The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953)

This film has a lot going for it, like Scott playing a different type of hero. If you really look into it, what kind of a good guy is he? He was a spy at Lawrence, Kansas and helped indirectly Quantrill kill people he was friendly with. After that he goes to Prescott, Arizona and becomes a spy again, this time against the stagecoach owners. Considering this western was directed by Andre de Toth (Day of the Outlaw, The Last of the Comanches, House of Wax) you would expect something better.There are many action scenes, which are the greatest fun in a western like this, but most poorly made. We also have great actors like Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine and Claire Trevor. Perhaps De Toth got lost with so many 3D effects and did not concentrate on the movie, which had everything to succeed, specially one of the most interesting characters Scott ever played. Still, I cannot say I didn't enjoy it.

Randolph Scott plays a man who worked, briefly, for Quantrell and his evil raiders during the Civil War. However, Quantrell's actions (he was more a terrorist and thief than a real soldier) soon disenchanted him and he left to serve in the regular Southern army. Soon the war ends and Scott is hated for his war record and people don't want to give him a chance. After nearly being killed by a mob on a riverboat, he decides to head west and lands in the middle of a terrible town run by cut-throats. Eventually, Scott gets rid of some of the baddies and makes it a nicer place to live.I am a huge fan of the westerns of Randolph Scott and have seen several dozen of them. In general, his later ones made from about 1956-1962 are the best and this film comes from his more inconsistent period. While this is not among the very worst of this period, it is not a particularly good film for a variety of reasons.The biggest problem is that Scott's character never made much sense and it seemed as if the writers really had no idea where the story was going. It just seemed that his character wasn't sure if he was good or evil or anything in the middle. You just had no idea what his plan, if any, was and by the time the film was over, you just felt a bit disappointed in the whole thing.In addition, there were some other serious problems. While this is a relatively common problem in Scott films, the stunt doubles were just awful. In particular, the guy who doubled for Ernest Borgnine looked nothing like him and it was VERY obvious that is wasn't him in the fight scenes---very, very obvious--almost comically obvious! The other problem is that originally this was a 3-D movie and the 3-D direction was about as subtle as a 2x4 upside your head. Way too many times the characters tossed things towards the camera or pretended to be punching the camera. A little of this might have worked great, but as much as they did made it look like a "cheese-fest"!! The Three Stooges' 3-D short was more subtle than this!! My advice is unless you are the most rabid and die-hard fan, skip this one or save it for after you've seen his later work. Otherwise, you'll get the impression that his films are pretty ordinary--which is not really the case.

An enjoyable western, with a fair storyline. I especially liked the hot "fire scene". The confrontation between Randolph Scott and Ernest Borgnine was also fun - with Mr. Borgnine throwing junk at the camera! Borgnine and Lee Marvin are both fun to watch, in these early career roles. Claire Trevor is getting older, will Mr. Scott still choose her; or, will the sweet young thing give him a spin?"The Stranger Wore a Gun" was originally shot, by director André De Toth, in "3D"; this gives it a unique "look", I thought; and, some of the photography is very nice. I found the story difficult to follow, though. I really dig that statue in front of Juniper House. ***** The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953) André De Toth ~ Randolph Scott, Claire Trevor, Ernest Borgnine

Having been shot in 3-D, expect a lot of guns to be pointed at you and sometimes shot, fire coming at the camera, and even rock formations in Lone Pine to appear to have shelves. Outside of this minor distraction, the story is a good one concerning the aftermath of Quantrill's Raiders involving one of his spies, Jeff Travis (Randy Scott), who is determined to run away from his past and begin a new life. Following a fracas on a riverboat, he ends up in Prescott, Arizona, just as the capital of the territory is being moved to Phoenix because of the lack of law and order in the town. Somewhat of a mentor to him as well as lover is the soiled dove Josie Sullivan, played knowingly by Claire Trevor. He rides into Prescott loaded for bear, hence the title "The Stranger Wore a Gun." That he can't shake his past even in an out of the way western hamlet becomes obvious when both Josie and Jules Mourret (George Macready), another ghost from yesterday, turn up there. It's not quite clear where the stranger is heading until a close pal is murdered by Jules' henchmen. To muddy the water a damsel in distress appears, pretty Shelby Conroy (Joan Weldon), who seems shy and innocent. The stranger begins falling in love with her to the displeasure of Josie. Newcomer Jules is holding a Mexican gang at bay led by the colorful Degas (Alfonso Bedoya). The stranger begins playing one gang against the other to almost be gunned down in the crossfire.Two of Jules' henchmen would go on to win Academy Awards a few years later, Lee Marvin as Dan Kurth and Ernest Borgnine as Bull Slager. Borgnine wears one of the loudest cowboy outfits ever, including a green shirt. He looks like a dude from the east. This doesn't stop him from being the sadistic bully he usually played in those days. Marvin too is his usual twisted demented character fans loved to hate. To see these two in action is worth the price of admission.Postscript: Look for Tap Canutt, son of famous stunt man Yakima Canutt, in a bit part. He was also one of the stunt men for the film.