Noose Hangs In Between

 

NOOSE FOR A GUNMAN-1960-Routine western with gunslinger Case Britton (Jim Davis) returning to a town where he killed 2 men, to meet Della Haines (Lyn Thomas), his bride to be. He also warns the Marshall (Walter Sande) that outlaw Jack Cantrell (Ted DeCorsia) and his gang are heading for the money in their bank. Town big shot Avery (Barton McLane) and his hired gun Link (Leo Gordon) are in cahoots with the gang. Harry Carey Jr is also in it and Victor (father of Al) Adamson has a bit role. The year before NOOSE director Edward L. Cahn and screenwriter Robert Kent also teamed to make the far superior THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE.

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Crime Drama

 

 (imdb)

CRIME WAVE-1953-Parolee Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson) and his wife Ellen (Phyllis Kirk) become entangled in the escape plan of his escaped con pals Doc Petty (Ted DeCorsia) and Ben Hastings (Charles Buchinsky Bronson's first film credit). Since Lacey is a pilot they want him to fly them to Mexico. Ridiculously surly cop Lt. Syms (Sterling Hayden) is on their trail unmercifully hounding Lacey . Un-billed Timothy Carey shows up midway holding Kirk hostage while the others hold up a bank. 

Gritty little film noir also has Dub Taylor, Jay Novello, Fritz Feld and Iris Adrian. Director Alex DeToth later used Kirk and Buchinsky in HOUSE OF WAX. Hayden, DeCorsia and Carey were all in Stanley Kubrick's THE KILLING in 1956.

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TV Special

 

THE PHIL SILVERS SPECIAL: THE SLOWEST GUN IN THE WEST-1960-A gas station attendant (George Chandler) relates to some tourists how the town they are in, Primrose, Arizona was the toughest town in the west. Billy the Kid Blake (Robert Wilke) Wild Bill Monk (John Diekes), Ike & Jake Dalton (Jack Elam & Karl Lukas), Doc Henley (Mauritz Hugo), Jud McCory (George Keymas), Dick Nolan (Bruce Cabot) and Black Bart (Ted DeCorsia) all hang out in town. Two concerned citizens (Parley Baer & Jack Albertson) try to find a sheriff tough enough to stand up against Nolan. Coming into town, bespectacled and dressed in black, is The Silver Dollar Kid (Phil Silvers). He picks a fight with Black Bart but when it comes to a showdown he faints. It turns out the Kid is "the yellow-est man in the west", a coward who would ruin any famous gunslinger's reputation if they killed him. Kathy (Jean Willes),a saloon worker helps him. Later they make him sheriff because no one wants to kill him. Nolan hires Sam Bass (Lee Van Cleef) to do the killing but the Kid convinces Bass to turn on Nolan and he kills the Clantons (he's killed too). Later they search for Chicken Finsterwall (Jack Benny), a worse coward than the Kid (he shot an 84 year old woman in the back). The kid makes Finsterwall his deputy but they have an argument and decide to have a shootout. Neither of them want to draw first. This is the big gag of the whole show. They stand for years waiting for the other one to draw! Byron Foulger is a hotel clerk. Marion Ross is the kid's almost wife and Kathy (Kathie) Brown is a show girl. This was written by Nat Hiken who also created the TV series “Bilko” in the mid-1950's that Phil Silvers starred in. The prolific Herschel Daugherty directed.

                             

Quick Audie

THE QUICK GUN-1964-A gun slinger named Clint Cooper (Audie Murphy) returns to his home town to warn the sheriff (James Best) that bank robbery Jud Spangler (Ted De Corsia in a good evil role) and his gang are targeting his town's bank. He has a inane bar fight with the father (Walter Sande)) and nephew (Rex Holman) of two brothers he killed. Nobody likes him because they think he has an ulterior motive even though he warned them and stays on to help fight the gang but when he kills the father and nephew in self defense the sheriff arrests him and locks him in jail leaving the town to fend off the hombres themselves! 
Later a cowardly preacher deputizes Cooper and he takes on the whole gang.

Frank Ferguson is the philosophical deputy and Merry Anders is his former girlfriend, now the sheriff's fiancé. It also features Frank Gerstle, Mort Mills, Raymond Hatton and William Fawcett and is based 
on a story "The Fastest Gun" which  '50's horror vet Robert Kent adapted. Director Sidney Salkow was coming to the end of his long career in TV and movies. Also in '64 he directed some scenes for the Italian lensed LAST MAN ON EARTH.

Audie Murphy was the most decorated hero of WW2. He came to Hollywood (on advice from James Cagney) and starred in a biography of his exploits TO HELL AND BACK. He made 44 movies in his career including John Huston's RED BADGE OF COURAGE but in the last 12 years of his life he made only westerns. He died at age 45 in a plane crash in 1971.

Co-star James Best starred in THE KILLER SHREWS in 1959 and went on to a successful career in TV (as actor and director). At the time of this writing there is a KILLER SHREWS sequel in the works!
T
hanks for reading and have a Happy Groundhogs Day tomorrow!