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Must See Movie...

Memorable, crazy movie

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Cheney Holland (Don Megowan) is a man with issues, that's for sure! He's not the typical villain either....more like a berserker than anything else...attacking and killing with little real motivation other than he likes to kill and seems to feel entitled to do it for the least little thing.When the story begins, a gang of bandits have just stolen a shipment of guns and ammo. The posse is close behind and they shoot Cheney's brother. Instead of running for cover like the rest of the gang, he stays behind with his dying brother...and is soon apprehended. Marshall Gordon (Jim Davis) has some sympathy for Cheney. After all, they grew up together and he realizes the man isn't all bad. This is a HUGE mistake, as at the funeral for Cheney's brother, Cheney makes his escape and kills a man for little reason. He then feels his mission in life is getting retribution for his brother...a man killed committing a robbery! In fact, Cheney is such a mess that he even attacks his old gang!! What's to become of him....and what's the Marshall going to do to redeem himself?This is an unusual western...and that's its biggest plus. On the negative side, the Marshall seems a bit dim and difficult to understand at times...and the story was pretty predictable after Cheney went on his killing rampage. But considering it was a cheap film made for very little, it provides a decent return on its investment.

Jim Davis of "Dallas" fame stars in this rather confusing Western with aspects of film noir that has a messy list of characters who are difficult to figure out. It was difficult to determine if Davis, as a local law man, was really on the right side of the law or if he was one of those ruthless lawmakers who is breaking it himself. Don Megowen place a gunslinger not on the right side of the law looking for retribution due to the death of his brother, and at times I wondered if he was supposed to be an anti hero and not the bad guy. Add in Allison Hayes, the 50 foot woman, playing on alleged femme fatal and the potential is there for an interesting psychological Western. But it's a lot of talk, a few chase sequences and some metaphors involving rattlesnakes. Putting it all together, it seems like someone had a good idea when they sat down and started the script, but the storyline really isn't fully there. There are some good lines at the saloon where Hayes works, and Claire Carlton as the saloon tough owner is actually quite amusing. But for a late B Western in an era when the westerns were quickly disappearing because of their presence on television, this one ends up being a misfire. Cult movie fans will be interested to see Allison Hayes who is certainly always worth seeing, but unfortunately the unintentional laughs that she got in "Attack of the 50 foot Woman" are missing, so proceed with caution, and be forewarned it is very dull at times and as far as a strong plot line is concerned this one is lacking.

With very little in the way of a storyline, and with sets as crude as a high school play, "A Lust To Kill" is a textbook definition of the 1950s "B" western flick.This movie's greatest asset, arguably, is that it offers a chance to see Don Megowan at an early stage in his career. Despite his imposing physical presence, Megowan was clearly not the seasoned actor that he would become years later when playing outlaws and thugs in various movies and television productions. At times in "Lust," he seems awkward and uncomfortable when delivering lines of a threatening nature, which is surprising given the fact that he was superb at such discourse in films like "Devil's Brigade." Allison Hayes seems virtually invisible, despite her co-star billing, and Jim Davis is believable as the Marshal but, like the rest of the cast, lacking in charisma. Also, the events which unfold in the movie scarcely resemble the plot summary which is typically offered for this picture. Suffice it to say that Megowan's character finds himself in a position to wreak havoc on the townsfolk almost by accident, rather than by design, as the film nears its conclusion.Still, the simplicity of "A Lust To Kill" is a nostalgic trip down memory lane in the world of black-and-white, "B" productions. It's also an interesting study in actors like Megowan and Davis, who were probably at their best in supporting roles in more prominent movies instead of leading roles in minor ones.

Although this B-movie western covers all the cliches you would expect, there are a few unusual elements. The villain, played by Don Megowan, starts as a somewhat sympathetic character but gradually becomes more sadistic and violent. The supposed good guy, played by Jim Davis, kills a man with his bare hards by drowning him in a shallow pool of pig excrement and water! Allison Hayes has almost nothing to do here except she is very small compared to the hulking leading men (who are at least six foot tall). And there is a surprising bit of nudity by Toni Turner during a scene of the gang of thieves gamboling in a muddy pond and eating melon! Imagine going to see this twisted, low budget six-shooter revenge melodrama at the bijou in 1959! Directed by the man who later made MUMMY AND THE CURSE OF THE JACKAL.