The Gambler from Natchez

There is some good action from Dale Robertson who appears to do all his own fight scenes in this movie. His fisticuffs and sword play are particularly good. Debra Paget is gorgeous as a bare-footed daughter of a riverboat captain played sympathetically by Thomas Gomez. It's an unusual period western with some good mystery attached. It's set in 1840s Mississippi's gambling dens and swamps. This was a swift remake of Tyrone Power's 'The Mississippi Gambler' the year before. That must make 'Natchez' one of the quickest remakes in Hollywood's history. The best scene in the movie has Robertson wading through a swamp at night with a knife in his back. He is being pursued by one of his father's three killers. He needs to solve the mystery behind his father's death and he uses the 3 of Spades as a revenge card. This card is cleverly incorporated into the film's poster with the 3 of Spades torn into three pieces.