Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Monday Review on a Tuesday: The Naked Spur
Sorry for lack of updates. I just don't feel up to writing a blog piece but I decided to today. It looks like the next five Monday Reviews will be James Stewart movies unless I read or watch something that is totally intriguing.
THE NAKED SPUR (1953)
Plot summary via IMDB
This isn't exactly one of James Stewart's better movies but it's a good enough time waster. The acting in the movie is VERY broad and almost laughable by today's standards (except for Stewart) but still it wasn't without its charm. The role of Jesse Tate was played to perfection by character actor Millard Mitchell. In many ways I felt bad for him as he was this old guy looking to strike it rich. At one point he talks to Ben about how he has seen so many of his friends and coleagues strike it rich just by sheer accident alone yet he has never seen gold for himself.
The villian of the piece, Ben Vandergoat played by Robert Ryan was pretty one note right down to being abusive to his girl Lina at the end of the picture. The Roy Anderson character was also pretty flat IMO as well but that didn't matter too much as the story truly revolved around Stewart's Kemp character and Janet Leigh as Lina Patch.
It was interesting to learn the motivation and reasoning for Kemp's bitterness and why he traveled all the way out west to get Ben. Lina, who was a very doting and caring lady slowly felt sorry for Howard because of how he lost his ranch. Slowly throughout the film her pity turned into geniune love for Howard but not in an overt and demonstrative way that you'd expect from films of this vintage.
Stewart was fantastic in a role that I felt was a bit beneath him. I did like how he was able to come across as extremely bitter and heelish throughout the first half of the movie. It just goes to show that great acting talent can sometimes lift B grade material to something watchable.
Overall I give this flick ** out of 5 stars.
Next film scheduled: The Stratton Story
THE NAKED SPUR (1953)
Plot summary via IMDB
A bitter Howard Kemp heads westward to the Rockies from Abilene, Kansas on the trail of murderer Ben Vandergroat and the $5000 reward on Vandergroat's head, money after which Kemp lusts in order to re-purchase the ranch that his absconding fiancée had sold during his stint in the army. Kemp unexpectedly crosses paths with an old, star-crossed gold miner, Jesse Tate, and with a recently-discharged soldier of questionable repute, Roy Anderson. Teaming up, they nab Vandergroat and his girl, Lina Patch, but Vandergroat tries to turn his three distrustful, avaricious captors against each other during the return trip.
This isn't exactly one of James Stewart's better movies but it's a good enough time waster. The acting in the movie is VERY broad and almost laughable by today's standards (except for Stewart) but still it wasn't without its charm. The role of Jesse Tate was played to perfection by character actor Millard Mitchell. In many ways I felt bad for him as he was this old guy looking to strike it rich. At one point he talks to Ben about how he has seen so many of his friends and coleagues strike it rich just by sheer accident alone yet he has never seen gold for himself.
The villian of the piece, Ben Vandergoat played by Robert Ryan was pretty one note right down to being abusive to his girl Lina at the end of the picture. The Roy Anderson character was also pretty flat IMO as well but that didn't matter too much as the story truly revolved around Stewart's Kemp character and Janet Leigh as Lina Patch.
It was interesting to learn the motivation and reasoning for Kemp's bitterness and why he traveled all the way out west to get Ben. Lina, who was a very doting and caring lady slowly felt sorry for Howard because of how he lost his ranch. Slowly throughout the film her pity turned into geniune love for Howard but not in an overt and demonstrative way that you'd expect from films of this vintage.
Stewart was fantastic in a role that I felt was a bit beneath him. I did like how he was able to come across as extremely bitter and heelish throughout the first half of the movie. It just goes to show that great acting talent can sometimes lift B grade material to something watchable.
Overall I give this flick ** out of 5 stars.
Next film scheduled: The Stratton Story
# posted by Chris Fung @ 2:41 PM 
