, there are so many great ones not listed above. He just knew how to play tough, honorable, flawed men in his uniquely John Wayne way. When I hit play on a John Wayne film, I know I’m in for a good time.

The 1953 John Wayne movie HONDO starts with a man and his dog walking through a dusty, rocky landscape on their way towards a pond and a rough looking farmhouse. He’s greeted by a woman and her young son. The man, Hondo Lane (Oscar winner John Wayne), is a scout for the U.S. Cavalry who’s just escaped from Apaches but lost his horse in the process. The woman, Angie Lowe (Oscar winner Geraldine Page), allows Hondo to stay at her ranch to rest and get something to eat. She tells him that her husband is away in the hills chasing wildcats for the day, and he asks her if he can buy a horse to get back to his cavalry post. Hondo ends up having to stay a few days at the ranch in order to break a wild, rambunctious horse before it can be ridden. While there, Hondo learns that Angie doesn’t really know where her husband is, as he left months ago and has never returned. Hondo and Angie share some nice conversation and even a kiss. Before he leaves, he tells her that she’s not safe at her remote ranch. It seems that the U.S. government has broken their treaty with the Apaches and no one is safe in the area. Angie refuses to leave her farm as the Apaches have always treated her well, using her spring for water. Hondo heads back to his post and is barely out of sight when the Apaches show up. Will they scalp Angie and her son, Johnny? Will Angie’s husband ever show back up? Will Hondo come back to the ranch and kiss her again in the moonlight? Will Hondo teach Johnny how to swim by throwing him into the pond? Will Hondo have to save a regiment of pony soldiers and settlers from marauding Apaches? It’s my guess that you probably know the answers to these questions, and that’s part of the fun of watching John Wayne movies.

It should come as no surprise that I enjoyed HONDO. John Wayne plays a variation of his normal tough, honorable, honest character, and I like that character. Geraldine Page was nominated for her first Oscar for her performance as Angie Lowe. It was the first of eight nominations she would receive in her career. She’s an interesting actress. She’s not conventional at all in this role yet she absolutely nails it. I haven’t watched much of her work so I need to check some more of her stuff out. Ward Bond shows up as fellow cavalry scout Buffalo Baker. It’s always fun to see Wayne and Bond work together. They go together like peas and carrots. Leo Gordon is effectively slimy as the deserter Ed Lowe, and James Arness shows up as cocky young man who’s humbled and then redeems himself through battle. It’s a fine cast that helps in the fun factor.

It’s not a perfect film, especially by the social standards of 2024, but it’s a fun and entertaining western. I liked it.