Decision at Sundown

5/1/2016

This may not be as strong as other Scott/Boetticher Westerns, such as 'Buchanan Rides Alone' or 'The Tall T', but it's very strong, and would make a great double bill with 'High Noon'--another fine flick about someone being brave enough to stand against the tide of local cowardice, and get things done in cleaning up the town's garbage. This is very unique in that Scott's character, Bart Allison, is determined for revenge, three years in the making, for the bad guy seducing his wife (who ended up killing herself in disgrace). He seemed to think his wife had the moral fibre not to do that sort of thing willingly--unfortunately, the entire town, even his best friend, seems to know otherwise. A great look at the lengths some will go to right wrongs they come across in life. Allison's dis

3/5/2019

They wont forget the day Bart Allison came to town. Bart Allison and Sam, his trusty companion, ride into Sundown looking for a guy named Tate Kimbrough. It appears that Kimbrough had a dalliance with Allison's wife some years earlier, an affair that led to the suicide of the erstwhile Mrs. Allison. With revenge and hatred eating away at him, Allison will not rest until he gets his man, but his very being here in Sundown will be the catalyst for not only himself, but also every other resident of this dusky town. Randolph Scott (Bart Allison) and director Budd Boetticher made seven very interesting and intelligent Westerns together, each man seemingly using each one as a muse of sorts. This particular entry on their wonderful resumes is a fine testament to their winning formula, for D

8/22/2019

***Quaint town-bound Western soap opera with Randolph Scott*** Two ex-Confederates (Randolph Scott & Noah Beery Jr.) arrive in the town of Sundown on the wedding day of the town boss (John Carroll), whom the leader of the two (Scott) blames for someone’s death years earlier. Andrew Duggan plays the crooked sheriff. “Decision at Sundown” (1957) has the typical Western tropes: bold stranger, his amiable sidekick, the tyrannical town boss, his crooked sheriff, their hired guns, the good girl, the bad girl, and the quaint town setting filled with the typical characters (the barber, the doctor, the minister, etc.). All of these are routine for traditional Westerns. What sets “Decision at Sundown” apart are the interesting nuances of the protagonist and antagonist. The villain is the

1/18/2026

The town of “Sundown” is having itself a wedding. Their boss “Tate” (John Carroll) is to marry “Lucy” (Karen Steele) and just as the preacher asks about anyone objecting, in comes “Allison” (Randolph Scott) with his fly for their ointment. You see he thinks that “Tate” had an hand in the murder of his wife some years back. Of course the townsfolk think this is all nonsense, not least because “Tate” claims to have no idea who his new nemesis is, and “Allison” confirms that they’ve never met. A brief fracas ensues that sees the visitor and his travelling companion “Sam” (Noah Beery Jr.) holed up in the fortress-like livery stable under siege. Now like me, you’re probably thinking there is nothing new about this at all. Well it’s now that the story diverges a little in that instead of standin