Fort Worth (1951)

Randolph Scott (Ned Britt), David Brian (Blair Lunsford), Phyllis Thaxter (Flora Talbot), Helena Carter (Amy Brooks), Dick Jones (Luther Wick), Ray Teal (Gabe Clevenger), Lawrence Tolan (Mort), Paul Picerni (Castro), Emerson Treacy (Ben Garvin), Bob Steele ("Shorty"), Walter Sande (Deputy Waller), Chubby Johnson (the sheriff), Don C. Harvey.Direction by EDWIN L. MARTIN. Written by John Twist. Photography by Sid Hickox. Art director: Stanley Fleischer. Film editor: Clarence Kolster. Sound by Oliver S. Garretson. Set decorator: G. W. Berntsen. Music by David Buttolph. Special effects by William McGann (director) and H.F. Koenekamp (photographer). Technicolor color consultant: Mitchell Kovaleski. Wardrobe by Marjorie Best. Make-up artist: Gordon Bau. Assistant director: Charles Hansen. R.C.A. Sound System. Produced by Anthony Veiller.Copyright 2 July 1951 by Warner Brothers Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Palace: 12 July 1951. U.S. release: 14 July 1951. U.K. release on the lower half of a double bill: 7 April 1952. Australian release: 26 December 1952. 7,232 feet. 80 minutes. Re-issue title: Texas EXPRESS.SYNOPSIS: Randolph Scott, once a famed gunfighter, decides to battle lawlessness as a frontier town newspaperman. Nearing Fort Worth, he meets Phyllis Thaxter, who is on her way to marry David Brian, a friend of Scott. In brawling Fort Worth, Scott learns that the town is menaced by the tactics of ruthless cattleman Ray Teal. Brian urges Scott to establish his newspaper there and fight Teal.COMMENT: Fleshed out with stock footage from "Dodge City" — all the railroad material, including the fire, and the cattle stampede — "Fort Worth" features Phyllis Kirk smiling inanely throughout. Unfortunately, the slow, talkative script actually provides little to smile about, even though it pegs in a fair amount of action, glumly perpetrated by Scott. David Brian grimaces suitably insanely, Helena Carter has a couple of brief scenes, Ray Teal appears properly villainous (with a very mild assist from Bob Steele).Marin is at his best in the action spots. The dialogue scenes are sometimes almost laughably composed of actors hitting the mark, rooted to the floor waiting for their cues. A fair amount of money was spent on the film all the same.The plot is easy to follow but makes little sense, thanks to one- dimensional characterizations and commonplace dialogue (with one or two bright lines: "Never pitch-fork the dead"; "Knew a woman worked on a newspaper once. Wrote the cookery column").Overall impression — routine.

Newspaperman Ned meets up with old friend Blair in Fort Worth where their friendship wobbles over a girl and Blair's overriding ambitions. Complicating matters is outlaw Clevenger and his gang of thugs.Solid western, more complex than most, but with good production values. The ambivalent relationship between Ned (Scott) and Blair (Brian) is the story's core. Blair has got to be one of the most charming connivers in oater annals. So which is going to win out: Blair's liking for old friend Ned, or Blair's clever greed and scheming. I agree with another reviewer: Brian steals the film with a lively, nuanced performance. Scott, of course, is Scott, as we fans count on. That excellent actress, the rather plain Phyllis Thaxter, gets the big distaff role, while I suspect the luscious Helena Carter (Amy) was added for eye appeal. The effects may be borrowed, but the fire aboard the moving train is a real eye-catcher, along with the cattle stampede through the wagons. I'm not surprised that action studio Warner Bros. produced the slickly done 80-minutes. Then too, Director Marin keeps things moving without cheating the plot. Unfortunately, it looks like he died soon after the film's wrap. For fans of the Saturday matinée, that diminutive dynamo Bob Steele picks up a payday as a henchman. They should have tossed more baddie screen time his way since he proved what a good cold-blooded killer he could be in The Enforcer (1951).My one complaint is the general lack of eye-catching scenery. Nonetheless, it's solid Technicolor western of the sort they unfortunately don't make anymore.

With Warner Brothers having done a western entitled Dallas a year earlier with Gary Cooper it only seemed right that it produce another western with the title of that other Texas twin city, Fort Worth. Starring in this one is Randolph Scott and directing it is Edwin L. Marin who collaborated with Scott on a few other previous films. This was Marin's last film as a director. Not a noteworthy stylist, Marin nevertheless was able to do a competent and entertaining product.Scott's in a strange occupation for him in a western, he's a newspaper editor, a partner with Emerson Treacy with Dick Jones working for them. They're picking up stakes and going to Texas and decide to settle in the city of Fort Worth which is having problems with a lawless element led by cattle trail boss Ray Teal. An old friend of Scott's, David Brian is the big mover and shaker in Fort Worth and he'd like to see a railroad come through and a meat packing plant right in the town like Chicago. That would eliminate folks like Teal and he's not about to see that happen.Scott has an interesting character, he's become pacifistic after war service and thinks that the power of the pen will do more than the six gun. But when law and order breaks down Randy straps on the six guns like Jimmy Stewart in Destry Rides Again to restore it as surely as Stewart did in Bottleneck.Brian though has a strange character, even after the end of the film you don't know quite what to make of him. He says he wants law and order, but tolerates an ineffectual sheriff in Chubby Johnson and allows Teal to run roughshod. Many in the cast want to know just what is his game and in the end we never really find out. Makes for an interesting piece of cinema.Fort Worth is an interesting western with far more plot than most of these six gun shoot 'em ups have. It is one of Randolph Scott's best westerns from the Fifties, you'll become a fan of Randolph Scott after seeing Fort Worth.

Fort Worth is fast-moving, well cast, well acted, and well executed all the way around. Scott actually has two different mentors, one Phyllis Thaxter's late father and the other a high-minded newspaperman who is knifed by a thug. He uses both of them to build and transition his character in a more layered performance than typical of the normally stoic Scott. Thaxter is terrific in every scene she's in, but better still is Brian as the magnate who persuades former boyhood friend Scott to stay in Fort Worth. He is part-villain and part-hero and extremely interesting and credible throughout. The plot is atypically complex with many threads all woven together well and wrapped up in a satisfying manner. Dick Moore (former child actor Dickie) is terrific as Scott's newspaperman who helps Scott keep alive the spirit of Ben, their mentor publisher. The thugs are all convincingly ruthless and interesting, including Ray Teal as the leader, supported by Bob Steele, Paul Picerni, and Michael TOlan among others. The color cinematography and production values are also first-rate and the pacing is perfect.If you enjoy Randolph Scott westerns, don't miss this superior entry.