A Masterpiece!

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

"Gunsight Ridge" is another of those entertaining little 80 minute westerns that star Joel McCrea made in the latter part of his career. This one is a low budget black and white oater that is nonetheless made more entertaining by the off beat casting of Mark Stevens as the psychopathic killer Velvet Clark.Mike Ryan (McCrea), an express undercover agent is travelling on a stagecoach along with Molly Jones (Joan Weldon), the daughter of the town sheriff and townsman Billy Daggett (I. Stanford Jolley) when they are stopped by a pair of bandits. After the stage is underway, bandit Velvet Clark (Stevens) gives his partner "both barrels" because he had been recognized. This was the first killing in a series of robberies.In town, Ryan teams up with sheriff Tom Clark (Addison Richards) to track down the murderer while at the same time, pursuing the lovely Molly. Velvet and Ryan are both staying at Mrs. Donahue's boarding house. Ryan walks in on Velvet while he is quietly and discreetly playing the piano. He reacts violently to having been seen doing so.Sheriff Jones has an obsession with catching the murderer so as to not leave a blot on his record. After leaving a poker game one evening, Velvet quietly robs the local bank. He packs the loot in a box of dynamite and rides to his modest little mine. The sheriff, having become suspicious, trails Velvet and accidentally blows up the dynamite box containing the bank loot. Velvet then shoot down the lawman and flees.Along the way Velvet witness the Lazy Heart Ranch Hands (L.Q. Jones, Morgan Woodward, Jim Foxx, Steve Mitchell) hold up a train. He then decides to take the loot for himself. Meanwhile, Ryan following the sheriff, discovers his body and sets out after Velvet.At a remote General Store, the local Justice of the Peace (Herb Vigran) and wedding guests trap the Lazy Heart bunch and hold them. Velvet rides in and tries to take the loot by posing as a detective. But then Ryan appears on the horizon and.................................Mark Stevens plays the vicious Velvet against type. Without remorse he shot guns one person and guns down two others. That extra shot he puts into the sheriff shows his coldness. Joel McCrea plays..well Joel McCrea with his usual authority and dignity, a part he had come to master over the last 15 years of his lengthy career.Addison Richards, long a recognizable character actor gets a larger than usual part as the sheriff and carries it off well. Joan Weldon was a leading actress in many 50s westerns but never went on to bigger and better things. Darlene Field plays Stevens' saloon girl friend who catches him in the act. Carolyn Craig has a nice bit as the naïve farm girl who encounter both Velvet and Ryan during Ryan's pursuit. Slim Pickens steals the opening sequence as the boozy stagecoach driver Hank. I believe he was one of a few actors who could actually drive a team of horses. Jody McCrea, Joel's son, plays the groom in the wedding sequence. And from the "blink and you'll miss him" dept., watch for Dan Blocker, of TVs "Bonanza" as the bartender.

The reviewer who praises the cinematography for this film makes a great point. This film is beautifully photographed.Ernest Lazlo's discriminating deep focus black and white cinematography is the glory of this film but much else deserves praise. For one thing, the narrative breaks cinematic icons in a way the foretells "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". These iconoclastic moments run throughout the film. One of the most central is the sympathetic view of the central outlaw Velvet Clark, who, though not quite the protagonist, almost serves as one. Joel McCrae plays against him with a quite almost bond that nearly gives the film a sense of depth.A lovely iconoclastic sequence comes near the end of the film with the late Carolyn Craig playing a farm girl caught in the "romance" of the outlaw. She died much too young.Robert Golden and Ellsworth Hoagland's editing is discerning. The music does not quite overwhelm viewers and I like that.Director Francis Lyon's work is understated. He was a film editor and one has a sense he had the story well in control as he directed this film. He did some terrific television work and a Disney film set in North Georgia that I especially admire.I think what one has here is a film full of promise with an almost witty script by Talbot and Elisabeth Jennings. I say almost because it never quite becomes entirely iconoclastic but it comes close. I very much enjoyed watching this movie.

There are two reasons why this western is above average: first the black and white cinematography of Ernest Laszlo. "Stalag 17", "Inherit the Wind"(where he got an Oscar), "Judgement at Nuremberg" are among his films. Second, the presence of Mark Stevens, as Velvet, a charismatic outlaw who manages to make his talent for playing the piano, the reason for all his crimes. Joel McCrea is good as always and the two women (one falls for McCrea and the other for Steven) add interest to the film, not counting the excellent Farm Girl who also falls for Stevens. In my childhood I used to love westerns where the outlaws used scarves as masks. Seeing this film makes me feel a child again, and enjoy every minute.

In this western starring Joel McRea, the star goes undercover along the Arizona border to investigate several nasty border ruffians. Mark Stevens co-stars and as always turns in a fine performance. The script is good and holds the viewers interest throughout.Joel McRea was at his best in this western detective yarn..... a story not unlike those from his radio series Tales of the Texas Rangers . A great cast of western character actors make the most of an interesting story.Any western with this cast would be exciting and this film does not disappoint. Enjoy this one, they don't make 'em like this anymore ...