An action-packed slog

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Recently (November 2017) a friend told me his favorite Western novelist is Luke Short. Strictly on his recommendation, I got a Luke Short novel, titled "Donovan's Gun," and I am very impressed. Short is now my own second favorite Western novelist, right after Elmer Kelton."Albuquerque," my favorite city in these United States, is the setting for this movie although reportedly it was shot in Chatsworth, California, now very urbanized, and Sedona, Arizona.Perhaps the story is rather slight, maybe even predictable, but the dialogue and the number of important characters raises it 'way above the average.Well, heck, Randolph Scott is the star (and in one of his most likable roles) so I was predisposed to like it. But Lon Chaney Jr. gives another of his excellent performances. He became an even better actor than his father, without the make-up.Oh, yes, as the Wolfman he used both his acting talent and make-up, but later roles, such as this and in "High Noon" and "Of Mice and Men," he proved to any doubters he was indeed an actor.Russell Hayden was a busy man, having 80 credits here at IMDb, but in "Albuquerque" he doesn't have to do a lot.But his "sister," played by Catherine Craig does. What a beautiful and talented woman. She should have had many more than 38 credits.Barbara Britton is billed higher and had a longer career, and is also lovely and talented.Usually playing a grandpa or uncle, and usually a likable codger, George Cleveland, in a Lionel Barrymore-reminiscent wheelchair, is a really horrible villain. Anyone wondering about his acting talent needs to see him in this. Remarkable performance!Nearly stealing the whole movie, as he usually did, was George "Gabby" Hayes, who had some of the best lines, and whose character owned two mules named, grandly, "Damon" and "Pythias."His character, "Juke," also got to make Bible references, even if he did sometimes rather garble them, but it was this kind of dialogue that made "Albuquerque" such an excellent movie, even more than the action.Unfortunately, sometimes the action was made less than exciting because of too many rear-screen projection shots. That is my only carp about the movie.My other carp is about some of the reviews. It is not really a "review" if the would-be reviewer merely recounts the plot, and especially when not warning readers of spoilers.One reviewer, in addition, sneered at the fact a stage-coach driver and his supposed "co-driver," who was actually a passenger, not a "co- driver," were unarmed when the bandits held them up.Juke told the bandits there was no cash box aboard, so nothing to steal -- he not knowing passengers might have valuables -- and he told the hold-up men that's why he was unarmed. So some reviewers really ought to watch the movie before commenting.I do have one other complaint: There are, at this writing, three versions of "Albuquerque" at YouTube -- and every one is pretty bad to terrible.The one I finally decided upon was out of focus and about half-way through even out of synch! Why people upload such junk is beyond me.Another has a picture of John Wayne, which seems a fairly common bit of fraud on the YouTube audience, and the YouTube owners -- Amazon? -- really ought to be ashamed to allow such dishonesty.One of the others has the movie cut off at top and bottom."Albuquerque" is a good movie, one I highly recommend, but if you try to watch at YouTube, choose carefully.

If you enjoy Randolph Scott westerns, with a good cast that includes, George "Gabby" Hayes, Lon Chaney, Jr., Barbara Britton, Catherine Craig and Russell Hayden, filmed on locations at the Iverson Ranch in Chatsworth, California, and in Sedona, Arizona, in Cinecolor and based on the novel Dead Freight for Piute by Luke Short, than Albuquerque is a very comfortable Scott film to watch.Scott plays Cole Armin, a passenger on a stagecoach, driven by Gabby, on his way to work for his Uncle John who owns most of the freight contracts in the area, but before they arrive, the stagecoach is held-up and Celia Wallace ( Catherine Craig ) is robbed of $10.000. Soon Cole discovers how crooked his uncle is, and he goes to work for the competition instead, Ted Wallace ( Russell Hayden ) and sister Celia. Attractive Letty Tyler ( Barbara Britton ) is sent by Uncle John to spy on the competition. Add Lon Chaney Jr. playing a heavy villain and watch for adorable eight year old child actress Karolyn Grimes ( Zuzu Bailey from It's a Wonderful Life ), she really holds her own with the whole bunch playing little Myrtle Walton who has a huge crush on Cole Armin, and in my opinion she's a natural scene stealer. With some typical western fist fights and Gabby Hayes comical character, the story moves at a pleasant pace. Not a real gritty western, rather on the light side, however, typical for the late 1940s.

I like this one. I enjoy all the leading actors/characters Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, George 'Gabby' Hayes & Lon Chaney (among others) that made this film enjoyable to watch. I know I was enjoying it until the end because I found myself looking for more footage when it was over with - that says a lot coming from a person that does not watch a lot of Western films. Yes this one is enjoyable.There is some side switching, gun-slinging, a few good punches, a splash of humor, great casting and a good story to follow outside of all the action. Fun, fun film overall for any fan of the Western genre. My only complaint: it wasn't long enough... I wanted more of it in the end.8.5/10

It begins with several of the principles on a stage run to Albuquerque. Gabby Hayes(Juke, sounds like Duke) is the driver and begins his usual tirade against women in general, with his girlfriend Pearl being an exception. He then relates a garbled version of the biblical story of Samson to justify his retention of long whiskers against the wishes of Pearl, who is the town barber, no less, and who claims if everyone followed his example, she would be out of business. This point will return to dominate the last scene in the film. Gabby seems an irritation to some reviewers, but is a definite plus to this one. It's too bad he wasn't in more of the better Randoph Scott westerns to help lighten up Randy's usual iron-jawed demeanor. Also on this stage are Randy(Cole Armin), his future wife(Cathrine Craig , as Celia Wallace), whom he is getting acquainted with, and a little girl(Myrtle), to whom he soon becomes a hero when he rescues her from the runaway stage after it is held up by henchman of Randy's wheelchair-bound uncle John Armin(George Cleveland), who essentially runs the town.Randy soon learns that his uncle, and by extension, himself, is not exactly popular among the town folk. He does, however, quickly form a useful friendship with Gabby. After he learns that uncle John was responsible for the stage holdup of his business competitor, Celia Wallace, and the associated murder, he demands that uncle John return the money and decides to work for Celia and her brother Ted(Russell Hayden), instead of for uncle John. As his rival's prospects rise, uncle John decides to plant an informant(Barbara Britton, as Letty Tyler) in the Wallace office, to keep him informed as to when they are delivering ore from the mines to town so that he can sabotage their run. When this doesn't work, he resorts to the draconian tactic of staging an arson of his own office, for which Randy is blamed. Unfortunately, when the fire was discovered, Randy was in Letty's apartment confronting her with suggestive evidence that she was tipping off uncle John. Myrtle and Letty testify that he was in the apartment when the fire was discovered. This puts him and Letty in the dog house with Celia(his apparent beau) and Ted(who hopes to woo Letty). This news also ends Uncle John's trust in Letty as an informant, and he suggests she leave town. Instead, she switches sides and tells the Wallaces why Randy was in her apartment. Uncle John tries once again to sabotage their ore run, and when that fails, there is a general shootout in town. You can guess the results.The plot is well constructed and executed, with complicated relationships between the principles, and with a variety of obstacles for Randy to overcome, with the sometimes aid of his associates. At least, Randy was spared the necessity of bringing his uncle to justice. Uncle John had a choice to avoid assassination, but arrogantly trusted that a woman wouldn't have the guts to carry out her threat. The presence of Hayes and two beautiful wholesome single women, as well as little Myrtle, much helped to lighten the otherwise tense atmosphere in this battle for survival, as uncle John put it.It seems odd that Barbara Britton, the "bad" girl, gets top female billing over Catherine Craig, Randy's love interest. Barbara's on camera time was much more limited. Those who grew up on the Lassie TV series featuring George Cleveland as "Gramps" will be surprised to find him playing such a mean controlling villain. We may wonder if his wheelchair-bound status has a bearing on this persona. This leaves him with few options for making a living in the wild West. Without apparent family to help support him(except Randy), he can't afford to have some upstart beat him out of the most profitable business in town. On the other hand, from his conversations, he probably achieved his status as the town "boss" before becoming wheelchair-bound.