Comanche Station
Boetticher and Scott wrapped up the Ranown Cycle with the 1960 production of Comanche Station. Filmed in the Sierra’s with picturesque Mount Whitney for a backdrop the film made a fine finish to an historically important series, though not necessarily the crown jewel in the Ranown claim to fame. An Indian rescue story, perhaps inspired by The Searchers (1956), the screen play sported enough twists to avoid copycat territory, still …
Jefferson Cody (Randolph Scott) is in pursuit of Comanches who have taken his wife. He manages to rescue Nancy Lowe (Nancy Gates), also a Comanche captive. On the trail returning her home they encounter gentleman outlaw Ben Lane (Claude Akins) and his gang. Lane is out to rescue Mrs. Lowe for the $5,000 reward her husband has offered for her ‘return’, being shorthand for ‘return dead or alive’. Nice fella. Nasty twist. The news makes Nancy suspicious of Cody’s intentions.
Lane and Cody have a history going back to the war and Cody’s hand in Lane’s courts martial. Not surprisingly Lane’s plans include getting even with Cody and the ‘dead’ end of Mrs. Lowe’s return reward. Dead witnesses tell no tales and with the Comanche on the warpath, they can easily be blamed for the murders.
Comanche peck away at Lane’s gang until all that’s left is the inevitable showdown between Lane and Cody. We can likely guess who wins. No twist there. Cody returns Mrs. Lowe to Mr. Lowe on the ‘alive’ side of the return offered reward. For the twist of it, Mr. Lowe turns out to be blind. In a dubious twist, Cody rides off without collecting the reward, leaving us to wonder whatever happened to his wife? Oh well, the Ranown Cycle came to an end.
The abrupt ending feels like the film ran right up to the budget and turned off the cameras. Last week I closed one eye without commenting on Boetticher’s choice in outfitting Scott with a ’74 Colt Peacemaker prop for a ball and cap era Civil War film. This week we have to defend the Comanche from a wardrobe and make up department malfunction turning the Comanche cast out in ‘Mohawk’ topknots. James Fennimore Cooper would have been offended, never mind the annals of history.
Next Week: John Huston
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
Jefferson Cody (Randolph Scott) is in pursuit of Comanches who have taken his wife. He manages to rescue Nancy Lowe (Nancy Gates), also a Comanche captive. On the trail returning her home they encounter gentleman outlaw Ben Lane (Claude Akins) and his gang. Lane is out to rescue Mrs. Lowe for the $5,000 reward her husband has offered for her ‘return’, being shorthand for ‘return dead or alive’. Nice fella. Nasty twist. The news makes Nancy suspicious of Cody’s intentions.
Lane and Cody have a history going back to the war and Cody’s hand in Lane’s courts martial. Not surprisingly Lane’s plans include getting even with Cody and the ‘dead’ end of Mrs. Lowe’s return reward. Dead witnesses tell no tales and with the Comanche on the warpath, they can easily be blamed for the murders.
Comanche peck away at Lane’s gang until all that’s left is the inevitable showdown between Lane and Cody. We can likely guess who wins. No twist there. Cody returns Mrs. Lowe to Mr. Lowe on the ‘alive’ side of the return offered reward. For the twist of it, Mr. Lowe turns out to be blind. In a dubious twist, Cody rides off without collecting the reward, leaving us to wonder whatever happened to his wife? Oh well, the Ranown Cycle came to an end.
The abrupt ending feels like the film ran right up to the budget and turned off the cameras. Last week I closed one eye without commenting on Boetticher’s choice in outfitting Scott with a ’74 Colt Peacemaker prop for a ball and cap era Civil War film. This week we have to defend the Comanche from a wardrobe and make up department malfunction turning the Comanche cast out in ‘Mohawk’ topknots. James Fennimore Cooper would have been offended, never mind the annals of history.
Next Week: John Huston
Return to Facebook to comment.
Ride easy,
Paul
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