Abilene Town (1946) User Reviews (39)

Highly watchable Western about confrontation between cattlemen and homesteaders

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 6 July 2006]

The film is set in 1870 , post civil war , in Abilene ( a biblical name meaning city of the plains ), the pattern of the other celebrated cow towns of the Old west . Randolph Scott is the brave sheriff of Abilene along with Edgar Buchanan , they are fighting to stifle the conflicts between homesteaders ( led by a young Lloyd Bridges ) and cattlemen who hire gunfighters ( Jack Lambert ) . Meanwhile he develops a loving triangle between a Saloon girl ( Ann Dvorak ) and a good girl ( Rhonda Fleming ).

The picture gets action Western , shootouts , a love story , musical numbers ( in charge of a gorgeous Anne Dvorak ) and is quite entertaining . It's a medium budget film with good actors , technicians, production values and pleasing results . The film is totally set in Abilene ( Kansas )which was the first of the major railhead cattle towns . From 1867 to 1872 it was a booming depot , shipping some one million Texas Longhorns by railroad to Kansas City and Chicago and meat markets in the East . The place was selected as a terminus for Texas cattle drives in 1867 . Then the long drives began from Texas over the Chisholm trail . At trail's end in Abilene the rowdy,free-spending cowboys attracted saloon keepers, gamblers , brothels and all types of frontier riff-raff , the town became notorious for its lawlessness . Gunmen were hired for a time to keep the peace in Abilene ( in the film the peacemaker results to be Randolph Scott and actually Wild Bill Hickok ) . With the numerous presence of homesteaders the town prospered , stabilized and grew , its lawabiding citizens decided to discourage the troublesome cattle trade with his transient cowboys and early requested the Texas cattlemen to drive their herds elsewhere , which they soon did and Abilene's role as a wild cow town came to an abrupt ending.

The motion picture is directed in sure visual eye by Edwin L. Marin . He realized a variety films of all kind of genres , though especially Western , the best are starred by Scott , all well screen-written ( as Abilene , Canadian Pacific , Cariboo trail , Fighting man of the plains ). In fact his last films were Westerns until his early death at 52 .

Deciding the future of Abilene

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 9 January 2006]

Abilene, Kansas is at a critical watershed moment in its history and only town marshal Randolph Scott seems to realize it. That is Scott and a bunch of homesteaders led by Lloyd Bridges. They're the future of the place if they settle there permanently and grow their crops. The homesteader has it over the cowboy. He's raising families for the future, not cain at the end of the trail drive.

In a trend that seemed to start with Destry Rides Again in westerns, Scott has two girls after him in this film. Saloon singer Ann Dvorak and storekeeper's daughter Rhonda Fleming. You figure out who the marshal winds up with.

Abilene Town doesn't lack for anything any western fan could hope for. Lots of gunplay and fist fights and the triangular conflict of cattlemen, townspeople, and homesteaders. And it has a scene stealing performance by Edgar Buchanan as the county sheriff who becomes a hero in spite of his less than honorable ways.

At the time that Abilene Town came out, Abilene, Kansas had one of the most famous people in the world calling it his home town. I don't know how they did it because Howard Hughes didn't own RKO yet, but for the premier of the film in Abilene, Kansas, General Dwight D. Eisenhower showed up himself with Randolph Scott and some of the rest of the cast. A red letter day in the history of RKO studios. To be fair Ike never missed an opportunity to be a booster for the place he grew up in.

Hey if the architect of D-Day gave his seal of approval to this film, how could any of you go wrong in seeing it?

Reliable Randolph and Gorgeous Ann

[kidboots · 6/10 · 16 September 2008]

Edwin L. Marin had a very varied directorial career. His first film was the excellent "movie" crime drama "The Death Kiss" (1932), he then directed "A Study in Scarlet" (1933). From "Sequoia" (1934) to "Listen Darling" (1938) there wasn't a genre he didn't tackle. He also directed some memorable westerns including "Abilene Town" . It stars reliable Randolph Scott as Deputy Marshall Dan Mitchell and beautiful Ann Dvorak.

Ann makes a great entrance putting her musical talents to good use. She plays Rita, the dance hall songbird who sings "I Love it Out Here in the West". She also sings "All You Gotta Do" and "Everytime I Give My Heart" during the film. She runs foul of town Marshall Dan Mitchell for singing and carousing on a Sunday (firearms have to be checked in on entering the town).

There is bad blood between the homesteaders and the cattlemen. The homesteaders have come to settle the land but the cattlemen want them out - they want the land for their cattle. Mitchell thinks the home- steaders will be there long after the ranchers are gone. After the farmers settlement is burned war is declared but the cattlemen are not the only ones with an interest in keeping the farmers out. The dance hall is secretly on the cattlemen's side but the general store does some mathematics and realise that keeping the homesteaders happy will be very good for business. Hostilities come to a head when Sherry (Rhonda Fleming in a thankless part) sells barbed wire to a very young Lloyd Bridges as Henry. He is one of the young farmers and after Sherry has a vocal showdown with Mitchell, the way is paved for Sherry and Henry to form a romantic pair. Mitchell, of course has had eyes only for Rita from the start. Edgar Buchanan plays the dithering Sheriff "Bravo" Trimble.

Recommended.

Strong, Unrealized Potential

[dougdoepke · 25 March 2008]

There's a good Western buried somewhere in this meandering screenplay. Someone in production apparently decided it was not a movie for the audience to take seriously. Thus, Edgar Buchanan's county sheriff provides more than just comedy relief, coming perilously close to acting the buffoon. Ann Dvorak's dance hall entertainer shows spunk, but the overproduced musical numbers are obviously there to build up her star billing. Between the comedy, the music and the romance, not a lot is left for plot development.

And that's too bad, because the clash between Texas trail herders, and newly arriving homesteaders is nicely set up. Naturally the two sides are in conflict over land use; however, the focus here is on the commercial effect each side has on the town's prosperity. On one hand, the cowboys keep the saloons and bordellos busy (this latter, of course, is just hinted at), but they also shoot up the town and bring little business to the merchants. On the other hand, homesteaders offer the prospect of steady trade with the merchants and are peaceable, but they don't patronize the saloons or carouse in the bordellos. Thus the town's business interests split into two competing factions based on commercial self-interest.

Now, this amounts to an interesting approach to the usual farmer vs. rancher conflict and provides a lot of plot potential. But this potential goes largely unrealized because of digressions with Buchanan, the unnecessary Scott-Fleming romance, and the overlong musical numbers. Note, as an indicator of the poorly disciplined script, its treatment of tallying up the potential profit numbers. Merchants are shown switching sides once the profit margins favoring homesteaders are calculated. But the script can't resist continuing this with a brief comedic follow-up which turns a serious and revealing point into an unnecessary laugh line. In a matinée Western, this might be forgivable, but Abilene Town is not a cheap production-- note all the extras in the crowd scenes.

Anyway, Scott makes a very believable town marshal, ditto Dvorak as a musical performer, but glamorous Fleming looks out of place in the unglamorous role of a merchant's daughter. As a virile homesteader, Lloyd Bridges really shows more energy and ability than the part calls for and is obviously on his way to a bigger career. And when Scott says at the end something like-- This is the way towns change-- after facing down the cowboys, I expect he was uttering a genuine frontier truth. Even then, towns went where the money is. Nonetheless, the movie wastes a lot of that kind of potential, but may still please those who like to mix comedy, music, dance, and romance into their shoot-em-up's.

"It's not this town you're fightin' for, it's the right to live."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 3 May 2006]

In the expansive history of film Westerns, the theme of cattle men against homesteaders has been done countless times, and "Abilene Town" turns out to be one of the better explorations of that subject. Interestingly, it also throws in a third element, that of the general merchandise shop keeper who stands to benefit from making the right choice between the two. Straddling atop that shaky fence is town marshal Dan Mitchell (Randolph Scott), who has the vision to understand that what happens in Abilene, Kansas will have an impact across all the western territories sooner or later.

The story takes place in 1870, and most of the action occurs along Texas Street, where the best bar in town is called 'The Best Bar in Town', right alongside 'Joe's Texas Bar" and the simply named 'Saloon'. A trail hand wonders what kind of town Abilene is with no bars on the other side of the street. When homesteaders begin to make their presence in town felt, Mitchell must perform a delicate balancing act between the opposing forces, and between two lovely young women. Ann Dvorak is saloon singer Rita, who literally keeps Mitchell hopping with precision kicks in the shin. Sherry Balder (Rhonda Fleming) is the daughter of the main shop keeper in town, who pines for Mitchell, until homesteader Henry Dreiser (Lloyd Bridges) wins her over with an appeal to her sense of family values and homesteader principles of working hard and building a life.

Rounding out the main cast is Edgar Buchanan, a perennial favorite as County Marshal Bravo Trimble. Bravo has a unique nose for danger, and a compass that always points him in the opposite direction. He also has a penchant for a card game called 'fantan' which he would rather play than do anything else, and Big Annie (Helen Boyce) is always willing to oblige.

The film has it's fair share of saloon fights and gun play, though it gets a little disjointed during the cattle stampede that Cap Ryker's (Dick Curtis) men initiate to take down the barb wire barrier put up on the range land. Banding together, the homesteaders find the resolve they need to stand up to the raucous cattle drovers. In an ironic twist, Sheriff Mitchell allows the carousing bad boys to tear the saloons apart. His 'way a rough street dies' speech near the end of the story is a fitting capstone to a turn of events that heralds the advance of civilization to a wild frontier. While in the background, shop keeper Balder does the math.

With Randolph Scott in the starring role, I should have thought to count the number of outfit changes he'll go through before he tames Abilene. It's a signature mark of his Western films, and he doesn't disappoint here, though for my money, I prefer him in all black. With the town cleaned up and ready to move forward, the men and ladies pair off neatly, Mitchell and saloon girl Rita, Dreiser with Sherry Balder, and would be mayor Bravo with Big Annie. Somehow I got the feeling that they all had a different definition of 'fantan' on their minds.

Solid western, nothing more

[Ryu_Darkwood · 7/10 · 31 December 2007]

A righteous sheriff finds himself in the pinch when there is hostility against homesteaders. He urges his fellow villagers to choose sides and to help him end the conflict.

Decent old-school western. Every cliché is there: from the fierce shootouts to the merry can-can dancers; from the stubborn but righteous sheriff to the crooks stirring up things in town. It's not as harsh as we're used to since Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinah and the boundary between right and wrong is pretty clear from the start. But I liked it as a fan of the western. It's not a classic in any way, but still a decent flick to see if you like the genre.

Women save the day

[drystyx · 7/10 · 21 March 2011]

There is a lot going for this Western.

Randolph Scott, of course, is one thing that stands out in any Western.

But this one is extra clever. At first, the viewer feels it's going to be pretty mushy, but we're given surprise after surprise. There is actually a lot of cleverness in this plot, and it actually becomes very credible, even for this era, and certainly more credible than the ridiculous spaghetti westerns of the sixties and seventies.

The wit and banter is great. This is one of Edgar Buchanan's shining roles. And the women are the ones who save the day. There are three focal women who become more and more important during the story. There's the older lady who truly becomes the catapult to make things work, there's the gorgeous girl singing in a church next to Randolph (but later it is Lloyd Bridges we realize who will get her), and there is the relatively plain dance hall girl who does have a great pair of legs. Each of them does their part to make things work.

But it is the cleverness of the story that in amazing. There is bloodshed, but it is believable bloodshed. All that happens is very credible, and Scott's character is very crafty.

What is most "original" and ground breaking, and even "risk taking" is that this movie shows three women performing heroine heroics that actually outdo the three males they are linked to.

And in the end, Edgar gets the brave old lady, Lloyd gets the gorgeous girl, and Randolph get "Legs" in stage play style.

Okay Entertainment, But Not Randolph Scott's Best

[FightingWesterner · 6/10 · 4 November 2009]

Uncompromising town Marshall Randolph Scott attempts to get to the bottom of a terror campaign against peaceful homesteaders who've settled on government land used by cattlemen in the plains around Abiline, Kansas.

Scott gives an appropriately stern performance in this low-budget independent production, but this just isn't as good as his color studio westerns he made in the following decade.

The script is intelligent but a bit too talky, failing to ignite any real fireworks until near the end.

Cowardly Sheriff Edger Buchanan and Lloyd Bridges as a heroic farmer give adequate support, but villainous Jack Lambert is a real standout.

Ann Dvorak's incredibly leggy costumes are a real treat.

Ann's Gams

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 23 April 2008]

Five years after the US Civil War, western folk are more concerned with the age old war between homesteaders and cattle ranchers. The cattlemen herd their wares, from Texas to the trail town of Abilene, Kansas. There, the cowboys find not only big money, but also big confrontation, with homesteaders. Tall in the saddle Marshal Randolph Scott (as Dan Mitchell) tries to keep peace in the town. Mr. Scott has experience mediating between trail hands and saloon patrons. He also juggles the town's finest looking women: sexy saloon singer Ann Dvorak (as Rita) and pretty church lady Rhonda Fleming (as Sherry). Boozy county Sheriff Edgar Buchanan (as Bravo Trimble) offers more comic relief than sharp-shooting assistance.

"Abilene Town" begins with some promising symbolism and contrast: gunshots interrupt Scott and Ms. Fleming singing a hymn in Church; then, the camera switches to Ms. Dvorak sexily singing her saloon number, which causes a man to fire his gun in pleasure. After that, it really becomes quite a standard western; it is somehow duller than it should be, but not quite awful. Young Lloyd Bridges appears as one of the homesteaders. Dvorak's leggy costume is the film's greatest asset; in it, she is a real mover.

**** Abilene Town (1/11/46) Edwin L. Marin ~ Randolph Scott, Ann Dvorak, Edgar Buchanan

A Fairly Good Western

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 8 March 2013]

Five years after the end of the Civil War the town of Abilene, Kansas serves as the end of the trail for the cattle drives from Texas and is dependent upon them for their economic well-being. However, times are changing and farmers are moving in from the East to start new lives in this area. Randolph Scott, as the town marshal named "Dan Mitchell" realizes that the cattlemen and the farmers cannot mutually coexist and trouble is about to start. He also has another problem (which most men would envy) which is that two beautiful women are in love with him. The first is a saloon dancer by the name of "Rita" (Ann Dvorek) and the other is the daughter of one of the town merchants named "Sherry Balder" (Rhonda Fleming). Neither wants him to risk his life by getting involved in the violence that is likely to occur. At any rate, rather than divulging what happens next I will just say that this is a fairly good western which manages to entertain for the most part. Now, normally I don't mind a film in black and white, but there was a reason Rhonda Fleming was nicknamed "the Queen of Cinemascope" and although she still looked great, black and white just doesn't do her any justice. But that's just my opinion.

watchable

[arfdawg-1 · 5/10 · 3 April 2014]

In the years following the Civil War, the town of Abilene, Kansas is poised on the brink of an explosive confrontation.

A line has been drawn down the center of the town where the homesteaders and the cattlemen have come to a very uneasy truce.

The delicate peace is inadvertently shattered when a group of new homesteaders lay down their stakes on the cattlemen's side of town.

They upset the delicate balance that had existed thus far and spark an all-out war between the farmers, who want the land tamed and property lines drawn, and the cowboys, who want the prairies to be open for their cattle to roam.

Watchable despite the poor print and that Lloyd bridges was better under the water than on a horse.

A little of everything

[witzend13 · 10/10 · 21 January 2005]

Excellent, under-appreciated movie, which I suspect fell into public domain because only cheap copies from original prints seem to be available. Randolph Scott is rock solid in the unassuming characterization of a modest but moral man acting as a moderating influence between three distinct groups, the cattlemen, the homesteaders and the tradesmen in a frontier town. Each have their own agendas, and the most alluring enticement for Scott on the bad side of town is the brassy but captivating dance hall singer, Ann Dvorak, in one of the best performances of her career, who is so fresh and sexy in her several numbers that I can well believe a whole roomful of cowboys would just sit there, stone silent with their mouths open, staring at her as she dances and flirts through her songs. I don't know if her voice was her own or dubbed, but she could sure deliver those lyrics!

There's not a dull or extraneous scene in the movie, with many well cast characters, fistfights, gunfights, a cattle stampede, romance, comedy and first-rate film noir lighting and dialogue for those who care. And besides all that, I didn't notice until about the third time I'd watched it, Scott's horse follows him around when he's on foot like a pet dog. Very subtle, never made a focus of attention by the director, one of the old-timers who had the sense to let audiences find their own points of interest. I think it's a classic.

About average for a Western, but a bit of a disappointment for Randolph Scott.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 7 October 2009]

Randolph Scott was an amazing guy. His Westerns, though relatively modest in budget, were some of the very best and most consistent ever made. For the life of me, I can't think of another actor who made so many exceptional films in this genre and whenever I know a Scott film is coming on television, I try to see it. They are the essence of classy and intelligent entertainment. With this in mind, though, I was disappointed by ABILENE TOWN. Now this isn't to say that it was a bad Western--heck, it was a bit better than average. But for a Randolph Scott film that means it's sub-par.

The biggest problem with the film is that the film begins with Scott playing a very wimpy and relatively ineffective sheriff, Dan Mitchell. It isn't that he's a wimp, but he's 100% bought and paid for by men who only want him to keep order--not enforce the law unless it is absolutely unavoidable. This is because many of the hell-raisers who come to this town are cattlemen and the business owners want their business--at almost any cost. This is a very wussy sort of role for Scott, though it's not nearly as unlikable (but funny) as the role played by Edgar Buchanan, who is the Marshall of the territory. Buchanan is the laziest and least effective lawman I have ever seen in a Western. Unlike Scott, who generally is passive when the businessmen demand it, Buchanan is a coward through and through.

Another problem for Scott's character is the nasty singer in the local bar. She seems like a real.., well IMDb won't let me use words like this, but she's just horrid. Whenever Scott is about, she kicks him hard in the shins and voices her contempt for the law. He never arrests her and I guess this supposed to be funny...which it isn't. What's worse is that although a nice lady in town loves Scott (and he's quite a hottie as well), by the end of the film Scott and this surly "lady" are together! This is just stupid and makes Scott seem even more wussified.

Fortunately, the plot, though familiar, is pretty good and is a pretty typical battle between cattle men and farmers. Look for Lloyd Bridges are a particularly scrappy farmer.

poor western

[disdressed12 · 3/10 · 8 March 2009]

this western/musical/comedy is not one of the best of the genre i have seen.i found it much too slow.it just plodded along to the inevitable end.i also found it disjointed.i couldn't wait for it to be over.Randolph Scott is the headliner here,and Lloyd Bridges also stars.but for my money money Edgar Buchanan is the best of the bunch.Buchanan appeared in many westerns in his day,many times providing comic relief,as he does in this picture.i also liked Ann Dvorak as Rita.otherwise,though,i can't think of much to recommend this movie.the movie is based on a novel by Ernest Haycock,who also wrote the novel Stagecoach,which was mad into a movie of the same name in 1939,and remade in 1966 and again in 1986.The 1939 version of Stagecoach,is in my mind,one of the best movies ever made.anyway.as for Abilene town,my vote is a 3/10

Glory Glory Hallelujah!

[Petey-10 · 23 October 2000]

Randolph Scott (1898-1987) plays the Marshall Dan Mitchell who tries to keep things peaceful in town.Edgar Buchanan (1903-1979) plays the sheriff Bravo Trimble who rather gambles than shoots. Lloyd Bridges (1913-1998) can be seen as Henry Dreiser.And sure there are also some pretty ladies involved.Abilene Town from 1946 is a nice old western with great actors.There are some brilliant scenes in the movie.I recommend Abilene Town for all of you who like old black and white western movies.Or if you just don't have anything better to do.

old fashion western

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 22 July 2015]

It's 1870 in the town of Abilene, Kansas. Rowdy cattlemen have arrived and Marshall Dan Mitchell (Randolph Scott) has a difficult job keeping the peace. Rita is the dance hall girl with a heart of gold. Cowboy Ryker vows to tear the town apart. Ed Balder is the store owner who wants Mitchell to compromise. Ed's daughter Sherry supports the Marshall. Sheriff Bravo Trimble who is responsible for the county is unwilling to do much. The arrival of new homesteaders led by Henry Deiser (Lloyd Bridges) only adds to the troubles.

This is an old fashion western that has every bit of traditional western clichés. Ranolph Scott is the king of the westerns and is a rock in the movie. There isn't anything especially original but it all works. All that is missing are the Indians.

somebody should film Haycox's novel

[pchristle · 7/10 · 28 September 2019]

"Abilene Town" is a good ol' 1946 Western with Randolph Scott, Ann Dvorak, Edgar Buchanan, Rhonda Fleming, and Lloyd Bridges. The movie is supposedly based on the novel "Trail Town" by Ernest Haycox. I enjoyed the movie, but about all it has to do with the novel is that the names of some of the characters and their occupations are the same as in the book, which is too bad. Haycox's novel is much more complex and would make an excellent film, if someone were actually to produce it as written.

The Homestead Act created another war in Lincoln's name.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 5 December 2019]

So it was an undeclared war, but the 1862 law put cattlemen and those desiring to take advantage of the law to lay their hands on 160 acres at odds, and in this western, brother is once again fighting brother to keep newcomers from settling government owned land. A young Lloyd Bridges is the homesteader determined to achieve his dream, and it's up to marshal Randolph Scott to keep the peace since sheriff Edgar Buchanan isn't really doing anything to stop the rowdy cowhands in danger of losing their livielyhood. The townsfolk decide to fight for peace when they realize the benefits of the homesteaders and fight to bring down the saloons where much of the corruption is being spread from.

A lively performance by Ann Dvorak as the dance hall girl who changes her stance on the homesteaders is a huge plus, giving Randolph Scott a feisty love interest. Rhonda Fleming plays the daughter of the local merchant who defies her father when she begins to fall for the handsome Bridges. Buchanan is very funny playing a complete buffoon with Helen Boyce an aging bar hostess who seeks to wisen him up. The use of actual historical events in cresting a plausible fictional story aids this in being above average.

Typical Randolph Scott Western

[TondaCoolwal · 6/10 · 21 February 2020]

Being more familiar with Scott's 1950s westerns, I realised I hadn't seen this one. 'Ablaze with guns, guts and glory!' spouts the blurb, and certainly at least two of those apply. It's the old cattlemen v homesteaders routine again with the town of Abilene in the middle, or in the way. The main street has businesses on one side and saloons and gambling joints on the other. The shopkeepers despise the saloons, but welcome the income that they pick up from the visiting cowboys. The arrival of more and more homesteaders puts this arrangement in jeopardy. Town marshal Dan Mitchell (Scott) has to tread an uncompromising line in order to keep the peace. These movies usually portray the cattlemen as bullies, and this one is no exception. Trail boss Ryker rides rough-shod (literally) through the farmers' lands and starts to tear the town apart. However, the townsfolk and homesteaders eventually come together and in solidarity force the rowdy element out to make a new start for Abilene. The movie also provides a couple of romantic subplots. The marshal is sweet on store owner's daughter Sherry (Rhonda Fleming,) but is more attracted to saloon entertainer Rita (Ann Dvorak). Feminists will take offence at Mitchell's stated desire to get Rita into a bonnet and apron. Perhaps less at farmer Lloyd Bridges request to Sherry to join him as his wife in making the country a better place. On an irksome note, there are too many songs by Rita. Dvorak seems to be an average singer and she wears a rather daring outfit, cut high on the thigh. Unfortunately she doesn't have the legs for it, and neither do the chorus girls. (For legs, see Jane Russell in Son of Paleface!). In lighter tone we have a comic turn from the ever present Edgar Buchanan as county sheriff Bravo Trimble, whose method of dealing with criminals us simply to avoid them! An old fashioned horse opera.

boring old western

[pkzeewiz · 1/10 · 21 April 2010]

Scott plays a marshal in a town thats being over ran by both farmers and cattlemen. The farmers wanna settle down and build a life and the Cattle ranchers just wanna use the land for their cows to roam on. The town becomes one big feud and the marshal is right in the middle trying to keep peace, even though most wanna leave it alone, including county officials.

I am a huge fan of spaghetti westerns and even some of John Fords work, but these older American westerns with their happy go lucky good guy heroes have never been my thing.

It's pretty basic and the acting is okay, I liked some of the bad guys best. Lloyd Bridges is always good and it was nice to see him in an older movie. The actresses in these old movies are so dramatic and are so difficult to watch. This movie had a bit of a comedy side and that made it more appealing.

This movie had some laughs, some good fist fights and good actors (except the women), but it couldn't please me in the slightest. I would suggest it to people who like older westerns, but no one else. 1/10

Diverting Western.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 13 February 2014]

It's Abilene, Kansas, the end of the cattle drive from Texas. (Cf., "Red River.") The town depends on the money the rough-hewn cowboys bring in. One side of Texas Street is all saloons; the other is all merchants or, as they're usually called, goods and mercantile shops. The town exists in a steady state, moderated at time by the town marshal, Scott, and the cowardly county sheriff, Buchanan. One day a flood of homesteaders plods through and takes up residence on farm lands just outside. They fence off the land and the cattlemen don't like it. (Cf., "Shane".) The head cattleman hires a gunfighter. (Loc. cit.) Conflict ensues. The farmers win and the cattlemen are tamed. Scott marries the right girl (Dvorak).

Edgar Buchanan, when we first see him, muses about "going back to dentistry." Before films, Buchanan was a dentist like his father. He was a graduate of what is now Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry. He moved his practice to California before entering films.

The moral calculus is confusing. I was never very good at calculus to begin with but I could usually come up with a decent gestalt. Not here. Let me see. The cattlemen discover their trail is fenced off by farmers, so they destroy the fence and several homesteaders. Everyone in town anticipates their coming to wreck the store that sold the barbed wire to the farmers. And, as expected, a horde of cowpunchers rides portentously into town. Do they attack the barbed wire store? No. They bust into the closed saloons. Dvorak owns one of the saloons. Why doesn't she try to stop the chaos? A young, headstrong farmer, Lloyd Bridges, leads the homesteaders onto the land and fences it in, claiming it's government land, we have a right to fence it off. If the government land is free, don't the cattlemen have a right to use the land, pari passu? Why are the farmers treated as the "good guys" when they could have avoided conflict by leaving an open path through their many acres for the drovers to use? They might have charged a small fee.

Scott is his usual taciturn self, but he smiles tolerantly more often. Buchanan is sometimes amusing. He loves to win card games, so when he runs into a redneck farmer he's eager to teach him how to play. When the hands are dealt, the tyro asks, "What did you say was higher -- a King or a Queen?" Buchanan leans over and examines the other guy's cards. "Mmmm. Let's deal another hand." It wouldn't have been funny if Buchanan had simply lied.

Dvorak is pretty in an unusual way. She has a great smile and her eyes are startling. And she did a memorable hootch-kootchie in "Scarface." Here she sings too much as a dance hall girl. And her name -- I never know how to pronounced it. Is it pronounced as it's spelled? Or is it pronounced "Dvor-zhak" like the Czech composer's? And what the hell was the matter with her real name, Anna McKim? Somebody's pulling the wool over somebody's eyes around here.

It occurred to me while watching this that three of the community forces involved here correspond rather neatly to three of the American regions described in Colin Woodard's book, "American Nation." The homesteaders are Woodard's "Yankees" who migrate as a cohesive community full of ambition. The rowdy cowboys are Woodard's "Appalachians" who reject regulations and believe a man is responsible for his own actions. Scott is a "Borderlander," like a Philadelphian, who is tolerant and peaceful and egalitarian.

There have been reviews claiming that this is some kind of hidden gem, a secret cinematic triumph, but it really isn't. It's a decent Western. Randolph Scott never offends. I kind of enjoyed it.

Flat, typical western...

[dwpollar · 5/10 · 25 March 2001]

1st watched 10/20/2000 - 5 out of 10 (Dir-Edwin L. Mitrin): Flat, typical western with unemotional Scott trying to play the hardcore part of marshall. Silly sheriff played by Edgar Buchanon is the best part.

Scott supervises the transformation of Abilene.

[weezeralfalfa · 8/10 · 26 January 2008]

An unpretentious but,in fact,epic rendition of the classic conflict between open range cattlemen and wire-fencing homesteaders, between rowdiness and vice and the enforced rudiments of civilized town life. Iron-jawed no nonsense Randolph Scott, as town marshal Dan Mitchell, has the dangerous job of trying to keep the peace between 3 factions: the cattlemen and entertainment side of Abilene's main street, the merchants and bankers on the other side of the street and the rather newly arrived homesteaders in the surrounding region. Naturally, the cattlemen resent the intrusion of the homesteaders onto formerly open range. When gentle persuasion fails, the cattlemen try to burn out the sod busters in a scene reminiscent of the previous classic "The Westerner". When this fails to drive them out, they stampede their cattle through the homesteader's territory. Scott must serve as the main gun and mouth defending the interests of the merchants and homesteaders against the gun-totting lawless cattlemen.

Edgar Buchanan's unbelievably cowardly and incompetent character as county sheriff is my main disappointment in this film. Ironically named Bravo, presumably, he is supposed to add some humor to Scott's stone-faced demeanor. But, he comes across as mostly pathetic rather than humorous. Let sleeping dogs lie and run from barking dogs is his ethos. I don't understand why perfectionist Scott puts up with him as his main ally(but sometimes antagonist) in carrying out his duties as town marshal. Scott even gives him bogus credit in a capture, so he won't lose his job!

In the romance department, Scott has a bit of a thing going on with flamboyant dance hall queen Anne Dvorak, representing the wild west side of town, as well as with straight-laced Rhonda Fleming, representing the merchant's side of town. About half way through the film, we think we know which one will ultimately win Scott's heart, but we may get surprised. Most of the limited humor in the film relates to the obvious love-hate relationship between Scott and Anne. Rhonda appears to be a brunette in this B&W film, but in "Alias, Jesse James" for example, we see her famous flaming red hair.

Anne gets to sing 3 songs: the enthusiastic opener on stage: "I Love it Out Here in the West", then "All You Got to do", and finally "Every Time I Give My Heart".

The focus is often a bit fuzzy on my DVD copy. There are several newer DVD releases which may have used better copies? Try to get one of several double feature DVD releases. Mine also contains "Santa Fe Trail".

WESTERN-COMEDY-MUSICAL...RANDOLPH SCOTT LITE...SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 25 August 2021]

What Edge there is in this Mid-1940's Western is Constantly being Smoothed Over with Comedy and Music.

Randolph Scott mostly Stays in Stoic Hard-Boiled Mode but the Rest of the Movie is Dancing All Over the Town with Songs, Sentiment, and Comedy.

Edgar Buchanan in His Typical Drunken-Cowardly Mood is the Pits.

Ann Dvorak is Never Seen Dressed and Always Prancing around the Stage and Prancing around Off-Stage Kicking the Marshall, Shouting, and Wreaking Havoc and Complaining about Everything.

What Scott Sees in Her, who knows?

Oh those Legs!

Rhonda Fleming is the "Good Girl" who falls for the Bit-Part Lloyd Bridges, but Not Before She makes a Play for Randy, who seems Interested and then Not.

There are some Good Action Sequences with Stampeding Cattle, and Stampeding Cattle-Men Breaking Up the Town.

Randolph Scott is Involved with some Good Gun-Play and a Brutal Fight with Jack Lambert.

Overall Not-Bad but Over-Done in some Respects and that Keeps this in the Mid-Range of Mid-Forties Westerns.

Homesteader Conflicts

[StrictlyConfidential · 5/10 · 18 November 2021]

"Abilene Town" was originally released back in 1946.

Anyway - As the story goes - The farmers and the cowmen can't be friends. Post Civil War Abilene is balanced on the edge of a conflict, with a line literally separating the cattle ranchers and the homesteaders. The uneasy truce between the two factions is ruptured when a new batch of homesteaders lays claim to land on the cattlemen's side of town.