Tonight's Movie: Return of the Frontiersman (1950)

I recently read a review of RETURN OF THE FRONTIERSMAN (1950) at Jeff Arnold's West, and the movie sounded like so much fun that I immediately pulled my Warner Archive DVD off the shelf.

As Arnold's review communicates, this may not be a great film but it's a solid, action-packed Warner Bros. Western which flies by in 74 minutes. Add in an appealing cast and it's definitely a fun little movie. I'm glad I finally caught up with it.

Gordon MacRae plays Logan Barrett, son of tough yet kind Sheriff Sam Barrett (Jack Holt). Sam's the type of sheriff who leaves the cells unlocked and lets his prisoners play checkers on the front porch. But at the same time, he's no pushover; when Logan gets in trouble after a fight in a saloon, the sheriff immediately holds a trial and sentences both his son and Kearney (Edwin Rand), the man Logan was brawling with, to ten days in jail.

Unfortunately Kearney later turns up dead and Logan is seen standing next to his body, so the townsfolk, including Logan's father, think the worst. Logan ends up back in jail but breaks out with the help of his friend Larrabee (Rory Calhoun), the town newspaper publisher, so that he can work to clear his name.

Eventually Logan ends up on the run, 39 STEPS style, with Janie Martin (Julie London), niece of the town doctor (Raymond Bond). Although Janie is initially angry at having to help Logan, she gradually comes to realize that he's an innocent man...but if he didn't kill Kearney, who did?

And who committed a huge stagecoach robbery witnessed by Logan and Janie?

The answers unfold quickly in this briskly told tale. This is one of those films which actually might have benefited from a few additional minutes, particularly to provide more character development for Julie London, but what made it to the screen is enjoyable.

MacRae is appealing as Logan, and in one of my favorite scenes, he even gets the chance to sing in the jailhouse. London doesn't sing in this one, but she looks lovely in a role which some sources indicate was refused by Alexis Smith.

The film reunited London and Calhoun, costars in the excellent THE RED HOUSE (1947) a handful of years before. This is one of many Westerns made by both Calhoun and Jack Holt; sadly, Holt passed away in January 1951, at the age of 62. This was one of his last few films.

An unbilled Richard Egan, in one of his earliest movies, has a noticeable role, and the cast also includes Fred Clark and John Doucette.

RETURN OF THE FRONTIERSMAN was directed by Richard L. Bare, who among other things went on to direct 11 episodes of the MAVERICK TV series, as well as the Randolph Scott-James Garner Western SHOOT-OUT AT MEDICINE BEND (1957).

The movie was filmed in Technicolor by J. Peverell Marley. It looks to have been filmed on Southern California movie ranches and locations; I'd love to know where the waterfall seen during the climactic fight is located.

The Warner Archive DVD, first made available in the Archive's earliest days roughly a decade ago, is an attractive print. There are no extras on the disc.

RETURN OF THE FRONTIERSMAN is also shown from time to time on Turner Classic Movies.