Cass Dunning (Richard Lapp) has just arrived in Silver City, a place where corruption and chaos reign. The naive farm boy Cass and newcomer saloon girl Nellie (Anne Randall) are married by Judge Roy Bean (Victor Jory) in a shotgun wedding but their honeymoon is marred by outlaws. The outlaws as Jesse James (Audie Murphy) roam freely here and there, so Cass will have to be alert to the dangers that lie in wait for him. But an enemy is obsessed with revenge, stalking his prey for a final confrontation. Only he knew it was...a time for dying. A Classic Western Film of a Kind That Grew Up Too Fast...
This is an ordinary western in which actors fail to give their roles any credibility, a mediocrely-done example of a B movie with so-so interpretations, poor production design, glimmering photography and enjoyable outdoors. Budd Boetticher's last Western -after a long gap filled with his work on a bullfighting project- is a sad affair, far removed from his precision and resonance of the Randolph Scott films and with no the usual arid, stark, rocky landscapes of their 50s classic movies. Produced by actor Audie Murphy himself who takes a bit part as Jesse James, the movie looks at the life of an aspiring gunfighter who meets his end through foolish bravado. Although not much bravado is visible on-screen, however, as the production values are strictly TV: flat lighting, crummy sets and low-cost scenarios. Disappointing, despite good director, nice camerawork and decent support cast. Special mention mention for veteran secondary Victor Jory who steals the show as the drunkard Judge Roy Bean.
It contains a colorful and shimmering cinematography by prestigious Lucien Ballard, the notorious cameraman who photographed Sam Peckinpah's various films: ¨The Ballad of Cable Hogue¨, ¨The Getaway¨, ¨Wild Bunch¨, ¨Junior Bonner¨ and other Westerns as ¨Will Penny¨, ¨Hour of gun¨, ¨True Grit¨, The Sons of Katie Elder¨, ¨An Eye for an Eye¨, ¨Will Penny¨, ¨Nevada Smith¨, ¨Nevada Express¨. As well as an evocative and thrilling musical score. Audie Murphy and Budd Boetticher, whose careers were in decline at the time, formed their own company, Fipco, to make films such as this one. The motion picture was averagely directed by Budd Boetticher in a weak style without his ordinary trademarks . He directed a lot of Westerns, most of them written by Burt Kennedy, being exhibited by Columbia Pictures . Along with Randolph Scott and Harry Joe Brown formed a production company ,Ranown, financing several Westerns. At the beginning Budd worked for Universal International directing Westerns as ¨Wolf hunters¨, ¨Cimarron kid¨, ¨Bronco Buster¨, ¨Horizons West¨, ¨Seminole¨, ¨The man from the Alamo¨, ¨Wings of the hawk¨ . In 1956 he directed a B production for Batjac titled ¨7 men from now¨. In 1957 made ¨The Tall T¨with his production company, following ¨Decision at sundown¨, ¨Buchanan rides alone¨, ¨Ride lonesome¨, ¨Comanche station¨, ¨Westbound¨. Finally, Budd wrote the script of ¨Two mules for Sister Sara¨ by Donal Siegel and directed his last Western in 1969 ¨A time of dying¨ produced/starred by Audie Murphy. Rating: average, 5 out of 10. A routine western in low budget and nothing special. Only for completists for Budd's film career and Western's hardcore lovers.
This is an ordinary western in which actors fail to give their roles any credibility, a mediocrely-done example of a B movie with so-so interpretations, poor production design, glimmering photography and enjoyable outdoors. Budd Boetticher's last Western -after a long gap filled with his work on a bullfighting project- is a sad affair, far removed from his precision and resonance of the Randolph Scott films and with no the usual arid, stark, rocky landscapes of their 50s classic movies. Produced by actor Audie Murphy himself who takes a bit part as Jesse James, the movie looks at the life of an aspiring gunfighter who meets his end through foolish bravado. Although not much bravado is visible on-screen, however, as the production values are strictly TV: flat lighting, crummy sets and low-cost scenarios. Disappointing, despite good director, nice camerawork and decent support cast. Special mention mention for veteran secondary Victor Jory who steals the show as the drunkard Judge Roy Bean.
It contains a colorful and shimmering cinematography by prestigious Lucien Ballard, the notorious cameraman who photographed Sam Peckinpah's various films: ¨The Ballad of Cable Hogue¨, ¨The Getaway¨, ¨Wild Bunch¨, ¨Junior Bonner¨ and other Westerns as ¨Will Penny¨, ¨Hour of gun¨, ¨True Grit¨, The Sons of Katie Elder¨, ¨An Eye for an Eye¨, ¨Will Penny¨, ¨Nevada Smith¨, ¨Nevada Express¨. As well as an evocative and thrilling musical score. Audie Murphy and Budd Boetticher, whose careers were in decline at the time, formed their own company, Fipco, to make films such as this one. The motion picture was averagely directed by Budd Boetticher in a weak style without his ordinary trademarks . He directed a lot of Westerns, most of them written by Burt Kennedy, being exhibited by Columbia Pictures . Along with Randolph Scott and Harry Joe Brown formed a production company ,Ranown, financing several Westerns. At the beginning Budd worked for Universal International directing Westerns as ¨Wolf hunters¨, ¨Cimarron kid¨, ¨Bronco Buster¨, ¨Horizons West¨, ¨Seminole¨, ¨The man from the Alamo¨, ¨Wings of the hawk¨ . In 1956 he directed a B production for Batjac titled ¨7 men from now¨. In 1957 made ¨The Tall T¨with his production company, following ¨Decision at sundown¨, ¨Buchanan rides alone¨, ¨Ride lonesome¨, ¨Comanche station¨, ¨Westbound¨. Finally, Budd wrote the script of ¨Two mules for Sister Sara¨ by Donal Siegel and directed his last Western in 1969 ¨A time of dying¨ produced/starred by Audie Murphy. Rating: average, 5 out of 10. A routine western in low budget and nothing special. Only for completists for Budd's film career and Western's hardcore lovers.