Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

bkoganbing Rory Calhoun is a young cowboy who is seeking a career change with upward mobility and big money. His fiancé Terry Moore does not like the fact he wants to be a bounty hunter and leaves him and marries someone else. Years later Calhoun and Moore get reunited sort of when he comes to her town to take it over on behalf of Lon Chaney, Jr. who wants it wild and lawless so the railroad won't use it as a route.The title of the film comes from the first outlaw that Calhoun does in, a gentlemen from Mexico named El Pescador played by Robert Carricart who has a trademark of Black Spurs. When Calhoun shoots Carricart down in a gun duel, he takes the spurs and wears them for himself now.This A.C. Lyles western was the farewell film for Linda Darnell who is second billed though this is distinctly a supporting role. Darnell plays the head of a troupe of saloon girls imported to bring down the town's morals. They look like they know their business. Black Spurs was released posthumously after Darnell died in that tragic house fire.Such A.C. Lyles regulars as Richard Arlen, Bruce Cabot, Scott Brady and DeForest Kelley are in the cast as well. Not the best or the worst of A.C. Lyles geezer westerns, but western fans should be pleased.

MartinHafer A.C. Lyles produced quite a few westerns during the 1960s and they all had low budgets and featured stars who were past their primes. My assumption is that Lyles used these actors because they would work for less and yet added a bit of class to the cheap productions. Here in "Black Spurs", you have Rory Calhoun (in his mid-40s--hence YOUNG for a Lyles western), Lon Chaney Jr., Richard Arlen (who was in EVERY Lyles film--or so it seems), Linda Darnell, Bruce Cabot and Terry Moore--all who had seen better days in their careers.The film begins with Santee (Calhoun) about to get married. However, when it's announced that a wanted criminal with a bounty on his head is nearby, Santee runs off to catch the guy. After all, the extra money would sure come in handy now that he's marrying. But, when he returns to town, he learns that his fiancée has left--apparently she did not want to be married to some bounty hunter. In reaction, he becomes a super-bounty hunter--making a fortune bringing in the roughest and toughest criminals--and becoming a very hardened man in the process.A bit later, Santee and a corrupt boss-man (Chaney) come up with a nasty plan--to destroy a nearby town so that the railroad won't go there but instead go to the boss-man's town--thus making him a fortune. Santee's plan is to make the innocent town as unlivable as possible--bringing in gambling, prostitutes and lawlessness. The problem is that the sheriff of this town is the husband of Santee's old fiancée! Is there any decency left within him? Or is this some elaborate plot for personal revenge? This film is very unusual because the leading man is no hero. Being a mercenary man, he's morally ambiguous and not the guy you'd normally expect to see in a leading man! I liked this, as it's NOT a typical sort of western--and about 90% of all westerns are variations on only 3 or 4 plots. This one uses the greedy boss-man plot but with enough changes to make it unique. Well acted and interesting, I'd give this one a 7.

Michael_Elliott Black Spurs (1965) * 1/2 (out of 4) A ranch hand named Santee (Rory Calhoun) grows tired of being poor so he decides to turn into a bounty hunter so that he can collect some big rewards. After being successful at this he decides to move in on a local town to take it over because he knows a railroad is about to come through. BLACK SPURS has a very interesting cast but sadly that's about the only thing the movie has going for it. This is a pretty strange Western to watch and especially when you consider it was 1965. By this time most Westerns like this weren't being made anymore as the story, structure and overall feel of this makes you seem like it would have been better fit in the 1940s. I think the main reason people are going to come to this film are for the stars. Calhoun isn't very well known today but he has a strong devoted group of fans who will probably be the only ones wanting to watch this. He's pretty good in the film as he has no problem playing rough and later on more soft-hearted. The supporting cast includes some very familiar faces including Linda Darnell and Scott Brady as well as the likes of Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bruce Cabot. Those coming to this film to see Chaney and Cabot might be disappointed to see their roles so small but both actors are still good. BLACK SPURS features some rather routine gunfights that never get too exciting and we're also treated to a sidestory between Calhoun and Darnell that really doesn't add up to much and the big twist is something you'll see coming from a mile away.

phillindholm "Black Spurs" was one of producer A.C. Lyles now famous series of low-budget westerns featuring onetime big names. This one starred Rory Calhoun, Linda Darnell, Terry Moore, Lon Chaney, Bruce Cabot, Scott Brady and Richard Arlen. The supporting cast included future director Jerome Courtland, in his last acting role as a small town newspaper publisher living in sin! The story followed the adventures of an ambitious ranch hand (Calhoun) who deserts his pregnant girlfriend (Moore) for the life of a bounty hunter. Eventually this career demoralizes him to such a degree, that he instigates a plot to corrupt the morals of a small town for a fat fee. Thus, a planned railroad franchise will be diverted to a neighboring town owned by crooked businessman Chaney, who is in on the scheme. Calhoun sends for bouncer Cabot, new Orleans Madam Darnell and her "girls" as well as card sharp Joe Hoover, all of whom trash the town. Not so coincidentally, the sheriff happens to be the husband of Calhoun's former love, Moore. What happens is not what one might expect. Sadly, the film was Linda Darnell's last screen appearance. She died in an accidental house fire before it was released. And for many, the sight of the once gorgeous actress looking bloated and middle aged was not a pretty one. She did, however, turn in a reliably good performance, as did her co-stars, and Black Spurs remains an enjoyable nostalgia fest, one of Lyles' best.