This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Am I Missing Something?

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The script is full of inconsistencies like plot holes a mile wide and characters who behave erratically and irrationally. True, the Zachary Scott character is undoubtedly supposed to be a psychotic nut — Scott plays him way over the top — but the others are certifiably sane despite their often odd behavior. It's a challenge to players to get realism as well as charisma into their performances under these circumstances, yet all succeed supremely well. Lloyd Bridges is almost too effective a villain, whilst Ruth Roman makes both a comely yet spirited heroine. (One of the screenplay's innovations for a class "A" western is that there's absolutely no romantic entanglements whatever. "Colt .45", as the name implies, is solid action all the way). We also enjoyed Alan Hale's persuasive study of a two-timing sheriff (this was his second last film appearance).Despite the script's lack of credibility, it does have the three main requirements all western fans demand: action, more action and yet more action — enough in fact to supply four or five average "B" westerns. Director Marin keeps it boiling away at an exciting pace that never lets up. Technicolor, of course, adds considerably to the picture's appeal.

"Colt 45" was one of series of fast paced little westerns that Randolph Scott turned out during the 1950s.This one is centered around the introduction of the Colt 45 six shooter to the old west. Steve Farrell (Randolph Scott) is a Colt 45 salesman in the town of Red Rock pitching his wares to the local sheriff (Charles Evans). His prisoner, Jason Brett (Zachary Scott) escapes as he is being moved, steals Farrell's two colts and kills the sheriff. He implicates Farrell in the escape and the towns people arrest him for the murder of the sheriff.Meanwhile Brett and his gang have embarked on a campaign of robbery and murder with the colts as the center piece of the crimes. After four months, Farrell is finally cleared and released by the new sheriff (Stanley Andrews). Farrell just happens to have a second set of Colt 45s and sets out to catch Brett.Farrell comes upon a stagecoach holdup by Brett and his gang and boards the coach. Inside he finds Beth Donovan (Ruth Roman) the wife of the ambitious but spineless Paul Donovan (Lloyd Bridges) who is a member of Brett's gang. She is helping the gang in fear for her husband's life. Farrell with both guns a blazing foils the hold up attempt and takes the coach into the town of Bonanza.Farrell meets the town sheriff Harris (Alan Hale Sr.) who appoints him as a deputy. Harris it turns out is in with the gang and goes to Brett to plot Farrell's downfall. At the persistent urging of Donovan (and amid the protests of Beth), Brett decides to take over the town. Brett cleverly fingers Farrell as the leader of the Colt 45 gang diverting suspicion from himself. Farrell manages to escape and Harris forms a posse to bring him in. With the help of Chief Walking Bear (Chief Thundercloud) Farrell plans his revenge on Brett. Meantime Brett takes over the town and................Randolph Scott found a second career in these little 80 minute westerns appearing in them exclusively from about 1946 to the end of his career. As he aged some thought he began to resemble silent screen great William S. Hart and that the age lines added character to his face.For Alan Hale Sr. the great character actor of the 30s and 40s, this was his second to last film. Zachary Scott plays the villain as a slightly mad ever dangerous cold blooded killer. Ruth Roman was a little young at the time to be taken seriously as a love interest for Randolph Scott. Lloyd Bridges is good as the cowardly Donovan. Chief Thundercloud (who's real name was Victor Daniels) is best remembered for playing "Tonto" in the Lone Ranger serials and "Geronimo" in the film of the same name. Also in the cast are Ian MacDonald as Miller and Hal Talliaferro as a stagecoach driver.

Colt.45 is a classic action western with comic strip heroics. It's not meant to be a serious western but a rip roaring shoot 'em up. The plotting is superb with great characters. I love it when the Indian chief says: 'indians can be so quiet.' Zachary Scott is a real slimy villain whose tendencies borders on psychotic. The way his cheek just twitches and he cold-bloodedly shoots Lloyd bridges is great. Randolph Scott is in fine form here and i always preferred his pre-Boeticher westerns. His warner Bro. stuff was exciting and lacking in the long drawn out talk his Boeticher westerns seemed to have. Colt.45 is a fine example of the kind of westerns i love and i can say with sadness that they unfortunately don't make it like 'em afore.'

In "Colt .45", Randolph Scott portrays military hero turned sales representative Steve Farrell who's employed by the Colt Firearm Company, a theme that will be picked up by the late 1950's classic TV Western of the same name. His nemesis in the film, Jason Brett (Zachary Scott) is a clever outlaw who manages to trick the local populace into believing that Farrell is the leader of the Colt .45 Gang, so named because of the crimes committed with a set of Farrell's own stolen handguns. The film hosts some rather big names, but somewhat fails to satisfy in it's uneven delivery and sometimes sloppy, and in at least one instance, comical editing.As Farrell pursues Brett's gang in an attempt to clear his name, he befriends Indian Chief Walking Bear (Chief Thundercloud), who now allies himself with Farrell, which is fortunate, as the Chief's tribe manages to show up just in the nick of time on a number of occasions to save Farrell's hide.Brett's gang includes Paul and Beth Donovan (Lloyd Bridges and Ruth Roman), but motivations and alliances change rather quickly in the film. Paul only plans to remain an outlaw until his big score, while Beth suffers pangs of conscience and decides she'll come clean. It won't help to seek aid from Sheriff Harris (Alan Hale), as he's one of the bad guys. Paul shoots Beth, but she's nursed back to health rather miraculously by an Indian squaw. In turn, Brett shoots Paul, who fancies himself an equal partner in the outlaw business.For his part, Steve Farrell takes his share of lumps in the film, getting framed by Brett more than once, getting knocked out with his own gun at the hand of Mrs. Donovan, and falling for the old rope across the trail trick. Perhaps he would have fared better if he hadn't changed into the all black outfit a third of the way through the movie.At one point, as Sheriff Harris' posse closes in on Farrell, the sheriff takes an arrow to the chest and goes down hard. So it seems rather odd that he makes it back into town just about as quick as Farrell and Walking Bear who are about to square off against the bad guys.Pay close attention as Farrell and Walking Bear lay in ambush behind a building for Brett's henchmen to walk by. As the last gang member walks past, Walking Bear lunges at his neck with both outstretched hands. All of a sudden, a rope appears ???, and the Indian proceeds to bring him down to the ground. I had to rewind and play the scene three times to believe what I was seeing.Having seen only a few of Randolph Scott's Westerns, I'm convinced this cannot be one of his better ones. "Ten Wanted Men", "The Stranger Wore a Gun", and "The Bounty Hunter" each appealed to me more, and even these are not among his best works.Chief Thundercloud cuts an imposing figure as Walking Bear, but he comes across as stiff and not as effective as you would expect a tribal leader to be. By 1950, he was nearing the end of his film career; my first introduction to the Chief was his rather fine portrayal of Tonto in the first two Lone Ranger serials of 1938 and 1939 (The Lone Ranger, and The Lone Ranger Rides Again). Trivia fans will either be surprised or disappointed to know that Thundercloud's real name was Victor Daniels.