Gun Battle at Monterey (1957)

Quite often us Western fans will see the cast list of an old 1950s Western and reasonably expect it to at the very least be a time waster. So instantly we (yes it's the Royal we) notice that Sterling Hayden and Lee Van Cleef star in it, and Ted de Corsia on villain duties as well, and feel quite confident. While when you got a title proudly promising a gun battle it's not outrageous to expect maybe just a little bit of bang bang bangery.That Carl K. Hittlemen's film doesn't deliver any goods is not really his fault, he's a director for hire working with a lazy screenplay and a cast who know it's a lazy screenplay! Cleef escapes criticism, but it's really not a badge of honour to shine in this sea of mediocrity, but he at least makes time spent with the pic tolerable: Just! Come the hopelessly weak finale you are unlikely to care or consider this as being worth another look in some alternate future. Key word is lazy, so this is an appropriately lazy review. 3/10

Hayden made a number of cheap Westerns at a time (late '50's) when Drive-in's were a booming business and in need of fare. Unfortunately, none are very good, including this one, though a number of talented people were involved in each. As could be expected, most suffered from poor production values and sub-standard scripts, leaving the talent little to work with. That's very much the case here. As others point out, only Van Cleef looks motivated. And too bad that great bad girl Mary Beth Hughes (Cleo) is not given more to work with. No need to repeat negative points made by others, except for two observations. Note that the film has two directors listed. According to IMDb, this was Franklin's only directorial effort, which suggests producer Hittleman didn't like what he saw and so took over the directing himself. Thus the film lacks an experienced director's hand. Also, the ending is indeed startling for a picture of this type. It's so abrupt and unexpected, it's almost like the company suddenly ran out of film and had to wrap up immediately. Certainly, nothing else in the production shows the kind of imagination or nerve that would produce such a startling break with convention. Too bad this remains the only good reason to stick around for this surf-to-turf oater.

This movie came on the Western Channel last night after two very good, if not great westerns. The contrast was huge. I couldn't make it half way this one it was so bad. Don't watch this movie unless you have a weird sense of humor. This is one of the worst western movies I have ever seen in my life. I gave it a 2/10 because I save a one for bad and evil. This didn't qualify in the evil category, just bad, bad, bad. Cheap and bad is probably more accurateSterling Hayden is much better than this. I can't believe his poor performance. I expected much more from this actor. Lee Van Clief was no better.This movie must have been made over a long weekend. The beach scenes didn't work, but they were probably cheap. A surf western?Bad directing.Bad camera.Bad music.Bad bad, bad and cheap surf western movie.

This western begins with a robbery masterminded by Max Reno (Ted de Corsia) aided by his new partner, gun expert Jay Turner. Turner asks for his share from the voluble Max, who pays him off then shoots him in the back. He is saved by Maria Salvador. Reno plays cards in Del Rey; breaking the house, then he forces a partnership onto the saloon's owner, planning to import "soiled doves", build a stage, cheapen the place. When the other objects, Reno shoots him and Kirby (Lee Van Cleef), becomes his new aide; the sheriff, a reformed drunk, goes along with Reno for the money. Maria, (Pamela Duncan) nurses Jay, and falls in love with him;. He thinks only of revenge and rides off, searching every town. Finding Reno's new place, he sees Reno's gunhands dragging bundles of the latest issue of a newspaper; the editor objects but Van Cleef hurls him into the dust. Hayden rescues him and introduces himself as John York. Reno knew him so short a time, he cannot be sure if he is Jay Turner when he enters the saloon. Reno says he is saving half this place for his partner, but York still plays dumb and takes a room. Cleo, his smartest girl, beloved by Kirby, is sent to find out about the man; She sees the scars in his back. But he says, "Tell him I'm York". She does. Reno lets Kirby, who fancies himself a gunhand, try to kill him. York plays cards, badly, to show he is not the expert card player Turner was; then Kirby challenges him. York beats Kirby up. When he goes for a gun, he disarms him. Reno disowns him, so Kirby goes for Reno and is pistol whipped. York drags him through the town to the lockup. The crowd has the Sheriff make him deputy. Reno's men abduct York to kill him. York digs his grave under two guns, but the two men drink so he is able to clobber both. Soon he finds Kirby has killed the drunken sheriff. Kirby could go with Cleo but he heads for the saloon, to kill Reno. York enters, and by a fast draw, kills Kirby, then talks the mob out of a hanging. The Editor backs him, reminding them they want Reno gone. York promises he will take him to hang. Reno is furious when he hears the real plan later --Turner is taking him back to Monterey to die--for the murder of his partner! That night, Reno tries to kill him with a rock; Turner sends him into the desert and picks him up later. giving him just enough water to go on. "It's a long way to Monterey", Reno sneers. In Monterey, Turner turns Reno over to the law. Reno tries to say York is Jay Turner; but this is the sheriff who had found his bullet-riddled jacket. Turner goes to Maria. She tells him when he explains his action, that what he has done is wrong, that they cannot build a life together on such a lie. He finally understands, turns himself in to the sheriff and joins Reno in a cell. Reno says "I forgive you for everything." "You're a big man, Reno," Turner says. "And smart too," Reno insists. He notes he would have had the girl turn them in--for the reward! Turner laughs with him, then slugs him on the jaw and settles in, to serve his sentence and return to Maria. Cinematography for this attractive B/W western was done by Harry Neumann; the directors were Sidney Franklin and Carl L. Hittleman. The script was by Jack Leonard and Lawrence Reisner. Robert Wiley Miller did music with "Shenandoah" as the main theme, with art direction by David Milton, sets by Joseph Kish. Sterling Hayden is strong, but Ted de Corsia, radio's most versatile actor, does award-level work as Reno. Young Lee Van Cleef is handsome as Kirby. Mary Beth Hughes makes the most of her role as Cleo; Pamela Duncan is sincere as Maria. Charles Cane as the drunken sheriff, Fred Sherman as the murdered saloon owner, I. Stanford Jolley, Mauritz Hugo, Pat Comiskey, and Byron Foulger all do fine work. Tight, memorable, a satisfying narrative by my lights, the makers can be proud of this film.