SYNOPSIS: A melodrama about an avaricious Confederate major who after the Civil War instigates a reign of terror in Texas in an attempt to build a large western empire. (A Universal DVD). COMMENT: Rock Hudson has some unbelievable lines and bits of business - in fact the dialogue all around is sometimes rather strained - and the plot really goes over the top for a melodramatic finish that even a nervy and accomplished player like Robert Ryan is unable to sustain. But an enjoyable excursion nonetheless thanks to Boetticher's (pronounced "Betty-car") vigorous staging of the action scenes, crisp color photography, and some most agreeable players, particularly Raymond Burr who makes all his scenes stand out, Dennis Weaver as the impetuous Dandy, and the lovely Judith Braun as Hudson's light-of-love. Some memorable moments with Acosta too. Boetticher is at his best with the set pieces (Adams giving Ryan the high sign, Ryan's night ride into the deserters' camp, Burr's acing Ryan's cards, Burr beating up Hudson, Fowley booting the pistol to Burr, Acosta browbeating Monsieur Morin, Dandy nixing, Ryan getting the upper hand of Arness). Interesting that despite his star billing, Hudson doesn't figure in any of these sequences except being on the receiving end of Burr's heavy hand!OTHER VIEWS: An I'm-gonna-build-a-Texas-empire-at-any-price western. Despite third billing under Ryan and Adams, Rock Hudson doesn't have much of a part. Even the climactic shoot-out is a switch. Still there are lots of nice close-ups of Miss Adams, plus an interesting support cast headed by that ace of heavies, Raymond Burr. On the other hand, the corny script with its cornball fade-out and corn-fed characters like do-gooder rancher John McIntyre and beautifully groomed Judith Braun, all militate against Boetticher's attempts to turn Horizons West into a classic post-Civil War outing. True, Budd's direction is competent enough, but it's confined and circumscribed by a screenplay that can only described as Universal trashy. Yes, it does incorporate enough action for the rabid fans, despite a tendency to become dialogue-bound and speechy. And admittedly, the color photography, sets and costumes are mighty attractive. But Rock's fans will not be happy. Ryan is not only handed the lion's share of the spotlight, but shares just about all the interesting dialogue and action with other players such as Burr and Acosta, both of whom stand out from the ruck far more than the luckless Rock. - John Howard Reid writing as George Addison.Frankly, I don't think Horizons West is a very good film. I was too young at the time. I wasn't mature enough to get on top of the subject. I particularly remember Robert Ryan's tremendous professionalism and talent, and Julia Adams who was really radiant and beautiful. That's all I can say about that film. - Budd Boetticher.

Both are films made by Robert Ryan in the early 50's and they would make a terrific double feature.A comparison of the two movies is also interesting The Racket was done for Howard Hughes' RKO studio. Horizons West was a Universal picture. Both had famous directors, John Cromwell, (supplemented by several others, including Nicholas Ray) and Bud Boetticher. The Rackett is a re-working of a successful play and movie from the 1920's with a screenplay by WR Burnett, (High Sierra among others). Horizons West is done by Louis Stevens, a veteran writer of movie westerns, (this appears to be his best work). Ryan is the main "bad guy" in both movies but in each case, he's much more complex than that. His Nick Scanlon in The racket is violent and intimidating, almost reptilian. He's fully formed as a heavy from the moment we meet him. But we find out he either grew up with or went to school with Robert Mitchum's police Captain: in the grand tradition, they came from the same background but went in different directions. We also learn that Ryan sent his now troublesome younger brother to college to keep him out of the rackets. He clearly doesn't think much of the crooked politicians and new "corporate" crooks that are running things. And in the end, his revenge is to "tell the voters to vote for the honest politicians". Underneath the violence, he has a certain integrity. Something- we never learn what turned him against society while Mitchum remained well-adjusted and on the right side of the law. In Horzions West, Ryan starts out being a good guy, or at least not a bad guy yet. He comes home from the Civil War with his brother, (Rock Hudson), and a loyal friend named "Tiny", (James Arness). As they arrive in Texas, they have a conversation about the future. Arness wants to raise his family. Hudson wants to work the family ranch, just like before. Ryan shows a harder edge. He wants to make it big. They arrive in town, (Austin) to see that Yankees carpetbaggers have made it big. Ryan ties to associate with them but gets on the wrong side of Burr in poker game and is on the outside looking in. He organizes a band of out-of-work soldiers and deserters into a cattle rustling operation and establishes connections with a Mexican military officer who is running a crooked operation across the border. Eventually he gets even with Burr, who is killed. And has an affair with Burr's pretty young wife, (Julie Adams). In the beginning our sympathy is with him but as he grows more and more powerful, he becomes more ambitious and ruthless, which makes him too many enemies and causes his eventual downfall. In Horizons West, Hudson becomes the town sheriff and has to take on his brother, thus paralleling the Ryan-Mitchum relationship in The Racket. In that film, Ryan killed a policeman played by William Tallman, who became famous as Hamilton Burgers on Perry mason. In Horizons West, he kills Hudson's deputy, who is played by Jim Arness, soon to be famous as Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke. William Conrad, radio's Matt Dillon, appears as a corrupt policeman in The Racket. That film has two actors from Perry mason, the other being Ray Collins, who played Lt. Tragg. Horizon's West has two actors form Gunsmoke, with Dennis Weaver playing a very un-Chester-like gunman. Both films have a heavy dose of corrupt public officials. Both of them have a major movie star to face off against Ryan, although Rock Hudson was early in his career and never became the dramatic force Mitchum was. But Ryan dominates every scene he's in, no matter who is in it with him.

Horizons West is directed by Budd Boetticher with a story written by Louis Stevens. It stars Robert Ryan, Rock Hudson, Julia Adams, John McIntire, Raymond Burr & Dennis Weaver. It's a Technicolor production with Charles P. Boyle on photography.It's the end of the Civil War and the Hammond brothers Neal (Hudson) and Dan (Ryan) return to the family ranch in Texas. Neal is happy to graft away on the ranch but Dan wants considerably more. But Dan's plans are altered after an encounter with Cord Hardin (Burr), an encounter that sees Dan switch to the wrong side of the law. A switch that drives a wedge thru the Hammond family, particularly since Neal has decided to don a badge and become a Marshal of Austin.Interesting and watchable early Western effort from Budd Boetticher. It has some psychological aspects that mark it out as being above average. Themes of greed and family strife are of course nothing new in the grand scheme of the Western movie, but Boetticher and his cast knit them together here with some conviction, notably Ryan who was in the middle of a great run of movies that included On Dangerous Ground, Beware, My Lovely and The Naked Spur. There's no real complexities to the characters, but they are well formed, and the finale has the courage of its convictions. There's also some very neat period costuming from Rosemary Odell, with the quite ravishing Adams benefiting greatly there. The main problematic issues outside of some narrative familiarity come with being asked to believe that Ryan and Hudson (whose limp) are brothers, and that McIntire is Ryan's father (there's only two years between them in reality). Whilst there's sadly a lack of impacting outdoor photography; even if that's off set a touch by the easy on the eye set designs for the town by Russell A. Gausman & Joseph Kish.A more than adequate time filler for the discerning Western fan. 6/10

One of a number of interesting psychological westerns from the fifties though this isn't in the same class as the later Budd Boetticher/Randolph Scott westerns, (it's let down by a poor script and poor acting). Robert Ryan and Rock Hudson play brothers returning from the Civil War to the vanquished Confederate side. Ryan goes to the bad while the mealy-mouthed Hudson stays on the side of law and order and that's basically it. But Boetticher sets up a number of interesting scenarios that make the Ryan character far from a cut-and-dried villain, (late in the film there is even a little speech as to what turned him the way he is), and the familial relationships are nicely drawn.