Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Justina The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

gullwing592003 A well done post civil war western drama set in April 10, 1865 with the Reno Bros. Vance (Richard Egan), Brett (William Campbell) & Ray (James Drury) & Mike Gavin ( Neville Brand) etc. members of General Randall's cavalry brigade. They attack & defeat federal soldiers & by impersonating them they rob a payroll master as the train pulls in they receive the money & get away with $12,250.00 dollars they intend to turn over to General Randall but soon learn of a surrender & the disbanded cavalry brigade & that the war is over.They decide to keep it as they justify it as spoils of war & not knowing the war is over as they were just carrying out orders by General Randall as they feel they have a right to it. After they divide up the money they go their separate ways back home. Vance (Egan) plans to get married to his sweetheart Cathy (Debra Paget) who's been waiting 4 years but is surprised to find she's already married to his brother who stayed home Clint (Elvis Presley). As the family believed that Vance, Ray & Brett were killed in the war.This creates an awkward situation for the 3 as Vance decides to leave but is approached by Siringo & Major Kincaid played by Robert Middleton & Bruce Bennett as they intend to recover money that was stolen. The 3 brothers are arrested to be identified. Siringo makes a deal with Vance to return the stolen money in return for freedom but the deal is only good if all the money is recovered.This creates problems with the other comrades as Gavin (Brand) & the others want to keep their share. After they attack the train to help the Reno Bros. escape Vance forces Gavin & the others at gunpoint to give up the money intending to return the money to Siringo ( Middleton). Mike Gavin starts filling Clint's head with idea's that Vance's only intention is to run off with all the money & Cathy whom they were in love before & during the war. This leads to a confrontation with Clint & Cathy as he is filled with rage & jealousy.This leads to a showdown with Vance & Clint as Vance (Egan) tells Clint (Presley) he was only intending to return the money & has sent Ray to return the money to Siringo & would still clear out but Clint pressured by Gavin (Brand )& along with Gavin they both shoot Vance only wounding him. As Gavin & the others thinking Vance still has the money try to recover it Clint warns them to get away & as shots are fired Gavin kills Clint.The role of Clint Reno was offered to Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter & Cameron Mitchell before Elvis got it. This is a good debut for Elvis in a solid western drama with a good story & plot & some twists & surprises. Elvis sings 4 songs which are good but unnecessary but at least the music doesn't overshadow & dominate the movie & get in the way of the story. It has an excellent cast & it's one of Elvis' best acting as he does a good job in a supporting role. Worth watching.

josesolismusic-223-295527 I watched this movie because I was curious about Elvis in movies. I didn't expect much, but I was happily surprised. So, when I came to look for more information about it, I was even more surprised this movie has such a low rating here. The story is very good, controversial even in many ways. It has no boring moments, the drama is constant. The acting is good for the time. The music is also appropriate for the setting, both Elvis's songs and the score by Lionel Newman is also very effective and good for the time when it was done. This might be a problem for many, the time. Judging a movie like this by today's standards is doing it a great injustice. I've seen lots of old movies that don't hold the attention as much as this. Even the acting of Elvis, being this his first movie, and him being a singer not an actor, was quite convincing. I've see lots of actors not pull the jealous rage the way he does.

TedMichaelMor I liked this film. I had never seen it until recently. Mr. Presley was a good actor; he had great potential. The entire cast does a fine job. Robert Webb was a solid director. Richard Egan and Debra Pagett did fine work. I found the narrative engaging. The story was complex as were the characters. I wish that Mr. Presley had had a chance to hone his craft with good instruction and other good material. He clearly had ability to create convincing, interesting, and well-rounded characters.The cinematography has a crisp look with good balance and tonalities. The locations don't remind me of Texas but that was common for westerns at the time this movie was filmed. I grant that the ending feels a bit forced, but the overall story works.The music did not have much, if anything, to do with the narrative but, heck, who cares. It is terrific.

Nazi_Fighter_David Why 20th Century Fox felt that starring him in a Western would be successful is merely academic… When Elvis broke into gyrations and song, audiences were electrified… The story—filmed in black-and-white CinemaScope— was about a bunch of Confederate soldiers who stole a Union Army payroll and then discover that, just five days ago, Lee had surrendered to Grant at Appomattox, ending the Civil War… Hiding the money, The Reno brothers (Richard Egan, William Campbell, and James Drury) decide to use it for themselves, and return home to the family farm and their kid brother Clint… Presley was cast as a Texas farm boy who marries his cavalry-man brother's sweetheart when news of his brother's death filters through… But the brother—played by Richard Egan isn't dead at all and incurs Presley's jealousy by resuming his friendship with his former sweetheart the beautiful Cathy Reno (Debra Paget)… The situation went from bad to worse… In his first motion picture, Elvis proved to be a rugged fighting man, a wonderful loving man and a terrific singing man… Hear him sing: "Let Me," "We're Gonna Move," "Poor Boy," and "Love Me Tender."