Nevada (1944) User Reviews (11)

"El Dorado" is still a far way ahead, but...

[SnorrSm1989 · 5/10 · 8 May 2012]

To the casual viewer, this loose, low-budget adaptation of a Zane Grey-story may not appear to be worthy of any particular attention, but NEVADA did have a significant impact on the career of a young "Bob Mitchum," as billed in the opening credits. Prior to this, Mitchum's later so iconic figure could only be glimpsed here and there in bit parts, but after four years of struggle, he had apparently impressed RKO enough to be considered a valid replacement for their B-western star Tim Holt, who'd just enlisted in the army. It's not hard to grasp just why the company sought Mitchum. Though some of my impression may be colored by his later output, he's definitely got a certain "something" about him also at this early point, charismatic even when the main focus is not on him in a scene. In private, Mitchum was by this time was a married man and a father, and must have been relieved that his career was finally going somewhere.

Even so, it shouldn't be illegal to note that NEVADA proved a limited opportunity for Mitchum as far as showcasing the range of his talent was concerned. Granted, Mitchum may not have been quite confident as a leading actor himself at this point, so a ginger debut as this western was, perhaps, fitting in a sense. But one is almost tempted to encourage Mitchum, while watching the film, to go further with the role; as noted, some of the unfailing charisma is definitely present, but one finds little of the dry, ironic wit (or simply "coolness") which was to become a vital part of Mitchum's style and image. Then again, the script, which does not seem to regard Grey's original novel as much more than bare bone material for a story, hardly calls for nuanced characterization (the inevitable brevity of the film certainly contributes to this as well).

However, it would be ridiculous to judge NEVADA out of context; if accepted as what it is, a low-budget western telling the tale of a not supremely law-abiding but honest cowboy, who is wrongly accused of murder, it works just fine. There's a smooth interaction between the suspense and the more humorous bits, typical for westerns of the era. Guinn Williams and Richard Martin appear as a sort of sweet comedy team (possibly in part to emphasize Mitchum's masculine appeal), and the scene involving young Harry McKim doing a terrible job at faking that he's in pains actually had me laugh out loud. Robert Mitchum would go to much greater heights than this, both in and outside the western genre, but NEVADA remains an entertaining enough way to spend an hour on a rainy day.

Introducing Robert Mitchum

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 2 July 2004]

It's always interesting to speculate on how different careers turn. RKO Pictures needed a new B western star because Tim Holt was going in the service. So this guy Mitchum was spotted in one of the Hopalong Cassidy films he played a bit role in and in fact Mitchum had done other parts like Thirty Second Over Tokyo, etc. So he got signed to a long term contract with RKO for this to be the first in a series of B Westerns.

To show how much he was supposed to be a Tim Holt stand-in, Mitch was given Richard Martin who played Chito Rafferty the same part he played as Holt's sidekick. He also got a second sidekick in Guinn Williams. And the billing for Nevada read "introducing Robert Mitchum."

The western itself is standard fare, nothing truly spectacular about it. It's source was a Zane Grey story which is a plus. But even then you could tell the camera loved Robert Mitchum. It's a must for Mitchum fans of which I'm one.

The thing I wonder about though is if William Wellman hadn't spotted Mitchum and given him that career making part in The Story of GI Joe, would Mitch have continued as a B western star with his career petering out in the mid 50s or earlier. Food for thought.

Other than the first starring role of 'Bob Mitchum', it's a standard B-Western

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 10 September 2009]

Apparently Bob Mitchum (that's how he's billed in this film) did quite a few supporting roles before he got his first starring role in NEVADA. And, like many up and coming stars of the day, they gave him this chance in a B-movie role--a minor film that was a second feature for a double-feature. In other words, a lesser film made with a smaller budget. Oddly, however, they put Mitchum into this Western--I guess since they had no preconceptions about what types of roles he'd be good at they thought they could make him a cowboy hero--not realizing he'd make much more of a mark in Film Noir and dramas. As for Mitchum's acting, it was very good and I could see him starring in more of the like, though he only did a few more Westerns here and there.

Aside from the novelty of seeing Mitchum in a Gene Autry type role, there really isn't that much to distinguish this film. It's not bad but also suffers from the problem many B-movies had--they were rushed into production so quickly and shoved into such a short running time (rarely much more than 60 minutes) that the films cut corners plot-wise. Here, the plot resolutions happen way too quickly and conveniently for the film to be anything more than average for the genre.

The film's pluses were Mitchum's acting, the acting of some of the supporting actors (screen veteran Guinn Williams was a nice addition) and nice location shooting. Minuses were the obvious and poor use of stunt doubles and the very preachy ending that left the viewer with a bad final impression--the lady's soliloquy just sounded silly and fake. Overall, this is worth watching--particularly if you are a film historian or Robert Mitchum fan. Otherwise, it's a time passer and nothing more.

A generic but good enough western

[Red-Barracuda · 6/10 · 28 October 2013]

A man called Nevada is on the run from both the law and some outlaws. He was involved in a shoot-out with the latter over a crooked card game and is wrongly accused of murder by the former. The real killer is a crooked mining boss who assassinates the father of a prospecting family who live on silver-rich land that he wants for himself.

It would be fair to say that Nevada is only really notable for one thing and that is as the film where Robert Mitchum was given his first starring role. He isn't much remembered nowadays as a western star though. The genre wasn't suited that well to allow him to play to his own specific strengths. Nevertheless, he is certainly good enough here and it's a pretty decent performance. The movie itself is a fairly formulaic B-western – a film designed at the time to fit into a cinematic programme as the second highest billed feature – although it's still an enjoyable enough effort. It's paced well, with decent enough characters and story. While Nevada hardly breaks the mould, it's still good fun.

Mitchum in the Saddle

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 24 June 2014]

Robert Mitchum plays an amiable cowpoke named Jim Lacy in Edward Killy's "Nevada" based on the Zane Grey novel of the same name. Lacy and his compadres Chito Rafferty (Richard Martin) and Dusty (Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams) hear about the sudden gold strike nearby in the Comstock Lode. Lacy wants to take a crack at it, while Dusty is hesitate. Chito is up for it, especially for the women. Speaking of women, a carriage with a runaway horse attracts Lacy's attention, and he stops the runaway. The lady in charge, Julie Dexter (Anne Jeffreys), thanks Lacy for his gallant gesture. Later, our trio get into a game of dice and Lacy wins over seven thousand dollars. The man who runs the gambling table tries to pulls a fast one on Lacy and slip him a pair of loaded dice. Fortunately, Lacy sees through the trick and wins more money before his compadres and he have to flee. Meantime, Julie learns from an assayer that it isn't gold that is showing up in the Comstock but silver. An old man racing to register his claim is bushwhacked by two riflemen. Lacy hears the shooting and rides to investigate. About the same time that he shows up so does a posse. They arrest Lacy because they found him at the scene of the crime and they dug seven thousand dollars out of his jeans. Lacy has to be resourceful to change the low opinion that most people around town have toward him. "Nevada" is strictly a B-western with a better than average scenario and a strong cast. It is interesting to watch Mitchum in his youth.

"You got yourself a necktie party, Mister!"

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 4 July 2021]

The film offered two neat surprises for this viewer as I came across it while surfing around for something to watch. The first of course is Robert Mitchum in an early leading role, and a Western cowboy hero at that. I'd seen him as a heavy in some of the Hopalong Cassidy flicks, so this was a nice step up. Mitchum's presence and the type of story it was reminded me a lot of John Wayne's early films for Lone Star Productions in the Thirties. This could have been a Lone Star vehicle without much of as problem, though it's production values were somewhat better.

The other surprise was seeing Richard Martin as Chito Rafferty, a role I've only ever seen him portray as a sidekick to Tim Holt. This was Martin's first appearance as the Irish-Mexican cowpoke, though he did have an appearance as the same character in an earlier war movie titled "Bombardier" with Pat O'Brien and Randolph Scott. The part of a sidekick seemed to suit him well enough, as he provided a bit of comic relief with his fractured English and eye for the ladies.

In the picture, Mitchum is Jim Lacy, nicknamed Nevada by Julie Dexter (Anne Jeffreys), after bringing her runaway wagon to a halt while carrying a retinue of showgirls to the town of Gold Hill. 'Nevada' will rely on Julie's help to evade a murder charge, in a somewhat typical story line for this type of oater, complete with villains orchestrating a land swindle. He'll also need the help of Chito and a second partner by way of Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams as pal Dusty; arriving just in time to save Nevada from a hangman's noose. It's all pretty standard stuff, but having Mitchum in a lead role makes the hour long viewing worthwhile.

The 27 Year Old Robert Mitchum

[The-Lonely-Londoner · 10 September 2003]

Apart from westerns, Robert Mitchum always looks slick in these black and white films, particularly in the 40's. He has an arched lip which sometimes has an evil curve when he's angry. He's usually pushed to his limit, but it's always the tall, broad shoulders that surfaces in every film he's in.

Nevada

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 13 April 2024]

Cowpoke Jim Lacy (Mitchum), nicknamed Nevada, rides with his two sidekicks, an ornery wisecracking Dusty (Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams), and a juvenile amorous Mexican-Irish guitarist singer, Chito Jose Gonzales Bustamante Rafferty (Richard Martin). After a winning streak with the dice, Nevada has a small fortune in yellowback bills from his craps winnings. With news of gold being up in the Comstock, these cowboys are tempted to speculate themselves.

Gold prospecting ranch owner Ben Ide takes the money and sets off to buy mining equipment, but Cash Burridge gets his thug-heavy man Joe Powell to kill Ide and recover the money. Nevada finds Ide and the money. He is the first man on the scene when the prospector is whacked by two men. The posse arrives immediately after, suspects Nevada of foul play, and Nevada is unjustly accused of a murder he didn't commit. Nevada is helped out by both a worldly saloon singer, Julie Dexter (Anne Jeffreys) and the innocent, sweet, murder victim's daughter, Hattie Ide (Nancy Gates).

Takes it time to get started, but once it does this Robert Mitchum western clocks in a nifty and involving 60 minutes of Wild West entertainment with a strong plot of a hero accused of murder and robbery, enough fast riding and gunplay and a good duplicitous villain. Chito Rafferty and Guinn Williams are Mitchum's sidekicks.

Introducing Bob Mitchum!

[HotToastyRag · 5/10 · 23 August 2018]

"Introducing Bob Mitchum" the screen announces as a very young, very handsome Robert Mitchum rides his horse into view, pauses for an adorable close up, then rides away. If you want to get technical about it, Nevada isn't really his first movie. He had bit parts or was an extra in nineteen films in 1943, but if you want to see the first time he was given a leading role, this is the one to rent.

In an adorable first vehicle, Bob Mitchum plays a cowboy in the middle of the gold rush craze. While towns I'm very familiar with are rattled off by the actors-Sacramento, Placerville, Grass Valley, and Hangtown-the main characters know too many people who haven't struck gold when they tried, so they try their hand the old fashioned way: by gambling. Bob wins seven thousand dollars off a crooked gambler, then heads to Carson City because a pretty girl suggested it. The trouble is, coincidentally, seven thousand dollars is missing from the town and Bob finds himself the immediate suspect! Don't worry too much about the new western star, though. He's got two very loyal sidekicks, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams and Richard Martin, who are always thinking of inventive ways to rescue their buddy.

I'll put my bias aside and admit that this isn't the best western flick to come out of the genre, but for Robert Mitchum fans, it really is a must see. It's so adorable to see him smiling, excited for his first lead, and galloping around on his horse during the chase scenes.

Horses, Dust, Villainy and Heroism.

[rmax304823 · 4/10 · 11 May 2013]

The studios were grinding out these B Westerns like SuperSonicBurgers all during the 30s and 40s. El Cheapo Studios produced nothing BUT low budget Westerns, often with the same cast and crew. In the period preceding television, if one can imagine that distance back into history, audiences had nothing else to watch except movies. There was an A feature, a B feature, a cartoon, a newsreel, and often a short documentary.

"Nevada" was clearly meant to fit into the B category. They were done quickly, recklessly, and minutes of shooting counted. Under the watchful eyes of hack directors like Lesley Selander or, here, Edward Killy, if an actor flubbed a line or his gun didn't fire when it should have, the cameras rolled philosophically on.

Mitchum's career was just past its beginning. He was graduating from supporting roles, sometimes as a bearded henchman, to leads, and he was emerging from cheap Westerns. But he was ordered back to Lone Pine by the studio with which he'd sign a contract. He didn't care for the location, although it's rather pleasant. The landscape is filled with varied textures; the sun always shines; Mount Whitney in the background has veins of snow all year round. So many other features have been filmed there that the huge stucco rocks still show the cement and steel of previous sets. It's just off route 395. Visit it at once.

Oh, the movie? Forget it. Mitchum is interchangeable with any other Western star of the period, except bigger than most. I must have missed the "smoldering sexuality" that some others noticed. The movie is plot driven. The values of the characters are made obvious at the beginning and they don't change. Any complexity or ambiguity is accidental. It's supposed to be from a Zane Grey novel but evidently the only element the writers borrowed was the author's name.

Above Average Formula Western intro for Robert Mitchum

[vitaleralphlouis · 8/10 · 14 September 2007]

Once again a well-made RKO Radio Picture from yesteryear provides a fine entertainment in a summer when TV is a total washout and there are no movies at the multiplex for grown-ups over 13.

This noteworthy formula western introduces Robert Mitchum in a story that moves along fast while focusing on the early days of the Comstock Lode in Gold Hill, CA. The story is good, the acting fine, the cinematography just great. They got the history straight and everything is on-the-level except that the real Gold Hill is on a steep grade, not flat; and that's the only flaw in the movie. Filming at Lone Pine, CA certainly fooled me, as the terrain is exactly the same as around Carson City, NV and Gold Hill.

They knew how to make westerns in 1944; they don't in 2007. Unlike 3:10 to Yuma, this one doesn't turn stupid in the final 16 minutes.

Look for NEVADA in recent DVD release. Then look around the house for an old $20 Gold Double Eagle minted from Comstock gold in 1870 at the mint in Carson City. It'll be worth $200,000 in poor condition; lots more if it still looks pretty.