Tonight's Movie: Posse From Hell (1961) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

POSSE FROM HELL (1961) is a strong, well-made Western which was recently released in the Audie Murphy Collection III from Kino Lorber.

Murphy plays Banner Cole, a gunfighter who arrives in a frontier town just after an outlaw gang has killed multiple townspeople. The men have also left town with a hostage, a young girl named Helen (Zohra Lampert).

Banner's friend, Marshal Webb (Ward Ramsey), has been mortally wounded in the attack and before he passes away, he asks Cole to take over as marshal and help the town.

Cole initially intends to set out after the killers alone, but the townspeople form a posse to go along with him. They're mostly a group of men who are participating for personal reasons and tend to be unhelpful, such as officious veteran Jeremiah Brown (Robert Keith). Helen's alcoholic uncle (Royal Dano) is also in the group.

However, two of the posse volunteers ultimately distinguish themselves as the group tracks down the outlaws: Indian Johnny Caddo (Rodolfo Acosta), who is usually shunned by the townspeople, and tenderfoot banking assistant Seymour Kern (John Saxon), who can scarcely ride a horse.

I found this film a pleasing discovery, one of the stronger '60s Murphy films I've seen. It was written by Clair Huffaker from his own novel. Huffaker also wrote the screenplay for Murphy's excellent SEVEN WAYS FROM SUNDOWN (1960).

It's a well-paced 88 minutes, directed by Herbert Coleman. The movie also benefits strongly from atmospheric widescreen cinematography by Clifford Stine in striking landscapes outside Lone Pine, California. Filming took place in the Alabama Hills along with the Olancha Dunes south of Lone Pine.

Murphy is excellent as the steely, experienced Cole. The more I see of Murphy's work, the more impressed I am by how he developed as an actor over the years. He has enormous charisma and is always a compelling screen presence.

I also really enjoyed both Saxon (THE UNGUARDED MOMENT) and Acosta. They play interesting characters and make them genuine, rather than cliched "types." The rapport which develops between this pair of actors and Murphy is enjoyable to watch.

Lampert's role is fairly limited, but she does a nice job sketching the way Helen shifts from victim to survivor and comes to terms with her experiences.

The deep supporting cast includes James Bell, Vic Morrow, Lee Van Cleef, Ray Teal, Harry Lauter, Charles Horvath, Frank Overton, and Allan Lane. Additional familiar faces, including I. Stanford Jolley and Rand Brooks, are in the extended cast.

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray print is excellent. Extras consist of the newly mastered trailer; a trio of additional Audie Murphy trailers; and a commentary by C. Courtney Joyner and Henry Parke. Parke sometimes attends the Lone Pine Film Festival, and I look forward to hearing what he has to say about the movie's location work.

I've previously reviewed another film in this set, the top-notch HELL BENT FOR LEATHER (1960). The third film, SHOWDOWN (1963), will be reviewed soon in my Western RoundUp column at Classic Movie Hub.  (Update: Here is the review of SHOWDOWN.)

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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