Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966)

Pouring cold water in Coldiron.

I see why some folk like it, the downbeat and harsher edges appealing, if only it wasn't so badly constructed and played! It is to my mind a classic example of the funk American Westerns had got themselves into at this juncture of genre film making.

Michael Rennie and Bill Bixby are badly miscast, Claude Akins overacts to within an inch of his life (a rare poor show from him), while Bernard McEveety's direction shows why he was more at home in TV work. It all looks desperately fake, the interiors of key buildings looking like Wild West themed restaurants, the rest of the exteriors looking like what they are - stages! (most likely built from Chuck Connors' woodenness) Script is weak, which leads to a story that is never once authentic in tone or feeling, scenarios that are meant to be telling are unconvincing and the action is laughably staged.

No hidden or misunderstood gem here, just bad film making that irritates as opposed to entertaining. 1/10

**_Downbeat town-bound Western with Chuck Connors made by a TV team_**

In a West Texas town in the Old West, a newly married couple lives well in her aunt’s mansion, but the husband (Connors) feels he must make his own money and so travels to Dodge City to become a buffalo skinner. After 11 years he returns home $17,000 richer, but is waylaid by three shady characters (Claude Akins, Bill Bixby and Michael Rennie). Naturally he seeks vengeance. Gary Merrill plays his stepdad while Frank Gorshin shows up in a small role. Towering Buddy Baer is on hand as a formidable bouncer.

"Ride Beyond Vengeance" (1966) began as a Doc Savage movie which folded due to legal rights to the story “The Thousand Headed Man.” With the cast already under contract, producers switched to a Western using the 1956 novel "The Night of the Tiger" by Al Dewlen.

It only cost $650,000 and was made by a (mostly) television production team and so some bits have a TV vibe with the flick being comparable to an A.C. Lyles Western of the same period, e.g. "Black Spurs" and "Apache Uprising.” These kinds of ‘B’ Westerns are mostly town-bound yet with fleshed-out characters, some soap opera and a glaring indoor set or three. There may be a couple scenes shot in the local country or stock footage.

There are some highlights that make the flick worthwhile, particularly the knock-down, drag-out fight in the last act, considered by some as one of the best ever, western or otherwise. Meanwhile the dramatics are engaging enough and there are several scenes featuring a friendly orange cat. But the histrionics are sometimes over-the-top, especially when it comes to Akins (which didn’t bother me personally). The overly lugubrious tone and needlessly ambiguous close don’t help matters, not to mention the bookend scenes in the modern day are curious and thoroughly unnecessary.

Winsome Kathryn Hays is mostly known for playing Kim on As the World Turns for 38 years. She only appeared in two theatrical movies, including this one. You might remember her from the Star Trek episode “The Empath” (1968) wherein she played the mute Gem. She looks her best here with long hair. Marissa Mathes is also on hand as the equally winsome Maria while Gloria Grahame (known for “It’s a Wonderful Life”) has a small part as a cheating wife (she was 42 during filming).

The film runs 1 hour, 41 minutes, and was primarily shot at Backlot, Desilu Studios, Culver City, California.

GRADE: B-