The Forty-Niners
The Forty-Niners
NR | 30 July 1954 (USA)
The Forty-Niners Trailers

1849 California and the Gold Boom. Marshal Sam Nelson goes under cover to find out the identity of a trio of killers.

Reviews
ThiefHott

Too much of everything

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Micitype

Pretty Good

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CommentsXp

Best movie ever!

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InformationRap

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

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bsmith5552

"The Forty-Niners" turned out to be "Wild Bill" Elliot's final western. His series was one of the last, if not the last, of the "B" series westerns. TV had come to town.The film begins with Ernie Walker (John Doucette) and Bill Norris (Lane Bradford) ambushing and killing a federal marshal. Mine owner Everett (I. Sanford Jolley) is brought in and charged with the murder. He reveals that he had hired the killers but cannot remember their names. He does recall however, the name of the man who arranged for him to meet the killers - Alf Billings. Marshal Sam Nelson (Elliot) is assigned to track down Billings (Harry Morgan) and learn the identity of the killers.Nelson runs into Billings in a saloon poker game where he is caught cheating by gambler Harry Lauter. Nelson rescues Billings and the two flee. Over the course of their fireside chat, Billing proposes that the two work together to clean up in poker games. Nelson agrees so that he can keep Billings under surveillance.As luck would have it, after arriving in the gold miner town of Coldwater, Billings spots Walker who has become the prosperous saloon owner. Billings blackmails Walker into a partnership by writing a letter detailing Walker and Norris' crimes and hiding it. Norris meanwhile has become the town sheriff and has a confrontation with Nelson. Nelson begins to suspect Walker and Norris as the killers.In an effort to obtain the incriminating letter, Walker conspires with his wife Stella (Virginia Grey) to play up to Billings with whom she had a previous relationship. Billings gets her to admit the plot by promising to "take her away from all this". A letter written by Nelson to his superiors is intercepted by Norris and Nelson's identity is revealed.Walker and Norris force Billings to try and kill Nelson. Nelson meets Billings at a deserted cabin but Billings is unable to kill Nelson and proposes that the two work together to which Nelson reluctantly agrees. On the way back to town Billings meets Norris, the two fight, Billings is wounded and.............................................For his final western Elliot didn't disappoint his fans. He had a better than usual supporting cast, a good story and enough action to satisfy his fans."Wild Bill" Elliot's western career began in earnest with "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickcok" a 1938 serial followed by a five year career at Columbia and a further period with Republic Pictures where he starred in a number of their "A" features. Elliott's Monogram/Allied Artists series was I thought, a cut above those of most of his contemporaries.."B" plus, if you will.Still and all, it was sad to see "Wild Bill" riding off into the sunset for one last time.

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Spikeopath

The Forty-Niners is directed by Thomas Carr and written by Dan Ullman. It stars Wild Bill Elliott, Harry Morgan, Virginia Grey, John Doucette and Lane Bradford. Music is by Raoul Kraushaar and cinematography by Ernest Miller. 1849. There was gold in California. According to the Eastern newspapers the mountains and streams were full of it. People from all over the country came here by the thousands, and were called The Forty Niners. Some of them worked hard for their golden dreams - - others robbed, plundered and killed for the gold. The entire burden of law enforcement had to be done by a handful of men - - the few United States Marshals the Federal Government could spare to protect its citizens…Wild Bill Elliott goes under cover to find out the identity of some dastard killers in this pleasant mystery based black and white Oater. Backed by an Elliot voice narration throughout, it's obvious that Carr and Ullman are firmly tuning into a Dragnet for the Western crowd vibe, and it actually works. With Elliott proving to be a likable lead man and Morgan enjoying himself as a shifty card cheat and blackmailer, the material on the page is delivered with entertaining gravitas. The pace is brisk, the action plenty and there's enough twists in Ullman's screenplay to keep you guessing. Yes for sure the ending is never in doubt, this is classic "B" Western territory after all, but a good time to be had here for the discerning Western fan. 6.5/10

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Robert W. Anderson

This western was enjoyable to watch and well acted by a cast of good actors. There's a good story line that doesn't just exist as a frame work for a lot of gun fights. The story is fairly well written. The problems start with the setting. This is supposed to be set in 1849 California. Westerns have always has problems with authenticity; but this one is way off the mark. It becomes distracting at times; and takes away from an otherwise good story, and good acting. The environment of the story is almost completely wrong. 1849 California was fairly primitive with many hardships. The town in this story looks like something out of a western set in 1870's Kansas. The wardrobe is wrong for the time. The inside of buildings are wrong for 1849 California. The fire arms are way off; and many other things. But with all that being said; I'd still have to recommend seeing this film It has a certain charm. Henry Morgan and Virginia Grey turn in their usual good performances. Bill Elliott is a little stiff; but is the kind of star that made westerns of this era fun. So inspire of the problems i outlined I still enjoyed this film. I would have given it a lower ranking if it hadn't been for Harry Morgan and Virginia Grey; they were great.

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bkoganbing

The Forty Niners may be a western, but it has the tone and documentary approach of a film like Calling Northside 777 or The House On 92nd Street modern crime dramas. It could also be compared to Dick Powell's Station West, a noir like western.Wild Bill Elliott did this one for Allied Artists and it's a no frills western with accent on characterization as opposed to action, though we have enough of that. Elliott is a US Marshal working undercover to find out who killed one of his peers. It was a modern contract killing and they've got the guy who paid to have it done. He gave up the name of the middle man who arranged the contract and Elliott searches for him to lead him to the killers.That middle man is Harry Morgan, a small time crooked gambler who has other sidelines. The rather strange bond that forms between Elliott and Morgan is what drives The Forty Niners. In fact in a way Morgan gets the girl here in the person of Virginia Grey who is married to one of Elliott's suspects. The Forty Niners which title fixes the year and place the story takes place in is a good western with some really good characterizations. It was one of Harry Morgan's best screen roles and if you see it I'm sure you will agree.

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