Michael Morrison
Recently (November 2017) a friend told me his favorite Western novelist is Luke Short. Strictly on his recommendation, I got a Luke Short novel, titled "Donovan's Gun," and I am very impressed. Short is now my own second favorite Western novelist, right after Elmer Kelton."Albuquerque," my favorite city in these United States, is the setting for this movie although reportedly it was shot in Chatsworth, California, now very urbanized, and Sedona, Arizona.Perhaps the story is rather slight, maybe even predictable, but the dialogue and the number of important characters raises it 'way above the average.Well, heck, Randolph Scott is the star (and in one of his most likable roles) so I was predisposed to like it. But Lon Chaney Jr. gives another of his excellent performances. He became an even better actor than his father, without the make-up.Oh, yes, as the Wolfman he used both his acting talent and make-up, but later roles, such as this and in "High Noon" and "Of Mice and Men," he proved to any doubters he was indeed an actor.Russell Hayden was a busy man, having 80 credits here at IMDb, but in "Albuquerque" he doesn't have to do a lot.But his "sister," played by Catherine Craig does. What a beautiful and talented woman. She should have had many more than 38 credits.Barbara Britton is billed higher and had a longer career, and is also lovely and talented.Usually playing a grandpa or uncle, and usually a likable codger, George Cleveland, in a Lionel Barrymore-reminiscent wheelchair, is a really horrible villain. Anyone wondering about his acting talent needs to see him in this. Remarkable performance!Nearly stealing the whole movie, as he usually did, was George "Gabby" Hayes, who had some of the best lines, and whose character owned two mules named, grandly, "Damon" and "Pythias."His character, "Juke," also got to make Bible references, even if he did sometimes rather garble them, but it was this kind of dialogue that made "Albuquerque" such an excellent movie, even more than the action.Unfortunately, sometimes the action was made less than exciting because of too many rear-screen projection shots. That is my only carp about the movie.My other carp is about some of the reviews. It is not really a "review" if the would-be reviewer merely recounts the plot, and especially when not warning readers of spoilers.One reviewer, in addition, sneered at the fact a stage-coach driver and his supposed "co-driver," who was actually a passenger, not a "co- driver," were unarmed when the bandits held them up.Juke told the bandits there was no cash box aboard, so nothing to steal -- he not knowing passengers might have valuables -- and he told the hold-up men that's why he was unarmed. So some reviewers really ought to watch the movie before commenting.I do have one other complaint: There are, at this writing, three versions of "Albuquerque" at YouTube -- and every one is pretty bad to terrible.The one I finally decided upon was out of focus and about half-way through even out of synch! Why people upload such junk is beyond me.Another has a picture of John Wayne, which seems a fairly common bit of fraud on the YouTube audience, and the YouTube owners -- Amazon? -- really ought to be ashamed to allow such dishonesty.One of the others has the movie cut off at top and bottom."Albuquerque" is a good movie, one I highly recommend, but if you try to watch at YouTube, choose carefully.
mark.waltz
A stage coach robbery has motivations that go beyond the typical payroll heist, beyond the nefarious deeds of some bandit, and beyond revenge against the stagecoach company. It's all a huge conspiracy, occurring at the wrong time for who is on board and who that person happens to be related to. This is one of those epic tales of power struggles and the need to prevent any struggles because of competition. It's the case of big fish eating up growing fish so growing fish doesn't get bigger than big fish.In this case, the big fish is a big toothed piranha stuck in a portly frame, a surprisingly sinister George Cleveland, cast against type as the controlling and crooked town patriarch out to prevent competition at any cost. He's got the law in his pocket, and when one of the stagecoach robbers in custody threatens to squeal, you know his moments on earth are numbered. But the film's hero, Randoloh Scott, ironically Cleveland's nephew, vows to take the ruthless tyrant down, family relations be damned.This is from the independent team of Pine/Thomas productions whose low budget films were released through Paramount. This is higher budgeted than normal, with an A cast and some really good color photography. Lon Chaney Jr. is appropriately ruthless as Cleveland's henchman, and George "Gabby" Hayes grizzled but gutsy as Scott's loyal pal who is more than just your typical sidekick, able to hold off the enemy without fear. For feminine touch added, there's Barbara Britton as the stagecoach victim of Cleveland's greed and Catherine Craig as a ploy unsuccessfully used by Cleveland. Karolyn Grimes is added as a little girl who takes a shine to Scott after he rescues her from a runaway stagecoach. Portly Jody Gilbert adds more comic relief as Hayes' old lady friend. In all, above average for a seemingly complex western that is anything but typical.
Uriah43
"Cole Armin" (Randolph Scott) is a former Texas Ranger who decides to accept an offer from his uncle, "John Armin" (George Cleveland) to help him run a freight office in Albuquerque. What Cole doesn't know is that his uncle is exceedingly corrupt and practically runs the town like an evil tyrant. When he discovers that some new friends are being run out of business he quits working for his uncle and joins them in starting a rival freight company. Naturally, this represents a direct threat to John Armin's interests and he sets about trying to destroy his new rivals using whatever means are at his disposal. Filmed in 1948, this movie was probably well-received in theaters and at drive-ins during this time. And while it is certainly enjoyable enough today it definitely shows its age. Randolph Scott performs well enough I suppose as does George Hayes (as "Juke") and Catherine Craig ("Celia Wallace"). Likewise, both Barbara Britton ("Letty Tyler") and Catherine Craig added some nice scenery as well. All things considered, this was an entertaining movie which should satisfy those looking for a decent western to pass the time. Slightly above average.
westerner357
At first I thought this was going to turn into another B western since it has a cast that includes Gabby Hayes, Russell Hayden and Lon Chaney in it, but then the plot quickens and it starts to get better as time goes on.Randolph Scott plays Cole Armin, a happy-go-lucky guy who decides to come to Albuquerque and work for his wheelchair-bound uncle, John Armin (George Cleveland) in his freight business, only to find out that his uncle has got the town under his thumb and is willing to resort to murder in order to keep it that way. Cole decides he doesn't want any part of his uncle's business and goes to work for honest-guy Ted Wallace (Hayden) and his sister Celia (Catherine Craig) who are the only freight competition in town against his uncle. They get a contract to transport ore for the miners down from the mountains, but Cole's uncle tries to sabotage it every step of the way, including bringing in beautiful Barbara Britton to spy on them and having Lon Chaney pick fights with Cole.But that's all for naught because Britton starts to fall in love with Hayden and she informs Cole as to what his evil uncle is up to. It all ends in a gun battle on the street and the bad guys get their just rewards, including John Armin.I'm glad the previous poster mentioned the cheap "Cinecolor" process that Paramount originally used because I was wondering why the film had a washed-out, 'colorized' look to it. It's even more apparent on the new Universal DVD that's recently come out.Still, it not bad. Even Gabby Hayes was bearable.6 out of 10
