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Captivating movie !

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Aside from its shoot-out climax on horseback, this is an undistinguished little formula western. Oswald's direction is extremely routine with its long takes, static camera angles, plus a decided emphasis on uninspired close-ups, principally of wooden-faced Hugh O'Brian.The acting is as lethargic as the dialog is cliched. The characters are one-dimensional and with one or two exceptions (such as Burr's jaded killer, Tassell's ruthless saloon girl), the playing lacks sparkle, although it's nice to see Russell Sinpson as Pop Jackson (one of the jailers) and Norman Leavitt as a deputy who even covers out hero in a saloon shoot-out.Production values are very moderate, and credits undistinguished. In fact there is a great deal of very obvious day-for-night shooting!

Hugh O'Brien plays Sheriff Addams--one of the few inhabitants of a stupid old west town. I say stupid because the folks don't seem all that bright and they seem to appreciate their sheriff about as much you'd appreciate Eczema! Clay Gipson is a 12 year-old who happens to see the wanted killer, Tris Hatten (Raymond Burr). When he tells the sheriff, Addams is able to capture the baddie. Oddly, many of the townsfolk seem to feel sorry for Hatten--even though he's killed several people! As I said, it's a very stupid town!! So, the trick is to bring Hatten to trial and convict him--while at the same time Addams and Gipson remain alive to see it! But, the conspiracy of stupids is strong!! The biggest weakness of this film is how fickle and stupid the townspeople were--a bit too stupid if you ask me. I also thought a few of the characters were ridiculous--such as Hatten's girlfriend (???). Clay's father wasn't much better. But, O'Brien does a nice job as does Burr--who is always great in baddie roles. On balance, worth seeing but far from a must-see picture.

Th Gunfighter and High Noon were landmarks for the western genre. They determined the style of many films to come, but none of those turned out to be as good as "The Brass Legend". Gerd Oswald besides this film also directed "A Kiss Before Dying" and "Fury at Showdown", the two of them remarkable. I saw this film yesterday and was amazed at how actual it seemed, also full of the unexpected in a genre where there is a lot of routine. There is Donald McDonald as Clay Gipson, the little boy that makes you realize how far from Shane this movie is. Millie Street (Rebecca Welles) is outstanding , the prostitute with no gold in her heart. Raymond Burr as Tris Hatten gets you scared just by looking at the camera, you know you can expect the worst from him. Hugh O'Brian all in black is the perfect Sheriff. Great showdown halfway through the picture. After you see this movie, which caught your attention full time with no break you wonder how come it is so ignored. Two words only: Great film!!

With Raymond Burr forever etched in the minds of TV watchers as lawyer Perry Mason, it's somewhat uncharacteristic to see him toting a handgun as the main heavy in a sagebrush yarn like "The Brass Legend". He looks the part too, all gruff and unruly, and perhaps with a girth I hadn't noticed before. Hugh O'Brian looks just right for the part of a sheriff, whether here as Wade Addams, or as the lead character in "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp". Can you believe that series is over fifty years old?For a Western that follows a fairly standard formula, director Gerd Oswald provides some interesting scenes that were never staples of the genre. Like young Tom Gipson (Robert Burton) getting shot off his horse, or how about that fancy showdown in the saloon when the Sheriff takes out all three Barlow brothers? That scene came off as totally realistic, vindicating Addams' tarnished reputation in bringing outlaw Tris Hatten (Burr) to justice in the first place. Even the ending was done differently, instead of your standard showdown in the middle of a dusty street, you have both antagonists riding toward each other like jousting knights, but with guns blazing instead. There seemed to be just the right amount of satisfaction in Hatten's dying breath as he figures he outlived the hangman.But you know, I keep wondering about one scene. How many takes do you think it required for Burr to find his mark when he threw his holstered gun against the wall?