The Sundowners (1950)

Director: GEORGE TEMPLETON. Screenplay: Alan Le May. Based on his 1934 novel, Thunder in the Dust. Photography: Winton C. Hoch. Color by Technicolor. Film editor: Jack Ogilvie. Art director: John B. Goodman. Music: Leonid Raab, Rudolph Schrager. Music director: Irvin Talbot. Orchestrated by Joseph Nussbaum, George Parrish, Leonid Raab. "O'Riley's Song" (Preston) by Al Colombo (music) and Alan Le May (lyrics). Wardrobe: Byron Munson. Technicolor color consultant: Mitchell Kovaleski. Assistant directors: Harry Templeton, James Paisley. Sound recording: Gene Garvin, Harry Lindgren. Producer: Alan Le May. A Le May—Templeton Production.Copyright 31 December 1949 by Nuys Theatre Corporation. U.S. release through Eagle Lion: 1 February 1950. New York opening at the Palace: 4 May 1950. Australian release through British Empire Films: 30 November 1951. 85 minutes.SYNOPSIS: An outlaw joins a law-abiding rancher to combat a group of cattle rustlers.NOTES: George "Dink" Templeton directed only three features in his lifetime, of which this is the first. He followed with "Quebec" in 1951 and "A Gift for Heidi" in 1958. He also directed seven shorts from 1944 through 1946 and episodes of the TV "Rawhide" series in 1959. Most of his career was spent as an assistant director. Notable films in this capacity were Road to Singapore, The Great McGinty, Christmas in July, Ministry of Fear, The Affairs of Susan, Variety Girl and Tap Roots. The star of his first short, Trailin' West (1944), was Chill Wills. It's also interesting to note that Jack Elam also figured in the cast.COMMENT: An odd western, filmed on actual locations in Texas, "The Sundowners" incorporates some potentially interesting story ideas with vibrant, stimulating characters, yet adds up to considerably less than the sum of its parts. Templeton's direction throughout is often regrettably loose, even weak, but the chief fault undoubtedly lies in the casting of colorless Robert Sterling in the key role of the ambivalent rancher who cannot make up his mind whether to accept or reject the outlaw's offer of help. This is a genuine dilemma, but Sterling plays the hero as such a pallid personality, we really don't care what he does. This lack of audience identification weakens the story-line almost fatally, particularly as Robert Preston takes up the slack to make the charismatic outlaw the central focus of our attention. John Drew Barrymore (in his movie debut) struggles gamely to regain the initiative for the good side, but is defeated by shallow writing that switches attention to yet another ambivalent character, Kathleen Boyce (the wife of a neighboring rancher), played with understandable uncertainty by Cathy Downs. We're also never sure whether Jack Elam, who always plays bad guys, is actually on the right side in this movie. Nor do our doubts stop with the Boyces. The sheriff (Don Haggerty) is yet another player in the drama who seems to be playing both ends against the middle. At least John Litel knows where he stands. He actually makes his confession, in fact. This is one of the film's most impressive scenes. A turning point, we feel. But then the Litel character virtually disappears, allowing Preston to ride roughshod until the final long-anticipated climax with the weak-kneed Sterling. For all its faults, The Sundowners boasts some fine Technicolor photography, and will certainly prove a treat for Robert Preston's fans. He sings too!OTHER VIEWS: This ambitious "B" western is almost scuttled by one fatal flaw: An audience simply cannot identify with lead characters that are weak, pallid fence-sitters who lack the drive to put their ideals into action. One or two such waverers may be tolerable in a psychological western, but this movie assembles six or seven: our hero (Sterling), brother (Barrymore), self-appointed friend (Wills), neighbor (Elam), the neighbor's wife (Downs), sheriff (Haggerty), and maybe the sheriff's dad (Litel). Far too many negatives for one movie. Only the villain radiates self-confidence. That's bad!

Peaceful rancher Robert Sterling is on the losing side of a range war with his ruthless neighbors, that is until notorious outlaw Robert Preston shows up out of the blue to level the playing field. Soon he begins to go too far, feeding a growing sense of unease in Sterling, especially when his son begins to idolize the wily criminal.The Sundowners is a tightly-paced, gritty, and surprisingly tough little picture with a great performance by Preston. Here, he comes across as an evil version of Shane, that is until the real nature of the rancher and the outlaw's relationship is revealed. Most movie guides and video boxes spoil the surprise!Rounding out the cast is Chill Wills, Jack Elam, and the debut of John Drew Barrymore, who became more famous for his offspring than his acting.

This was an exceptional western in it's day. Filmed on location, in Technicolor no less, with top B-list stars Robert Sterling, the bland good-guy type and Robert Preston, the evil bad-man brother with good support by Cathy Downs, John Barrymore Jr., Chill Wills, John Litel among others including Jack Elam. After viewing this again after a long while, it's obvious that the more "adult" aspects of the story were eliminated or toned down so drastically that the drama was just too tame by todays' standards, but they had the "Code" in those days. It also appears as if the studio (Eagle-Lion)may have also edited some scenes down to fit a particular running time (approx. 83 minutes). It makes no sense to spend the money they did on this film and then cut it to it's running time. If this film had a couple of the Alan Bates, Susannha York, John Hurt scenes from "The Shout" written into this "re-make" it would be more explosive and make more sense. I would also explore and expand the strong-willed father, weak son sheriff sub-plot a little more. Yes it's watchable still as is, but when we bring back the Western some day, let's re-make this one early on.

Sterling and younger brother try to survive on land, being squeezed by big cattlemen. When 'rogue' brother Preston arrives, a moral dilemma ensues. John 'Drew' Barrymore steals the show as the younger, impressionable brother-Barrymore shows signs here that he could have been an acting powerhouse. Moves at a nice pace to an exciting climax.