Riding Shotgun (1954) User Reviews (41)

Reason vs. Rabble

[GaryPeterson67 · 7/10 · 22 October 2007]

I just watched Riding Shotgun, which rounds out a Warner Bros Triple Feature DVD with two other Randolph Scott westerns of the 1950s. Despite the title, Randolph Scott rides shotgun for only the few opening minutes of the film, before falling for a ruse to lure him away from the stagecoach. The stagecoach, which is robbed and shot up, is itself another ruse to lure the sheriff and the bulk of the gun-handy menfolk away from town in a posse following a phony trail. Randolph Scott escapes the revenge-fueled fate a young (and clearly on a trajectory to stardom) Charles Bronson set for him and comes into town to warn the sheriff about the gang's plan.

But upon arriving Scott finds the town has turned on him, suspecting him of being in cahoots with the stage robbers. Here is where the film's real story begins, and while certainly taking a few pages from the High Noon playbook, Riding Shotgun has its own unique twist on that tale. Here Scott is not alone in standing up to the town. Wayne Morris, as Deputy Tub, is the real voice of reason who keeps the rabble from getting too roused and turning to vigilante justice against an innocent man.

Wayne Morris is always a welcome name to see in any movie's opening credits, even if he was not used to his fullest potential here. Morris' Deputy Tub reminded me a lot of Alan Hale, Jr. and I wondered if the Skipper wouldn't have been better cast in the role (he had appeared with Scott in the previous year's Man Behind The Gun).

While it would be easy to dismiss Tub as being ineffective and derelict in his duty, there is a rationale and a deliberateness behind his actions. Tub actually de-escalates the tension by stepping away from the situation and indulging in lunch and later some pie and coffee. His easy dismissal of the trigger-happy Deputy Ross as getting what was coming to him shows Tub's a seasoned westerner and far from being a coward. It took experience and intelligence to approach the cornered Scott with diplomacy and a deal instead of rushing into the cantina with his guns blazing, like the greenhorn hot dog deputy Ross did earlier. He shows this unruffled calm again later when he punctures the blustering bravado of the wannabe-shotgun rider by simply handing him his gun and with a stare silently challenging him to put up or shut up.

Rabble rousing and the psychology of crowds is a theme running through the film. I was reminded me of the early Lee/Ditko Spider-Man stories where one bystander's cynical remark is repeated and ratcheted up by the next person's until everyone is adding their uninformed suggestions as to what should be done and done right now. One especially telling scene is between the two young ladies expressing their outrage over the situation. At one point one girl asks the other, "isn't it exciting?" to which the other breaks into laughter and giggles, revealing their indignation is just a posture and that they're enjoying the spectacle; never mind it might result in a man being gunned down. Despite the fine clothes some of the townsfolk wear, their claim to civilization is just a thin veneer and little if anything separates them from the murderous gang, one of whose members passes among them unnoticed (except, tellingly, by a harlot).

Something I found funny was how the gambling hall is filled with men playing cards, completely unaware or uninterested in the unfolding drama outside that has captivated the balance of the town. Something the producers intended to be funny was the outlaw gang's falling off their horses, but it approached slapstick and seemed out of place in the tension-filled climax. Fritz Feld provided some good comic relief as the put-upon father of a brood of kids with a nagging wife. And didn't you just know that his mirror wasn't going to survive to see the end credits? Some familiar faces in uncredited parts include Frank Ferguson (maybe best known as the apoplectic McDougall in Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein) and Howard Morris in his first film, playing a strange and menacing fellow fingering a rope that is far from the beloved Ernest T. Bass character he'd later play on The Andy Griffith Show (and ironically for an actor who did so many cartoon voices, he doesn't utter a word in this movie despite considerable screen time).

While Riding Shotgun isn't the expected action-filled western with scenes of horseback riding and rolling stagecoaches as the title implies, it does have a compelling tension-filled story, good acting and it more than entertains in its tight 74 minutes.

Another Variation of the High Noon Theme!

[bsmith5552 · 6/10 · 14 September 2003]

"Riding Shotgun" is another in the Randolph Scott series of westerns released by Warner Brothers in the 1950s.

This one is another variation of the High Noon theme of one man left alone against the villains without the support of the town. Larry DeLong (Scott) has been searching for Dan Maraday (James Millican) who murdered his sister and nephew during a stagecoach hold up. He has been riding shotgun for various stage lines with the hope that way he will finally meet up with his nemesis.

Maraday's gang, led by Pinto (Charles Bronson) captures DeLong and leaves him to die in the hot sun. They then rob and shoot up the local stagecoach on which Larry was supposed to be the shotgun guard. By sending the coach into town shot up, Maraday hopes to draw the sheriff and his posse out of town so that they can ride in and loot the casino. But DeLong escapes and rides into town to warn the townspeople.

The town believes that Larry is one of the gang because he was seen riding away with a member of the gang. Led by stagecoach owner Tom Biggert (Joe Sawyer), the town turns against Larry and corners him in a dingy saloon owned by Fritz (Fritz Feld). Deputy sheriff Tub Murphy (Wayne Morris) returns from the posse with orders to hold DeLong. Unfortunately he is ineffective and unable to arrest DeLong. The townspeople then decide to try to smoke him out.

Meanwhile Maraday and his gang ride into town during the commotion. DeLong manages to escape and confront the gang.

Randolph Scott basically played the same character in all of his 50s westerns, the stern faced William S. Hart type of hero. He always made them believable. Wayne Morris had starred in his own series prior to this but is essentially wasted here as the ever hungry, over cautious, overweight deputy. Joan Weldon as the heroine also has little to contribute. James Millican had appeared in several Scott westerns before his untimely death in 1956. Charles Bronson (still using his real name of Buchinsky) has a meaty role as the chief henchman. Veteran "head waiter" Fritz Feld gets a welcome change of pace as the slovenly Fritz.

Some other recognizable faces include Paul Picerni as the shotgun guard who dies in Scott's place, Howard Morris as a psychopathic "man with the rope" and if you look closely you might spot western veterans Bud Osborne, Buddy Roosevelt and Dub Taylor in various townsfolk.

Another good entry in the the Randolph Scott series.

unusual, enjoyable, entertaining movie

[chipe · 7/10 · 22 February 2011]

"Riding Shotgun" is a very entertaining western, were only they all so good. It boasts an unusual story and pacing: 80 percent of the movie takes place between a bloody stagecoach robbery in the beginning of the movie and a violent casino robbery at the conclusion of the movie. During this 80 percent middle period, Scott is alone in town trying to convince the elders to recall the sheriff and posse which have gone after the stage robbers, who Scott knows robbed the stage to draw the sheriff-posse out of town so they could more easily rob the casino. And the townsfolk think Scott is part of the gang of stage robbers and wants the sheriff-posse recalled to protect the gang. So what we have is this intriguing story, rugged handsome Scott, good color photography, some humor supplied mainly by deputy sheriff Wayne Morris and cantina-owner Fritz Feld, an interesting/wacky group of townsfolk (in varied dress,looks and demeanor ), beautiful Joan Weldon, and Scott's narration. Unfortunately the ending doesn't live up to the delicious intro, but the ride was most enjoyable. And nice fade-out.

Vintage cowboy action.

[Mozjoukine · 7 February 2002]

Seeing "Riding Shotgun" again after half a century is a welcome reminder of the peak that the western film of the fifties achieved.

Director De Toth, who actually had ranch experience despite his Hungarian origins,obviously took great satisfaction in finding such a variety of effective angles and pieces of western imagery to present what is a well constructed story. When our weathered hero has to shoot out the candle in Fritz Feld's "dirty little cantina" it not only provides a chance for master cameramen Bert Glennon ("Stagecoach") to do an effective light change but it also gives us a couple of reels of the disturbing image of the blackened door-way that no one in the town is game to enter, not sure if Randy is dead or not.

The film making is better than most of the bigger pictures could muster.

The Warner western street re-dressed. Interesting cast - Joe Sawer in a non comedy role, punching it out with Scott, Charlie Bronson getting started, Millican in his best part - are those Frank Ferguson, Cesare Gravina and Bob Steele in uncredited walk-ons?

Pretension free, work like the Scott-De Toth series made going to the movies a rewarding, addictive habit.

mob mentality

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 19 February 2021]

Stagecoach guard Larry Delong (Randolph Scott) is obsessed with catching criminal Dan Marady who leads a ruthless gang and killed his relatives. He falls into trap, hog-tied, and left to die in the sun. The stagecoach gets attacked and the men are killed. Larry escapes and returns to town. He is surprised to find that most of the population believe that he is part of Marady's gang and they are unwilling to listen to his warning of an imminent return of the gang to raid the town. Meanwhile, Marady's gang is infiltrating the town.

This is a great depiction of mob rule. These regular town folks may seem like cartoons but they are more real than one expects. These are men of pitchforks and torches. I love the regular people turning on the hero. As for the criminals, I expected them to be more ruthless. This is still an old fashion western which is barely more than seventy minutes. It doesn't go as dark as it could have. The last act is doing a happy Hollywood ending. The narrating is a little interesting in that it gives Larry's gunfire some inner monologue. I wouldn't mind a modern remake with a more brutal final act.

Uneven film: supporting actors see most action with lead locked in barroom

[adrianovasconcelos · 7/10 · 16 May 2022]

"Riding shotgun" begins interestingly enough with voiceover by Randolph Scott. That is fair enough and what I would expect from the lead, as he manages to free himself from being tied down by a very young Charles Bronson, who plays Pinto, a robber cum murderer who owes very little to intelligence and not only does a poor job of tying up the fearsome gunhand but actually leaves Scott's gun and horse nearby. That is not all, another dimwit in the group also drops the Derringer that is used as bait for the evil Marady (reliably played by James Millican) to entrap Scott.

Confusing enough? Not as confusing as comparing this modest Western with HIGH NOON, a masterpiece on many levels, including an incisive attack on HUAC and McCarthyism.

That said, I found it confusing, if not downright exasperating, to see Scott decide to stay in a barroom while the town's residents plan to lynch him, fire shots at him, goad the deputy sheriff Tub Murphy (the Christian name Tub fits, he spends most of the film eating) into doing something about Scott while Marady and Pinto proceed to rob the local bank. The barroom owner is understandably peeved that his prized mirror might be shattered by bullets, as Scott fires one to kill the flame of a candle giving away his position. All of that makes for a mid-section with many different faces, and not much of a connecting thread, but the ending is great with Scott suddenly taking the limelight again and making sure that the robbers will not be able to use their horses to flee. Even poor dumb Pinto gets his due while trying to mount, and Marady's good luck piece changes hands!

Good fun, decent direction by the ever predictable and steadfast André de Toth. OK photography and script... for a B Western.

Enjoyable Scott Western.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 23 January 2009]

Considering the budget, and considering other constraints on its quality, this is pretty good -- efficient movie-making at its best.

Randolph Scott is a shotgun rider on a stagecoach. The coach is held up and some former enemies capture Scott, hog tie his ass, and leave him to scorch to death in the sun. Tie up Randolph Scott? Hah! He rides into town to warn the good folk of the gang's plans, which is to divert the posse into chasing some loose horses so that the gang can loot and pillage the town. I'm not sure exactly how you pillage a village but I'm morally certain that's what they have in mind.

The problem is that no one in town believes Scott's warnings. What's worse, they believe him to be in cahoots with the dozen gang members, led by James Millican, with Charles Bronson in support.

Narrow-minded hostility surrounds Scott as he tries to spread the alarm and bring back the posse. No one believes him except his girl, Joan Weldon. The deputy, Wayne Morris, is doubtful of the hysteria but, in any case, is in no position to stand alone against them. The town doctor is neutral and wants to see due process exercised.

A couple of observations. This is Scott's only Western that I'm aware of in which he provides a noir-like narration. There's nothing wrong with that in principle but in practice it sounds a bit weird. This was released in 1954, and films noir had dominated American dramatic films for the previous ten years.

Fritz Feld was the psychiatrist with a twitch in "Bringing Up Baby." Here, he plays a treacherous but comic saloon proprietor. His joint is a filthy dump and he himself is unshaven, ragged, and weaselly. He's saddled with a Mexican wife and five children -- none of them boys. When he's excited, his Spanish tirade turns into German. That's understandable because he was born in Berlin. He's a welcome presence.

Joan Weldon, Scott's supportive girl friend, doesn't have a Hollywood-beautiful face but she seems to radiate intelligence and a little charm. Anybody who was a singer with the San Francisco Opera has my vote. Also, I blush, but must admit it always found her sexy.

The movie also does something interesting, probably unwittingly. It demonstrates the destructive potential of rumor. Now, gossip is a necessary means of social control in human society. (Lecturer writes "gossip" on blackboard.) One of the main reasons we don't do bad things is that, if we're found out, our family, friends, and neighbors will not like us so much. But gossip is like water. A certain amount is required for survival but too much of it, out of control, is destructive. We need tap water, not a flood. And we see rumor get subtle autonomy in this movie. The marginalized Scott is holed up in a filthy saloon and every move he makes is interpreted as "bad" and exaggerated by the hostile villagers. If a man tries to shoot Scott, and Scott shoots him in the gun-wielding arm, the story is told that Scott has killed his victim. Everything he does is interpreted by his enemies as deliberately mean. The movie is really a good demonstration of this point. (Imagine if the villagers had the internet.)

"Riding Shotgun" doesn't have the poetic quality of some of the Boetticher/Scott/Kennedy Westerns of the same period, but I was easily able to enjoy it for what it was.

YOU'D DO IT FOR HIM, OF COURSE I WOULD...!

[masonfisk · 7/10 · 15 March 2019]

A Randolph Scott Western from the 1954. Scott plays a stagecoach guard who rides shotgun as their transport is about to enter their next stop. What Scott doesn't know is that his sworn enemy is going to lure him from his duties (Scott has vowed revenge in voice over for a past crime) so that an elaborate heist is attempted. Working again w/Andre De Toth (House of Wax), this Scott vehicle is unique in the fact it almost plays like a Western noir where narration & a weird story structure keeps the barely ninety minute feature interesting & quite watchable. Look for Charles Bronson (billed under his birth name Charles Buchinsky) as a member of the villain's gang.

"Riding Shotgun" is loaded with enough excitement and realism

[zardoz-13 · 8/10 · 4 January 2008]

André De Toth's brisk 74 minute western "Riding Shotgun" is an ambitious, above-average Randolph Scott horse opera that stands out from the herd. The trigger-happy outlaws here are a downright dastardly bunch; the townspeople turn into a moronic mob, and the hero creates more trouble for himself because of this credulous mob that refuse to believe him. Literally, Scott becomes the cowboy who cried wolf as far as the citizens are concerned.

Seasoned western scenarist Thomas Blackburn and De Toth have fashioned Kenneth Perkins' novel "Riding Solo" into a first-rate, suspenseful sagebrusher that never lets up on its surprises. Moreover, "Riding Shotgun" illustrates De Toth's obsession with realism. The Marady gang's decoy strategy, the act of cinching a saddle onto a horse, the use of a derringer to blast the ropes off the hero's wrists, and actions of a mob that intensify without reason keep things lively in this slam-bang shoot'em up. For example, early in the action, heroic Larry DeLong (Randolph Scott of "Colt .45") has to get a horse to follow a man who may lead him to his sworn enemy Dan Marady. Instead of simply getting an already saddled mount and swinging astride, De Toth shows Delong actually taking the time to cinch the saddle to its' back. As is the case in many De Toth films, we see the heroes and villains actually doing things—like saddling a horse—that other directors would eliminate as time-consuming and mundane. However, this is a set-up that De Toth pays off later when Delong sabotages the outlaw gang's departure by slicing through the cinches on their saddles so that they will bite the dust when they try to step aboard their p0nies.

De Toth and Blackburn allow the Randolph Scott character to narrate the picture so as to push the plot ahead and plant in our minds the very personal nature of Delong's revenge. The movie opens with Delong riding atop a stage coach as the shotgun messenger while Scott provides voice-over narration that brings the action quickly up to speed.

"For three years I dedicated every waking moment of my life to scouring the frontier for a killer for a very personal reason. I'd worked at all kinds of jobs from Wyoming to Oregon. In the last year, I'd working every stage line between Canada and Mexico, riding shotgun. I knew that sooner or later my path would again cross that of the man I wanted—Dan Marady." No sooner has Delong furnished this exposition and the stage coach rumbled past the camera than infamous Dan Marady (James Mullican of "Winchester '73") descends from the top of the pass that the stage just driven by and sends an old-timer off to the stage relay station to snooker Delong. Marady lives up to Delong's description: "as clever as he is ruthless and always managed to escape capture." Delong doesn't want to capture Marady; however, he means to kill him for the shooting deaths of his sister and his nephew. Consequently, from the outset, the hero has a strong motive to slay the villain. That makes for good drama! Anyway, Marady wants to rob the stage coach that Delong is guarding. To lure Delong away from the stage, he sends an old-timer into the relay station with his (Marady's) lucky charm derringer. At the station, Delong gets the shock of his life when he sees Marady's lucky derringer. He quits the stage coach to find out where the old-timer got the derringer and gets himself jumped and hogtied by Pinto ("The Great Escape's" Charles Bronson back when he was Buchinsky) and the rest of Marady's gang.

Marady's gang stops the coach, take the strong box, shoots up the passengers (but doesn't kill anybody) and sends the riddled stage coach off to Deepwater where the citizens take the law seriously. The outlaws—principally Pinto—mistakenly share their devious strategy with Delong who warns them about the law and order imperative of Deepwater and its stern sheriff Buck Curlew. As it turns out, Marady is counting on the zealous law and order attitude of Deepwater. He plans to let the shot-up stage careen into town. Curlew and a posse will light out after them, but they won't know that they are chasing a herd of horses instead of Marady. Meanwhile, the Marady gang will rob the Bank Club, a gambling house, and escape without harm with loot. Unfortunately, for Marady and company, Delong escapes by shooting his ropes with Marady's derringer that the old-timer dropped by accident. When Delong shows up in Deepwater with news about the Marady gang, the citizens believe that he helped the gang rob the stage since he quit guarding it. Even a kid with a slingshot pops Delong on the cheek with a stone and our hero retreats into the sanctuary of a cantina to protect himself from the angry citizen's mob. Deputy Sheriff Tub Murphy (World War II flying ace Wayne Morris of "Bad Men of Missouri") has a field day as a pot-bellied lawman that refuses to capitulate to an irate mob and has the good sense to leave Delong alone. One of the townspeople, a man (Howard Davis of "The Andy Griffith Show where he played Earnest T. Bass) has noose ready for our hero. Eventually, the Marady gang ride into Deepwater and the fireworks erupt.

The good thing about "Riding Shotgun" is that the noble hero finds himself behind the eight-ball more often than not, and life is no cake walk for him. Millican is great as Scott's nemesis and Davis makes memorable impression without having to utter a syllable. Bronson has a great scene where he describes his trek across an inhospitable desert as a result of Delong's pursuit. De Toth sprinkles prostitute characters in the street mob as an added example of realism. "Riding Shotgun" is loaded with enough excitement, realism, and suspense to make it a blast to watch despite its age.

The Deepwater Dimwits.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 19 April 2014]

Riding Shotgun is directed by Andre De Toth and adapted to screenplay by Thomas W. Blackburn fro the story "Riding Solo" written by Kenneth Perkins. It stars Randolph Scott, Wayne Morris, Joan Weldon, Joe Sawyer, James Millican, Charles Bronson and James Bell. Music is by David Buttolph and Warnercolor cinematography is by Bert Glennon.

Before he would make the Western movies with Budd Boetticher that would define him as a Western movie legend, Randolph Scott worked tirelessly in the genre. He would make 6 films with Ray Enright and 6 with Andre De Toth, all of these are good value for the Western fan. They vary in thematic quality, but production value was always decent and there was always Randy at war with some gruff or poncey bloke, nice location photography and of course some gorgeous ladies as well. That's enough for genre fans who happily take these movies on their required terms.

Anyone else got anything to say?

Riding Shotgun has Scott as Larry Delong, a man who spends his time "riding shotgun" as a stagecoach guard. He has an ulterior motive, though, he's constantly on the look out for a known outlaw, Dan Marady (Millican), and he wants him dead. Sure enough Malady is about the place and Larry falls into a trap and finds things spiralling so out of control, that by the time he manages to get back into town, practically everyone hates him and thinks he's part of Marady's murderous gang.

Hate makes a man careless.

Cue a scenario where Delong, who has been wonderfully providing us with a film noir like narration throughout (love the wry David and Goliath observation), literally has to make a one man stand against the dimwit townsfolk and also Marady and his henchmen who are fronted by twitchy gun Pinto! (Bronson). It clocks in at under 75 minutes, it's brisk, it has Scott kicking ass big time and it looks lovely (unsurprising with Glennon photographing).

Is it flawless? God no! There's some distinctly below average acting around Scott (Morris/Millican), while Fritz Feld as the Cantina owner (erm, called Fritz) where Delong holes up, is annoying in the extreme. While as radiant and perky as Joan Weldon is, she's no actress capable of grabbing a scene and shooting electricity through it. But this type of Scott Oater is comfort food to genre fans who once in a while like to down pistols and relax away from the more serious genre fare. 7/10

Similar to "High Noon" but Lacking the Intensity and Suspense

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 13 November 2019]

After his family is murdered by a ruthless outlaw gang, a man by the name of "Larry Delong" (Randolph Scott) accepts a job guarding a stagecoach line in a certain part of the country under the firm belief that he will be able to find and kill the people responsible. However, in the course of his search for them he accidentally falls into a trap by that same gang and is almost killed. Fortunately, during his time in captivity he learns of their plans to lure a posse from a nearby town on a fruitless search in order to facilitate their plans to rob the bank. Wanting to warn the citizens he then rides into that town but to his surprise the people there mistake him for one of the outlaws which results in him taking shelter in a store while a mob gathers all around with the intention of lynching him despite his warnings meant to protect them. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a rather odd film which resembled the classic western "High Noon" in many respects. It doesn't, however, have the same level of intensity or suspense and as a result I have rated this film accordingly. Average.

This film is a great illustration of the notion that people are indeed stupid!

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 6 May 2009]

I like the way this Western talked about human nature--a sign of an excellent film in this genre. For example, HIGH NOON and THE OXBOW INCIDENT are two of the very best Westerns of all time and they, too, investigate the mob mentality. Individually, people might be decent folk--put them in a group, and they all become instant idiots! I like this cynical aspect of the film and it makes this a standout film.

Randolph Scott plays a man who is seeking a gang of killers who rob stage coaches. He's been searching for years and now is working for the stage riding shotgun--the most likely way to meet up with these men. However, in a boneheaded move, he is lured away from the stage in search of the gang--and they soon catch HIM. He is left for dead and the gang then robs the stage. Scott soon manages to escape but when he finds his way into the nearest town, they assume Scott is part of the gang--after all, he wasn't on the stagecoach when it was attacked (while Scott was bound and waiting to die). The town seems to be inhabited by morons, because when he tries to warn the folks that the gang is planning on returning (since he heard their plans), they ignore him and even try to kill him. No matter that what they think isn't logical or that they've made some big assumptions, the town is determined to kill Scott. So, much of the film he's hiding out--trying to keep from killing the idiots in self-defense as well as avoiding their bullets. In the end, when the real gang shows up, it's of course up to good-guy Scott to save the day....even though the town really isn't worth saving.

While some of the film is a bit predictable and clichéd (such as Scott's unerring ability to hit the townspeople in the hand when they try to shoot him), it's much less than the usual film of this genre and watching Randolph Scott do his usual seemingly effortless performance make this film an exception to the usual Western fare. Plus, it's view of human nature makes this a transcendent film--one well worth seeking.

By the way, Charles Buchinsky is in the film in a supporting role. This is Charles Bronson, for those of you who didn't know his original name and he's quite young here.

Good Western, nice character touches

[Marlburian · 7/10 · 5 February 2012]

I'm glad to see that a majority of reviewers liked this film. I did, too. It's one Scott Western that's passed me by until now, though others are frequently shown on British TV.

The plot was more original than many 1950s' Westerns, and the town looked a little different to those so often seen. As has already been remarked, the townsfolk were a quirky lot, and there was some nice minor characterizations, especially the guy fondling a rope all the time.

What little love interest there was was unnecessary, doing nothing to the plot.

One might quibble at Scott's wish for a messenger to be sent to recall the posse. There wouldn't have been enough time to track it down and for it to return in time to combat the raid. And how obliging of Scott to ride so precisely under the tree that Bronson could jump on him. At least the revolvers ran out of ammunition after being fired six times, forcing their users to reload, unlike in some Westerns where they seem to have eight or more rounds in them.

I'll be happy to watch it again some time.

Not Randolph Scott's Best

[fwdixon · 3/10 · 18 October 2018]

I'll watch any western with Randolph Scott and they run the gamut from great to not so hot. In the latter we have "Riding Shotgun", an illogical, muddled tale of Randy being mistaken as in cahoots with the gang that shot up the stage coach and plans to rob the town. The plot, such as it is, is often only moved forward with Randy proving a voiceover Greek chorus. Randy was in there pitching but is done in with bad dialog and little support from the rest of the cast.

Randolph Scott's answer to Gary Cooper's "High Noon"!

[berumte · 18 January 2002]

Larry DeLong(Scott) is Riding Shotgun on stagecoaches, keeping them safe. After a holdup, the town first thinks that he's a coward and then decide that he must be a part of the gang -- and they're gonna get him! Meanwhile, the real baddies are heading to town to rob the bank and only Scott can prevent that.

Not quite up to High Noon standards, but a good yarn. Randolph Scott comes through, once again!

A simple and acceptable Western compellingly starred by Randolph Scott and decently directed by Andre De Toth

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 4 September 2015]

This exciting picture tells the story of a upright stagecoach guard called Larry Delong (Randolph Scott) . Larry tries to warn a town of an imminent raid by a band of outlaws and the townsfolk mistake him for one of the band . But Delong has sworn revenge and detain to undercover the real outlaws . Delong is besieged by Sheriff Tub Murphy (Wayne Morris) , deputies and other villagers and no one in town is willing to help him . In the Old west there are always the men who live breathe violence and the women who hold their breath .

This undemanding western is plenty of suspense as the dreaded final showdown approaches and the protagonist realizes he must stand alone against impossible odds as his fellow town people for help , nobody is willing to help him but they pursue him , while he attempts to clear his name as wrongfully accused of robber and murder . This passable tale is almost rudimentary though full of clichés , a good guy come to narration is almost adjusted in real time from the starring arrives in the little town until the ending confrontation and is given a limited time to resolve the accusation as stealer and murderer . The highlights of the film are the facing off between Scott and his enemies and the climatic showdown on the final . Phenomenal and great role for Randolph Scott as tough guy , he's the whole show , he plays a stagecoach guard seeking to clear his reputation . He gives a perfect acting as stoic , craggy, and uncompromising figure . Good support cast , such as Wayne Morris , Joan Weldon , Joe Sawyer , Frank Ferguson , James Bell , uncredited Dub Taylor and Charles Bronson as Charles Buchinsky , many of them usual in Western . Although made in short budget by the producer Ted Sherdeman , it is a enough efficient film and very entertaining . The picture contains an excellent cinematography by Bert Glennon -John Ford's usual photographer- and appropriate musical score by David Buttolph .

This typical Western was professionally directed by Andre De Toth . At his beginnings he entered the Hungarian film industry, obtaining work as a writer, editor , second unit director and actor before finally becoming a director. He directed a few films just before the outbreak of WW II, when he fled to England . Alexander Korda gave him a job there, and when De Toth emigrated to the US in 1942 , Korda got him a job as a second unit director on Jungle Book (1942) . Andre De Toth was a classical director , Western usual (Indian fighter, Man in the saddle, Ramrod , Last of Comanches , The stranger wore a gun), but also made Peplum (Gold for the Caesar) and adventure (The Mongols , Morgan the pirate , Tanganyika) . Probably his best known film is House of wax (1953), a Vincent Price horror film shot in 3D .

Standard color Western of the 1950s, except for the tasty Noir accents.

[movieswithgreg · 6/10 · 19 February 2021]

This is pretty much another over-lit, clothes-too-clean, shot-in-los-angeles-hills backlot, cookie-cutter color Western of the 1950s. EXCEPT -- it has some tasty fun stylings, like the Noir-ish narration of Scott's character, with some gunfighting tactics and decision-making revelations rarely found in Westerns, but not unusual in police procedurals and noir of the 50s. Also nifty -- the airtime given to Mexicans and their cantina beyond the usual cliché. And a little richer character detail than usual for this genre.

It's not a movie to go out of your way to see or rent; it's not some form of cinematic gold. But under the rules of its genre, it's above average. The acting isn't above-average, but the dialogue is one notch above. Not two notches. Just one notch, but that's still a good thing.

Okay Western

[jeremycrimsonfox · 7/10 · 9 September 2019]

Riding Shotgun is a western movie telling the story of Larry Delong, a stagecoach guard on the hunt for a gang of outlaws who attacked the stagecoach he was guarding, but his warning about them is dismissed by the citizens of Deep Water, who want the deputy remaining to arrest him on the belief that he was in on the attack. Now holed up in a cantina, Larry must find a way to escape and get his revenge.

It's an okay western. The action and story is good, but the actors are hit-or-miss and the pacing can be painfully slow in some parts.

Scott Gets Good Backup

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 23 August 2013]

Obviously because of it's length this Warner movie was made as a second feature for a double bill at 90 minutes in length. The thing is the director here does an excellent job of putting together a western drama and the color on this film is very impressive too.

Charles Bronson is young but you can pick him out right away. The Western town sets used here are used in many other western films. For a second banana, this movie is good and shows why Randolph Scott was so popular in the 1950's.

The plot is there enough to hang onto and the supporting cast in addition to Bronson is plenty good. This one is better than average second billing film fare. Glad TCM ran it on a summer under the stars night along with several of Scott's lesser known films like this one

Randolph Scott VS. Charles Bronson

[FightingWesterner · 8/10 · 26 January 2010]

Stage-line security guard Scott is lured away from town by a member of his arch-enemy's gang and tied up to die from exposure. Escaping, he returns to find the stage robbed and everyone thinking he's in cahoots with the villains, with no one believing him when he tells them that the robbery was a ruse to get the law out on a goose-chase so that the real deal could go down. In fact, the whole town is ready to lynch Scott!

Though some of the portrayals of the ignorant townspeople are clearly over-the-top, Riding Shotgun is a very well-made and well-paced little western that really delivers the goods in terms of action and especially suspense.

There's a great role for a young Charles Bronson, who in his western debut (excluding an episode of The Roy Rodgers Show where he plays a boxer) as a sadistic member of the outlaw gang. The scenes where he joins the lynch mob and stokes them are pretty neat.

There's also a great role for Wayne Morris, who's probably best remembered for his role as a cowardly officer in Stanley Kubrick's Paths Of Glory, as the town's remaining deputy who desperately tries to prevent needless bloodshed.

riding shotgun

[mossgrymk · 6/10 · 7 March 2021]

A bit too redolent of "High Noon" for my taste with a screenplay that is way too talky and features more needless narration than you can shake a Mark Hellinger at. However, director Andy DeToth keeps the verbose proceedings moving at a good clip, Randy Scott is solid as usual, and Wayne Morris' dyspeptic everyman sheriff is a tad better than that. Give it a C plus. mostly for Tub.

Wobbly Wezzie

[screenman · 4/10 · 11 July 2010]

Another Randolph Scott vehicle; and it's pretty lame from the outset. He's a stage-coach guard who is kidnapped by a gang and left for dead. When he gets back to town, most everyone suspects him of being in cahoots with the baddies. So why would he go back to town by himself and risk arrest or lynching? Don't ask.

What follows then is a wobbly wander through most every western cliché of the period as he falls foul of one citizen or another. The townfolk vacillate over what to do. The deputy isn't sure. Scott's character claims that the baddies are actually going to rob the town (its bank and casino) nobody buys that either.

It's a pretty slow, often boring and confused plot that gradually shuffles along. There's a lot of guff about him getting a horse to ride out and warn the absent sheriff and posse. But he can't get one. A cowboy in a wezzie who can't get a horse?! For an interim he is holed-up in a small bar and on 3 separate occasions, a decent deputy turns up to talk him into surrender.

In due course the gang turns up at the bank. Despite his earlier warning, nobody even sees them arrive. He gets there; there's a clumsy shoot-em-up. All is understanding and forgiveness thereafter. I'd have thought his being at the bank during its hold-up actually consolidated his guilt - but there you are.

There's nothing much to recommend it. A youthful Charles Bronson makes an appearance as a baddie. That's about it.

Scott made some memorable westerns in his time, he did precious little else. Perhaps inevitably then, he made a few bummers. 'The Man From Lamarie' was another. Thank heavens John Sturges came to town. And also John Wayne.

a real oater

[sandcrab277 · 10/10 · 26 January 2019]

I never saw a randolph scott film i didn't like ... quite a fair sized town with ignorant fools quick to pass judgement on something they don't understand...kudos to tubb, the deputy and the girlfriend who manage to help larry out of a tight spot

Randolf takes on the whole town!

[deexsocalygal · 7/10 · 4 July 2021]

I'm a huge Randolf Scott fan. I think he's the perfect cowboy hero for Westerns. Tall, lanky, long legs, rugged, square jawed, blue eyes, blonde hair, & a great masculine voice. This was an exciting one. Randolf is out riding with a stagecoach hoping he'll run into the outlaws that robbed it awhile back. When he leaves his post for minute it gets robbed. He knows they're going to hit the bank next so he goes into town to warn them. No one believes him. They think he's one of the crooks. He gets stuck inside a saloon with the whole town out to get him. They try to smoke him out. Some want him shot, some hold sticks of fire & some hold rope with a noose ready to string him up. But the Sheriff is a friend & just wants him in jail. Meanwhile the bad guys ride in & while the townspeople are focused on Randolf, they rob the bartender & all the gamblers in a saloon. They're going to rob the bank next & Randolf's stuck unable to get at these crooks he's been after. The story has a lot of suspense because there's so many people against him. Randolf can't seem to get a break. First the bad guys tie him up, rob the stagecoach, & ride off leaving him alone in the desert to die. Then when he manages to get free & rides into town to warn them the town doesn't believe it & turn on him. Nobody is willing to cut him any slack in this Western & the tension gets tighter as things close in on Randolf. As you know things always turn out for the best & in this one it's an especially happy ending when the bad guys are caught, & Randolf finally gets acknowledged as the hero he was trying to be all along.

Want him hung.

"I'm not riding into a town where they're waiting to shoot at me"

[boscofl · 4/10 · 4 March 2021]

In his long career making Hollywood westerns you will not find the title Riding Shotgun among Randolph Scott's most memorable forays. In fact it's likely to be found near the bottom as this 1954 Warner Brothers opus is certainly inferior. Despite being shot in color and boasting some recognizable faces this film suffers from a deficient script, weak dialogue, a poorly staged finale, and a cheapjack, backlot look.

The story revolves around Larry DeLong (Scott) in the title profession and his determination to kill outlaw Dan Maraday (James Millican). Maraday plans to shoot up the stagecoach Larry is protecting in order to pull a posse out of the town of Deep Water so he can rob its undefended gambling house. Larry is duped from his post and left for dead while the Maraday Gang assaults the coach. He escapes his grave predicament but can't convince anyone in town of Maraday's scheme; in fact they all believe him to be in on the stagecoach robbery. The remaining run time is absorbed by Larry dodging assassination attempts by the suddenly bloodthirsty townsfolk while determined to kill Maraday and thwart the gambling hall heist himself.

There is a kernel of a good idea in the plot which draws heavily on High Noon and the current McCarthy witch-hunting. However, the movie falls flat in its execution of this narrative due to the shoddy script. First of all, the film relies on unnecessary narration from Larry which only reinforces the action and insults the moviegoer's intelligence. Furthermore the screenplay goes to great lengths to portray Larry, whom the citizens know, as the ultimate gentleman and makes the town's dislike of him hard to fathom; if he were some dubious character this animosity would work better. As for the residents of Deep Water, a more despicable lot of cowards, morons, and hotheads couldn't be found anywhere. In fairness Larry does a lousy job explaining himself but they are so quick to condemn him that it becomes comical; everything Larry does is twisted into some heinous crime in the retelling amongst themselves. It gets to the point you want their gambling hall to be robbed. Plot holes are abundant, not the least of which is why they didn't simply kill Larry at the beginning instead of providing some Batman-level predicament he could easily escape from (there is a dopey attempt to explain this). And evidently the only person who can identify Maraday is the wounded stagecoach driver; the famous master criminal strolls around town for a third of the film unrecognized by everyone else. There's more but you get the idea.

As for the performances, it begins with star Randolph Scott who provides his standard turn as the conscientious hero. When not dodging the bullets of a few lily-livered citizens he's adept at slugging varmints, shooting guns out of hands, and patting boys on the head. Running away with the acting honors is Wayne Morris as Deputy Tub Murphy; an aptly named man more at home with a fork than a gun. Morris has a field day scratching his chest, patting his false belly, and fending off a case of permanent indigestion. The role itself is well written as he is a decent man willing to uphold law and order while acknowledging he's no gunslinger. Honestly the film would have more dramatic weight if he had the leading role while Larry was a secondary character.

The remaining supporting performances are perfunctory with a few exceptions. Fritz Feld emotes as if he believed he was in a different movie than everyone else as the zany saloonkeeper; the broad comedy he employs is out of place in this otherwise grim tale. Charles Bronson has one of his earliest roles as Maraday's bungling lieutenant and the man responsible for not simply shooting Larry in the head. On top of that he blabs the entire plan away which enables Larry to finally get the drop on the gang. The other notable player is Vic Perrin as the creepy dude silently brandishing a rope; not sure what that was all about other than him possibly having a hemp fetish or some unnatural lust for a lynching.

There is some evidence suggesting this film was intended to be a more complex and thoughtful exercise into the dangers of rushing to judgement and doing the right thing. Ultimately these ideas were largely jettisoned in favor of a more formulaic, albeit inferior, oater. The dialogue and motivations amongst the townsfolk are a fatal flaw as they come across as despicable while the outlaw gang, despite having a fairly ingenious heist scenario planned, ultimately succumb to stupidity. What evolves is a substandard Randolph Scott western where the hero emerges unscathed and wants to enjoy his supper in a town that desperately tried to terminate him.