Can you believe traveling across the desert and the wildness, all of these guys were packed light without any logistic stuff. We didn't see the bounty hunter and his group of travelers with packed horse to provide them with anything, food and water didn't seem a big problem at all, nor the chasing group of the murderer's brother showed any worries about their chows and drinking water. When the Indians decided to attack, they just foolishly circling around the shambled wreck with lances, allowing the defending whites shot them like shooting in the fish barrel or in a shooting gallery; I mean WTF?! They decided to attack but just circling around for their white enemy to shoot them down one by one? Ware the Indians really that so stupid? How could it possible the prisoner would get a rifle if he was handcuffed to a wagon wheel? Was it the director's decision to allow such stupid arrangement in order to set up the next scene, he was cheated out by the other guy telling him his rifle got no bullets in it. Another stupid scenario wrote up by the screenplay writer?The guy saved his life and asked for a favor to allow him to bring in the murderer in order to get an amnesty, but the guy simply refused. How selfish and ungrateful a person could be, you tell me. Yes, all the development of this film was simply one-way, one-direction predictable. Old Western films were all alike. They just wanted simple-minded audience to watch them without using their I.Q., basic logic, a least entry level reasoning. Watch too much and too many of these kinds of brainless films, you'd become more and more simple minded.By the way, the repeated soundtrack is so annoying, a typical pain to the hearing as always in the western movies.

Randolph Scott is at his brawny best in Budd Boetticher's low-budget western "Ride Lonesome," and Boetticher has surrounded him with a formidable supporting cast, featuring Pernell Roberts, Lee Van Cleef, James Coburn, and James Best. Most of these collaborations between Scott and Boetticher were often lensed against the striking grandeur of the Alabama Hills in Southern California, mountain scenery as beautiful as the sculpturesque Spanish cordilleras in those violent Spaghetti westerns. "Ride Lonesome" has lost none of its intensity over the years, with taunt suspense, charismatic characters, and what Howard Hawks would say "live and death stakes." Scott plays robust bounty hunter, Ben Brigade, who has been on the trail of his quarry for quite some time. When he finally catches up with lowdown, no account, back-shooting Billy (James Best of "Comanche Territory"), he plans to take him back to Santa Cruz where Billy will likely face a noose. Billy shot a man in the back and killed him, and the authorities want him. However, this compelling little western has more going on it as it unfolds.During their back to Santa Cruz, Ben and Billy meet smooth-taking Sam Boone (Pernell Roberts, later of NBC-TV's "Bonanza") and Whit (James Coburn in his cinematic debut) who are at Wells Junction, a stagecoach swing station. Boetticher and scenarist Burt Kennedy heighten the drama with the addition of a damsel-in-distress, Mrs. Carrie Lane (Karen Steele of "Cyborg 2087"), the wife of the swing station manager. Mrs. Lane's husband had gone out to recover some livestock, and Sam and Whit have settled in for the night. Mrs. Lane wants nothing to do with any of them, including Ben and Billy, until the westbound stage arrives. The first of many surprises occurs as the stage boils down the trail out of control and careens into the corral fence. The driver has been skewered to the seat atop the coach by an Indian war lance, with bright red blood splattered across his chest. Boetticher raises the stakes in this tense shoot'em up while Sam and Whit ponder the possibilities of killing Brigade to get the bounty on Billy. Actually, they aren't entirely interested in the bounty and the prospect of amnesty that has been offered for anybody who brings in Billy. Nevertheless, Brigade refuses to part with his captive outlaw, and this reluctance on Brigade's part fuels the melodrama that lurks in the background."3:10" to Yuma" lenser Charles Lawton's widescreen, Eastman color cinematography is vivid, and the variety of camera angles are good. The scenery is savage looking and the stakes are just as savage. Burt Kennedy got his start with low-budget oaters like "Ride Lonesome" and he has written some pointed, laconic, first-rate dialogue. Boetticher, who knew his way around horse operas, never goes wrong in this sagebrusher. You can see an early example of Kennedy's repetitious uses of narrative ideas. The splendid opening scene sees Billy trying to bluff his way out of a confrontation with Brigade. He warns Brigade and several rifles are aimed at him and cannot miss. Brigade stands up to Billy's bluff and warns him that before they can kill him, he will kill Billy. Kennedy used that idea in his own movie, "Return of the Seven" (1966), when Chris (Yul Brynner), bluffs a Mexican vaquero, Lopez (Rodolfo Acosta) into turning a friend loose, else five Winchesters would obliterate his head. You can watch "Ride Lonesome" often and never tire of it.

Seasoned bounty hunter Randolph Scott (as Ben Brigade) catches killer James Best (as Billy John) in the old west – but it's a trap. Outlaws in the hills have their weapons aimed at Mr. Scott. Though surrounded, Scott smoothly talks his way out of the situation. On their way to Santa Cruz, the premeditating men pick up perceptive Pernell Roberts (as Sam Boone) and his sidekick James Coburn (as Wid). This was the first feature film role for Mr. Coburn, then primarily a TV actor. While Scott and Mr. Roberts vie for biggest gun in the group, director Budd Boetticher drops a sex bomb into the picture with pointed blonde Karen Steele (as Carrie). The "big guns" contest ends right there. Now, the contest becomes who is the sneakiest...The smart money is on Scott..."Ride Lonesome" is another fine western from director Boetticher and his frequent collaborators, producer Harry Joe Brown and writer Burt Kennedy. For this one, cameraman Charles Lawton Jr. contributes outstanding color photography. A "wide screen" without thousands of extras made several otherwise accomplished directors look momentarily lost in the 1950s, but Boetticher does extraordinarily well, here. For landscape and imagery, this is probably the best of his Randolph Scott pictures. A close second (a least) is "Comanche Station" (1960). Also notable is the fine soundtrack by Heinz Roemheld, even if it does occasionally sound distractingly like somebody is going to start singing "All 'er Nothing'" (from "Oklahoma!").********* Ride Lonesome (2/15/59) Budd Boetticher ~ Randolph Scott, Pernell Roberts, James Best, James Coburn

Randolph Scott plays a hardened bounty hunter named "Ben Brigade" who is intent on bringing his prisoner, "Billy John" (James Best) back to Santa Cruz, New Mexico for trial. Unfortunately, Billy John's brother, "Frank" (Lee Van Cleef) and his outlaw band are hot on his trail. It also doesn't help that a recently widowed woman, "Mrs. Carrie Lane" is sought after by Apaches and is slowing Ben down. Likewise, two other bounty hunters, "Sam Boone" (Pernell Roberts) and "Whit" (James Coburn) also want to take Billy John in to Santa Cruz as their prisoner. Anyway, this movie has just about everything: Outlaws, bounty hunters, rampaging Indians and a beautiful woman needing protection. And while Randolph Scott has definitely put on a few years, he still manages to give a decent performance as a man who doesn't care about anything other than his next bounty. That said, this is a surprisingly good Western which should satisfy all fans of that genre.