Ride Out for Revenge (1957) Rory Calhoun, Gloria Grahame, Lloyd Bridges, Joanne Gilbert Movie Review

Ride Out for Revenge (1957)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Rory Calhoun and Joanne Gilbert in Ride Out for Revenge (1957)

Ride Out for Routine

Winter is approaching and the Cheyenne are struggling as under the treaty they have no firearms and so can't hunt for food or new skins. It is why Chief Yellow Wolf and his son Little Wolf walk to town to speak with Captain George to ask for supplies but find him demanding they not just leave but get out of the Black Hills and in to the reservation. When the Chief tries to negotiate a deal for Gold which he has found things turn bad and the Chief is accidentally murdered with Little Wolf managing to return to his people. Caught in the middle of this mess is Marshal Tate who has a fondness for Little Wolf's sister, Pretty Willow, and knows full well that Little Wolf will rally his men and attack. But with the Captain and the town's folk wanting nothing to do with the Indians or an Indian sympathiser Tate is forced to resign and try to bring peace on his own before the Cheyenne return to massacre the whole town, including his nephew.

"Ride Out for Revenge" could easily have been called "Ride Out for Routine" as there is nothing in this western you won't have seen before and there is nothing about the direction or action which helps lift this western to be more than just about average. So what that basically means is we have a town who hates the Indians, a lawman who is at professional and personal odds with the climate of hate in the town and a murder which leads not just to an act of revenge but the real possibility of a whole town being massacred unless are good guy can arrange some sort of peace deal. Oh and just for good measure we have are good guy in love with an Indian but back in town there is a young woman who is in love with him. None of which is original in the slightest and is why "Ride Out for Revenge" never really manages to capture your full attention.

Gloria Grahame in Ride Out for Revenge (1957)

Part of the trouble with "Ride Out for Revenge" is that many of the actors also seem to be going though the motions with Rory Calhoun trading heavily on his looks rather than on creating a character. What that means is that often you will see him standing there, his hair perfectly coiffed and his eyes glistening as he looks deeply at someone and there is no denying that Calhoun looks good but his character ends up uninteresting. It is the same with Gloria Grahame who often comes across as delivering her lines in a half hearted manner.

What this all boils down to is that "Ride Out for Revenge" whilst not a bad western ends up such an ordinary one it is utterly forgettable. About the only thing really commendable about it is some of the cinematography, mainly the outdoor scenes are decent but the indoor scenes are as ordinary as the rest of the movie.


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