Randolph Scott (Owen Merritt), Joan Leslie (Laurie Bidwell), Ellen Drew (Nan Melotte), Alexander Knox (Will Isham), Richard Rober (Fay Dutcher), John Russell (Hugh Clagg), Alfondo Bedoya (Cultus Charlie), Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (Bourke Prine), Clem Bevans (Pay Lankershim), Cameron Mitchell (George Virk), Richard Crane (Duke Virk), Frank Sully (Lee Repp), Don Beddoe (Love Bidwell), George Lloyd (Tom Croker), James Kirkwood (Sheriff Medary), Frank Hagney (Ned Bale), Frank Ellis (townsman), Tennessee Ernie Ford (wrangler).Director: ANDRE DE TOTH. Screenplay: Kenneth Gamet. Based on the novel by Ernest Haycox. Photographed in Technicolor by Charles Lawton, junior. Film editor: Charles Nelson. Art director: George Brooks. Set decorator: Frank Tuttle. Technicolor color consultant: Francis Cugat. Music: George Duning. Songs: Harold Lewis (music) and Ralph Murphy (lyrics). Music director: Morris Stoloff. Assistant to the producer: Herbert Stewart. Assistant director: Willard Reineck. Sound recording: Frank Goodwin. Associate producer: Randolph Scott. Producer: Harry Joe Brown. Executive producers: Harry Joe Brown, Randolph Scott. A Scott-Brown Production, released through Columbia Pictures. Copyright 7 December 1951 by Producers Actors Corporation. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 2 December 1951. U.K. release: 28 June 1952. Australian release: 11 September 1952. 87 minutes.U.K. release title: The OUTCAST. SYNOPSIS: Owen Merritt, a small rancher, has to stand aside and see his ambitious girlfriend, Laurie Bidwell, marry a wealthy neighbor, Will Isham. Laurie's heart, however, is still with Owen. When Isham realizes this, he determines to destroy his rival.COMMENT: This promising theme is none too well handled by a group of first-class technicians who should have known better than fall back on such old-fashioned devices as under-cranking the camera to speed up the action. Although well-motivated, the script also fails to deliver. The story develops into one long gun-fight, with brief interludes of talkative peace. The lovely Ellen Drew is wasted as Scott's also-ran love interest.

I love Randolph Scott westerns and have seen most of his films. However, unlike the vast majority of his wonderful films, this one left me feeling rather indifferent. Some of it is because the plot is oh so familiar, some of it is because the villains aren't particularly believable or interesting (Alexander Knox and Richard Rober were simply too bland for their roles) but I think a lot of it was because the motivations of the baddies were just too vague. It was like they were bad because they were caricatures--not real people. Sure, Knox's character was supposed to be jealous...but this didn't seem enough to explain his actions. And, oddly, for once, Randolph Scott also seemed aimless--at least for part of the film.Another problem, and I've seen this in a couple other Scott films is that the stunt doubles simply didn't look like the people they were doubling for in the film. While the difference between the stunt man and Scott wasn't as bad as the one in I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA!, it was pretty close. Again and again during the fight at the cabin by the waterfall, you could clearly see it wasn't him.Despite all these problems, I am not saying that this is a bad western---it isn't a particularly inspired or interesting one. And, from Randolph Scott you just wouldn't expect ordinary. This was 100% ordinary.

Randolph Scott's westerns improved over the years, on the average they were better in the fifties than in the forties, and they reached their peak with "Hangman's Knot", "A Lawless Street" and those made with Budd Boetticher. "Man in the Saddle" is quite enjoyable with a lot of violent scenes: numerous shootouts and quite a fistfight with John Russel. Scott has a small ranch and is facing the jealousy of Will Isham (Alexander Knox) who is marrying Laurie (Joan Leslie) who used to be Owen Merrit(Scott)'s woman. Isham also wants to own all the property that he can and Merrit is on his way. Nan Melotte (Ellen Drew) also owns a ranch and is in love with Merrit who only has eyes for Laurie. The romantic scenes, which should be important lack luster. Scott could do much better as he showed in "The Tall T". Also some comic scenes with Alfonso Bedoya are not really that funny. But those are minor faults, in this fast paced, colorful western directed by Andre de Toth.

Maybe I was expecting more from this early 1950s Randolph Scott western, but it disappointed me. Alexander Knox is out of place as a rich rancher with an English accent. Richard Rober is badly miscast as a dangerous gunman (he's too pudgy, not sinister looking or sounding at all, & is introduced while wearing a V buttoning shirt with large matching blue buttons, a bit too coordinated for a gunslinger who's not supposed to be especially into his looks). Scott is supposed to be a "man of unbreakable principles," but he's awfully close to his ex-girlfriend at the point she's engaged to someone else, & awfully close to her after she's married to another guy, & Scott can't seem to make up his mind about which woman he wants to be with anyway. I've seen much more unbreakable principles elsewhere! Scott is good in his role, but he's been much better in some of his other films (for example, "The Walking Hills," which was made not long before this film). Clem Bevans is OK as an old guy (what else is new?), but he's almost non-verbal & then disappears shortly after the movie begins. "Man in the Saddle" just doesn't hit the mark. I rate it 6/10.