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Excellent, Without a doubt!!

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Rory Calhoun plays a seasoned lawman fed up with gunplay in "Green Grass of Wyoming" director Louis King's "Powder River," a sturdy but derivative little horse opera loosely based on Wyatt Earp biographer Stuart N. Lake's book. Cameron Mitchell co-stars as a swift-shooting hellion who wears his gun slung low on his right knee in this Technicolor oater from Twentieth Century Fox. Basically, Calhoun is cast as Chino Bullock, a Wyatt Earp type, while Mitchell plays a variation on Doc Holliday named Mitch Hardin. Instead of being ravaged by tuberculosis, Hardin suffers from a brain tumor. He has left the East to roam the West. Mitch has a suicidal streak running through his psyche as a result of his tragic affliction. He romances the hell cat saloon owner Frenchie Dumont (Corinne Calvet of "Apache Uprising")who smokes cigarettes in public while Mitch's good girl from back East, Debbie Allen (Penny Edwards of "Pony Soldier"), struggles without success to convince him to return home with her. The catch here is that Calhoun prefers to shun a six-gun while carrying out his duties as the marshal of Powder River. Except for the marred ending, western fans won't be disappointed with this shoot'em up horse opera. Six time Oscar winning lenser Edward Cronjager's full frame cinematography looks dazzling with vivid colors and scenic settings. The cast is solid, and the production design is terrific. There is a cool showdown between a hardcase who thrusts a six-shooter into Bullock's belly at one point in a saloon and is surprised to see the marshal clench the cylinder of his six-gun so that he cannot cock the gun. Calhoun and Cameron make a charismatic pair, but their relationship is a combustible one.

If you're thinking that you might have seen Powder River before you would be right. If you saw Frontier Marshal or My Darling Clementine and noted in Powder River's credits that it's derived from a book by Stuart Lake than you'll know the source. Rory Calhoun plays a Wyatt Earp like marshal who has quit law enforcement for prospecting. But when his partner Frank Ferguson is bushwhacked and robbed of the gold they've panned, Calhoun takes on the marshal's job. He also makes the acquaintance of a pair of outlaw brothers Carl Betz and John Dehner. And a terminally ill and alcoholic doctor Cameron Mitchell who is lightning fast with a six gun.There's also a bit of Destry Rides Again added to the mix with French speaking saloon owner Corinne Calvet. The good girl from back east who wants to bring Mitchell home to save his life is former Roy Rogers leading lady Penny Edwards.The best part of Powder River is a nice action gunfight in a foiled stagecoach robbery with Calhoun and Mitchell joining forces. The guys and the stagecoach are on a river ferry with the outlaws firing on them from shore and the ferry cut loose is heading for the rapids. All nicely staged. If you've seen My Darling Clementine or Frontier Marshal you know how this one comes out. Calhoun made several good westerns in the Fifties and Sixties. But it's Mitchell who has the best role, the Doc Holiday part is always the best one every time this story is retold.

"Powder River" is a Technicolor revenge western reminiscent of the Wyatt Earp/ Doc Holiday relationship depicted in the earlier "My Darling Clementine" (1946).Rory Calhoun plays ex-marshal Chino Bull(ock) who has hung up his guns to prospect for gold with his partner Johnny Slater (Frank Ferguson). Two saddle tramps Loney Hogan (Carl Betz) and his com padre (Bob Wilke) try to steal Chino and Johnny's horses but are driven off by Chino. Later after returning from town, Chino finds Johnny murdered and their gold stolen. Chino assumes that Hogan was to blame and takes on the town marshal's job in order to bring Logan to justice.In the local saloon Chino meets proprietor "Frenchie" Dumont (Corrine Calvet) and learns that she is "associated" with gunman Mitch Hardin (Cameron Mitchell). Chino and Hardin strike up a friendship. Debbie Allen (Penny Edwards) the girl Hardin left behind shows up to complicate matters. We learn along the way that Hardin is a doctor who is suffering from a brain tumor and that he has a death wish.Chino entices Loney and Harvey Logan (John Dehner) to try to rob a gold shipment in order to force a showdown until..............Calhoun was always a pleasant enough hero whose career in westerns extended well into the 60s. Calvet with her thick French accent makes a poor man's Marlene Deitrich. Mitchell never quite made it to the A list but was a dependable second lead during this period. Carl Betz is best remembered as the father in "The Donna Reed Show". Penny Edwards appeared in a number of Roy Rogers oaters while Dale Evans was having a baby in 1950.

I saw this film when I was twelve, 1955, and remember not having liked it. I saw it again recently and thought it was quite good. I guess, when twelve I was too impressed with Mitch Hardin, the character played by Cameron Mitchell, who suffers from a brain tumor, and that got me kind of depressed. But really, this western is basically another variation of "Frontier Marshall", "My Darling Clementine" etc. etc. Mitch Hardin has his roots in Doc Holliday, same way Frenchie Dumont (Corinne Calvet) can be compared to Chihuahua (Linda Darnell) and Pennie Edwards is another Clementine. But there are a lot of interesting changes made to the basic story which provides this western with many action scenes, and a sort of unpredictability not present in the usual western. There are some great moments like when the stagecoach is going adrift in the river, and when Calhoun grabs the gun of the bad guy. Calhoun is excellent in his role, of course based on Wyatt Earp.