Cross Fire (1933)

When the opening credits rolled over some surprisingly jazzy music, I was ready for something different, and I got it.

The setting for this relatively modern Western is during and just after The Great War, World War I.

The jazzy music, supposedly stock music selected by Max Steiner (a superior composer himself), did fit, it turned out, but it was decidedly non-Western, although bouncy and enjoyable.

The cast members, even the star, Tom Keene, are mostly not too well known today, were nonetheless excellent, even the most minor characters.

The script is very intelligent.

The only remotely reasonable complaint is that, for a Western, there is surprisingly little expected action: few fistfights, few gunshots. Even the runaway horse -- sometimes seen as mandatory for a Western -- is non-clichéd.

I recorded this because it came on TCM at an awkward time, and I've decided to save it to see again in the relatively near future. I not only enjoyed it, I was amazed and impressed by it.

A really high-quality movie, it is one I hope others will watch and enjoy as much as I did.