What a waste of my time!!!

The Worst Film Ever

Highly Overrated But Still Good

I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

I am a big fan of Randolph Scott and try to watch as many of his films as I can. Why? Because Scott had a nice style--easy-going and likable yet tough. However, I must also admit that for every exceptional film his made (such as "Ride the High Country") he made several that were not so special--and perhaps a few that were simply adequate. Considering how dull this film was in spots and how similar it was to several of his other films, I'd put "The Man Behind the Gun" in this last category. Like MANY of his other films, this one is about the Civil War and divisions between Northerners and Southerners. In about half of these films (or perhaps a few less) he is working for the North and in the others he's either an agent/spy for the South or an ex-soldier after the war trying to help oppressed Southerners. To me, it's like the writers were beating a dead horse and needed some originality. The only thing SLIGHTLY original about this is that it is set just BEFORE the war instead of during or after. Otherwise, a very typical sort of formula. And, if you care, a chance to see Alan Hale, Jr. in a supporting role. In addition, there's just too much singing in this film. Now if you are NOT a fan who's seen most of his films, this may not be that important and the film might be more watchable. At best adequate.

Randolph Scott is Major Ransome Callicut, who goes undercover as a school teacher in 1850s California to hopefully thwart separatist plotting as secessionist fervour starts to boil over.The Man Behind The Gun is directed by Felix E. Feist and adapted to screenplay by John Twist from a story by Robert Buckner. It is shot in Technicolor by Bert Glennon (Wagon Master) out of Bell Ranch, Santa Susana, California. Joining Scott in the cast are Patrice Wymore, Dick Wesson, Philip Carey, Lina Romay & Alan Hale Jr.It's true enough that material such as this, well more the themes and basic story, deserves a better movie than what this ultimately is. Yet to shout down this film for not being a finely tuned politico piece is a touch harsh one feels. This is after all, a modestly budgeted Oater out of Warner Brothers that comes at a time when Randolph Scott was knocking out Oaters for both WB and Columbia at a rate of knots! Scott was three years away from starting a run of films with Budd Boetticher that would finally realise his talents, whilst simultaneously giving the serious Western fan some gems to shout about from the saloon rooftops. So where does The Man Behind The Gun sit in the pantheon of 50s Westerns? Well a better director than Felix Feist would have helped since the material called for someone interested in the more psychological aspects of the characters. The afore mentioned Boetticher is a given of course, while another of Scott's 50s directors, André De Toth, would have enjoyed the intrigue and underhand core for sure.Still, given its short running time, Feist does manage to craft an action packed movie that's led by Scott's protagonist playing it rugged, sneaky and tough to get the job in hand done. There's gun fights, whip-cracking, chases, explosions; and even pretty gals scrapping it out in a crash of chairs, tables and pottery. For an 82 minute movie it doesn't fall short as an action piece. If viewed on those terms it holds up very well, even if there's so much going on it can be hard to follow at times. There's even nice dashes of humour, none more so than with the entertaining turn from Wesson. Be it whipping off some saloon gal's dress or playing it in drag, his Sergeant 'Monk' Walker gives the piece a lift when it threatens to be bogged down by good guy-bad guy character turns that come and go all too frequently. Scott is as ever straight backed and as cool as a cucumber, while Hale Jr, Carey and Wymore each leave a favourable impression.Yes it could have been a deep and potent piece, but that it's not does not make it a bad film. It's a ripper of an action movie backed up by a couple of strong turns from Scott & Wesson, even if the film that surrounds them is just a little chaotic at times! 7/10

I'm a huge Randolph Scott fan, but this film is a dud. The whole thing has a canned, fake, soundstage feel to it, with truly awful rear-screen projection. It has a good plot idea that the screenwriter has successfully buried in a nitwit script, which makes it impossible for the audience to become immersed in the action and truly care about any of the characters. The directing is pedestrian, and only accentuates how bad the script is instead of helping to improve it. I've seen plenty of thoroughly enjoyable "soundstage productions" before, but this is not one of them. All it does is make you appreciate the gritty Scott/Boetticher films all the more.Randolph Scott is tanned, trim, and shines that million dollar smile throughout. He's always a pleasure...even in the worst of his films. Aside from Scott, the other main reason I wanted to see this movie was due to how much I enjoyed Ms. Wymore in Errol Flynn's movie, "Rocky Mountian". In "Man Behind the Gun", she is just as beautiful, and you can tell she's a good actress, but she was forced to say some pretty dumb lines, and the blocking she was given by the director was truly awful. I've only seen Phil Carey in "Operation Pacific", and he plays the exact same character here...an arrogant pain-in-the-butt you want to beat into unconsciousness. I guess it proves he's a good actor...he made me hate him. There are some lame attempts at comic relief that only detract from the film, in my opinion. Although there are many elements to knock, I must say that I found myself truly enjoying the two Spanish songs sung in the musical numbers...but that's not why we go to see Randolph Scott movies, right?There are definitely worse Scott films out there, and this one certainly isn't unbearable, but it also certainly couldn't be deemed anything beyond mediocre.

All the things that made the Scott movies the most agreeable matine fare are present - an opening shoot out in foggy San Francisco streets, a stage hold up, historical plotting about stealing the L.A. water supply (well before CHINATOWN), false identity, opening an empty grave and hard riding and shoot outs in the great out of doors. On top of that it's delivered in Technicolor by some of Warners' most assured technicians, complete with stock shots from the Flynn movies and snatches of earlier Warner scores.The reason it's so mechanical must be the routine direction of Felix Feist who fades away as Scott takes on sure hands Andre de Toth and Budd Boetticher as directors. The scene with Lina Ronay against the studio sky is particularly lack lustre. Randy grins his way through events and is doubled in the final river punch out while villain Roy Roberts does his own stunts - like I mean - really!