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Just what I expected

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Above Average Randolph Scott Western Directed by the Sometimes Interesting Andre de Toth. This One has a High Entertainment Value because it is More Violent at Times and has a Mystery Element that Keeps Things Going.There is a Fight Scene where Scott Burns the Butt of a Bad Guy on a Stove and a Head Shot Squib that was Very Rare in 1954. The Characters are a bit more than One Dimensional in this Movie that was Shot in 3-D but Released Flat.There is a Surprise Ending and Enough Gun-Play and Fisticuffs to Satisfy Western Fans and Scott's Cynical Bounty Hunter is Off Beat for a Fifties Protagonist. Marie Windsor's Wide Eyed Bar Girl and Ernest Borgnine are Highlighted Supporters. For a Weakness there is the Obligatory Marriage for that Fifties Family Wrap-Up Smarminess.Note...Not in the same league as the Anthony Mann/Budd Boetticher 1950's Westerns but a bit Better than Most of its Ilk.

Protagonist Jim Kipp is a bounty hunter with a reputation for catching those he goes after; it is this reputation that brings the famous Pinkerton Detective Agency to his door. They had been hired to track down those responsible for the robbery of $100,000 from a train during which several people were killed. They only have one clue; the three surviving robbers were last scene at a trading post one year ago. With this tiny piece of information Kipp heads to the post and learns two things; one of the robbers was wounded and they only bought provisions for a three day ride. The only town within three days ride is Twin Forks so he heads there. He soon realises he is in the right place when people start lying to him although he still doesn't know who he is after and there are plenty of other people who believe he might be looking for them as they have committed other crimes. The longer he stays in town the more tensions rise and things become more dangerous for him; especially after he lets it be known that he is expecting a picture of the robbers to come in the mail the next day.This was rather an unusual western in that we don't know who the bad guys are until very end; this serves to keep the tension high as anybody could be a danger. Randolph Scott puts in a solid performance as Kipp; a character that may have been unlikable in other hands... his determination to get the job done is all that appears to matter to him. Dolores Dorn does a decent job as potential romantic interest Julie Spencer although Marie Windsor is more interesting as the sultry Alice. There is a reasonable amount of action here including several shootings and a brawl where one man makes the mistake of attacking Kipp and ends up sitting an a stove... for quite a while! There are plenty of suspects to choose from and when we do learn who the robbers are there are one or two surprises to be had; I must admit I only suspected one of the three! If you are a fan of Randolph Scott's other westerns I'm sure you'll enjoy this one too.

It's funny, but today Randolph Scott is practically forgotten--even though his track record with film is unequaled. While John Wayne is strongly associated with westerns, he did not specialize in them like Scott and no one consistently produced great westerns like he did--especially since his heyday of about 1950-1960. And, while this is certainly not as good as the best of these, it's still a dandy film.Before I start talking about the plot, however, despite Scott making such good westerns, it's odd that in so many of them small technical details often...well...stink. Like too many of his films, there is a fight scene where the guy doing the fighting is OBVIOUSLY a stuntman. The only way it might have been easier to spot was if they'd used a black lady for these scenes! Also, at the very beginning, Scott has a shootout with some of the worst editing I've seen in years. Clearly, despite his making good films, often the budgets weren't all that great--and this is little more than a B-western in that regard. But, because he was such a great and seemingly effortless actor, you tend to look past these glitches.In this film, Scott plays a bounty hunter--which makes a lot of sense considering the title! However, when he's looking into a year-old robbery, people in a particular small town act amazingly unfriendly. Concensus seems to be that if there are any crooks in town, well, it's no one's business since they didn't hurt anyone in the town! And because they folks aren't especially civic-minded, Randy's got his hands full.The acting, as usual, is good and the action and script also quite good. Plus, there were a few surprises here and there--enough that it's not just another run of the mill genre picture.

Born Hungarian André De Toth directed seven B series western between years 1951 and 1955 (B series films in Europe means that it were made with few money and in a short time). This Bounty Hunter was one of them. It is a solid, without ups and downs, and very estimable western. This modest film deserves all the respect, admiration and gratitude possibles. An even in our times, when toughness is missing in service of computers special effects. The film has got craft agility, is very well build and adequately played by specialist stony face Randolph Scott (Boetticher's lonesome rider). We meet efficacious Ernest Borgnine in a supporting role. Western lovers will enjoy this film.