Movie Review: Flaming Bullets (1945)
Synopsis: After discovering an uncanny resemblance to wanted outlaw Steve Carson, Texas Ranger Dave Wyatt poses as Carson in the hopes of catching a gang that has been breaking men out of jail only to kill them for the reward money. The ruse works as planned and Dave soon finds his life in danger with only fellow ranger Panhandle Perkins and attorney Tex Haines available to help him.
Who's in it? The movie stars Tex Ritter, Dave O'Brien, Guy Wilkerson, Patricia Knox and Charles King.
Review: I've had Flaming Bullets in my library for several weeks and finally decided to watch it this morning, mostly because it was only about an hour long and I was running a bit behind. The film was about what I expected it to be, nothing overly special but still entertaining.
The premise was an intriguing one. On one hand, the gang of outlaws, led by Sid Tolliver (I. Stanford Jolley) were killing other outlaws rather than innocent people. However, since they were crossing a line by premeditating the murder of men who were already in custody, it still was a matter of them breaking the law.
And while it would have been much simpler to stop paying the reward unless the wanted man was brought in alive, the plan Tex (Ritter) and Dave (O'Brien) was a unique one. Maybe a bit overly complicated but definitely unique and entertaining.
I did like how there was a bit of a mystery surrounding the gang. I mean, at first, it seemed like they could have simply arrested the men when they attempted to break Dave (believing he was Carson) out of jail. However, since there was apparently someone else calling the shots, they needed to see things through, putting Dave in a very risky position, especially when the real Steve Carson showed up. It kept the movie from becoming predictable and dull as a result.
My only real complaint is the final fight scene. For one, it was very dragged out because, even though everyone had guns, they wanted to fist fight instead. Plus, the laughing gas joke that was thrown in just seemed out of place, both as part of a final fight and in a film that isn't a comedy.
Final Opinion: It was an OK and entertaining movie. The ending could have used some work but overall, I thought it was worth watching.
My Grade: B
___________________________________________________________________
Here are some reviews of other classic westerns:
Movie Review: A Lawman is Born (1937)
Movie Review: The Broken Land (1962)
Comments
Post a Comment