Crabbe Brand

 (imdb)

GUN BROTHERS-1956-A just discharged Calvary Sgt. Pat Santee (Buster Crabbe) meets singer Rose Fargo (Ann Robinson from WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953)) on a stagecoach to Laramie. Pat is going to meet his cattle rancher brother Jubal (Neville Brand), who also turns out is the leader of a band of robbers who hold up the stage. In town, Pat has a big problem with Blackjack Silk (James Seay), a gambler who likes Rose. He starts trouble and the sheriff arrests Pat who escapes but is wounded in the process. An Indian woman (Lita Milan) and Rose bring him to Jubal, whose flunky Shawnee Joe (Michael Ansara) agrees to remove the bullet but it's Rose who actually saves him. The Indian woman betrays the gang to the sheriff as long as Pat isn't arrested. Pat and Rose watch from afar as the posse wipes out the gang, but Jubal escapes and confronts the Indian woman and kills her. He meets up with Joe (who also survived) who convinces Jubal that Pat was responsible for the double cross. 

Meanwhile, Pat and Rose get married in Jackson Hole (Slim Pickens is there) and they do well in the fur trading business. Jubal and Joe go for revenge but Pat convinces his brother he's wrong (using Cain & Abel scriptures). Joe doesn't like it and gets some hired guns. Pat and Jubal make a stand and get the bad guys but Jubal is killed. Also with Ray Bancroft, Walter Sande, William Fawcett, Lane Bradford and Harry Lauter. 

This is an ok standard western directed by Sidney Salkow (TWICE TOLD TALES (1963)) who later was the US director on LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964).

Thanks for reading!

'50's Science Fiction

WAR OF THE WORLDS-1953-In this classic science fiction film based on the HG Wells novel Earth is invaded by the inhabitants of the planet Mars. An off screen narrator (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) tells us why the Martians chose our planet. When one of their ships lands on Earth residents (who think it's a meteor) of a small town investigate. Vacationing scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry) investigates. He meets up with Sylvia Van Buren (Ann Robinson) and her uncle Dr. Collins (Lewis Martin), the pastor of the local church. After Forrester decides to stay for a while they all go to a square dance. Meanwhile three locals (Paul Burich, Jack Kruschen (as a Mexican) and William Phipps) check out the object when it opens it's hatch. Armed with a white flag they decide to approach the ship and be friends. They are promptly obliterated and the whole town is thrown into a blackout.

 The army is called in along with General Mann (Les Tremayne). Martian ships eventually show themselves and for some reason Collins sacrifices himself in a last ditch attempt to reason with them. He's killed and the army throws everything they have at the invaders to no avail. Forrester and Sylvia escape in a plane and spend some time evading the invaders but the doc manages to get one of the tri-color laser “eyes”. The Martians themselves are revealed to be little guys with long arms the same tri-color “eyes”. (The martians in the original novel are much more frightening) Meanwhile the Martians devastate the world and despite the US's best efforts including dropping an A-bomb they learn: “guns,tanks, bombs! They're like toys against them!”. After looters steal his truckload of scientific equipment Forrester searches the the devastated city for Sylvia who he finds in a church. Just when it looks like all hope is lost the Martian ships crash and burn and the aliens die (“We were all praying for a miracle”) due to germs in our atmosphere. 

This Sc-Fi/cold war classic was produced by George Pal, who originally planned it to be in 3-D and directed by Byron Haskin, who also worked as a special effects technician on many films which may have helped since WAR OF THE WORLDS 's SFX won an Academy Awa

Thanks for reading!