The Redhead From Wyoming (1953)

gorgeous Maureen O'Hara...what else do you need?

THE REDHEAD FROM WYOMING would have been just another B-movie western without the sublime Maureen O'Hara in the starring role. Thanks to her, the film is quite memorable and the entire affair never wears out it's welcome (playing out in a brisk 80 minutes).

Manipulative politician Jim Averell (William Bishop) calls in his old flame Kate Maxwell (Maureen O'Hara) to manage his saloon and maverick-branding business. But unbeknowst to Kate, she's actually going to play the fall guy for Jim's illegal cattle rustling operation.

Maureen O'Hara and her luminous beauty seemed to be custom-made for the Technicolor cameras. She parades in some eye-catching costumes and acquits herself well with the material. During her glory days with Universal Pictures, Ms O'Hara specialised in florid 'Arabian Nights' fantasies ("Bagdad", "Flame of Araby"), and unusual westerns ("The Deadly Companions", "The Rare Breed"). REDHEAD might just be the best of her western appearances.

The supporting cast includes Alex Nichol as the sympathetic sheriff; Alexander Scourby, Robert Strauss, Gregg Palmer, Jeanne Cooper, Dennis Weaver and Stacy Harris. The DVD includes the trailer. August 10, 2007

The Redhead From Wyoming 1953

In this action-packed , 1870s Wester Maureen O?Hara (1920- ) sparkles as Kate Maxwell , a saloon propertiess caugh between her feelings for sauve promotorer Jim Averel ( William Bishop 1918-1959) and the town?s appealing , but less flamboyant sheriff (Axel Nicol 1916-2001) Unknown to Kate ,Jim who has set her to buy and sell mavericks is using her saloon as a clearinghouse for rustled beef .There plenty more about Jim that Kate doen?s know , and by the times she learns the truth , both and the town are a grave danger . With vilainy stalking the
them at every turn , Kate and the Sheriff must battle overwheling odds to set things right -if they can . The ahletic agility and cool beauty associates with Maureen O?Hara are well displayed here . She rides the range with skil , her red hair and Bud Westmore (1918-1973) make-up undisturbed , as she expertly fires her Winchester . This is the old west at its thundering and glorious best ! . Great story in High Definition quality .Recommendet May 6, 2006

Provides little beyond some scenic effects.

A voiceover opening, with Winston Hoch's outstanding camerawork of calf roping and branding onscreen, is a promising beginning and describes the setting for this film in 1870s Wyoming Territory, aboil with open range cattle raising and rustling, stimulated by the Territory's Maverick Law which permitted settlers to brand calves as their own if they were not within the confines of deeded property. When the voiceover ends the scenario begins, and that is a pity as it is woeful, approaching unintentional pastiche of the genre, with a fast-moving series of scenes lacking development, motivation and narrative continuity helpful to a viewer. An obvious vehicle for the beautiful Maureen O'Hara, splendid in Technicolor with her flaming red hair and green eyes, the piece unfortunately places her acting shortcomings to the fore, although she does her own stunt work, as is her wont. Alex Nicol is miscast as a laconic sheriff and Alexander Scourby is a bit too elegant for his role as a principal landowner, but William Bishop makes something interesting of his part as the film's primary villain, although his dialogue is no more penetrating than that of any other cast member. The plot deploys O'Hara as Kate Maxwell, a dance hall diva who is set up as proprietress of a saloon by her former lover, Jim Averill (Bishop) so that he may utilize her place of business as a front for rustling cattle, whereupon Kate is rent by her dual attraction to Averill and to the sheriff, who is taking steps to oppose this criminal enterprise. Director Lee Sholem, a straight ahead sort, is not given to varying of moods within his pictures, and that is the case here, resulting in a cursory and literal reading of the puerile script. Edward Stevenson's costumes for O'Hara are striking and appropriate and master make-up artist Bud Westmore does not have his craftsmanship disturbed by her riding and shooting activity, which is of a piece with the others in the colorfully garbed cast, whose raiment is barely disturbed by violent goings-on; indeed, the players often appear to be about to launch into song and dance, turning this affair into a musical of sorts, which might have been an improvement. The film includes the debut of Jeanne Cooper and an early effort of Dennis Weaver, atypically portraying a hard case, and somehow Robert Strauss is included in this one, completely out of place. Despite crisp editing, REDHEAD seems to take a long while arriving at its predictable ending, and although the cast never seems the worse for wear from its exertions, the viewer certainly will be, during this motivationless attempt to cast light upon a significant segment of Western American history.
May 29, 2005

Redhead From Wyoming

In what seems more a showcase for Maureen O'Hara and a warehouse full of spectacular Technicolor costumes than anything else, Universal's 1953 THE REDHEAD FROM WYOMING is a pleasant enough range-war horse opera.
O'Hara plays a saloon owner and the `friend' of an ambitious and manipulative politician who arranges to have her act as buyer for the strays rounded up by ever burgeoning population of wranglers. Or rustlers, as the established and beleaguered local cattle baron would have it. Rustlers in this context being both a fighting and a hanging word.
It can be argued that Maureen O'Hara was the most beautiful movie star of the `50s. At least you won't hear a nay from this corner. O'Hara's sensuality, or meal ticket if you will, was more inward looking, more introspective and defensive than others. O'Hara simply didn't project that sensuality as naturally as, say, her contemporary Jane Russell. In a few early scenes this movie has her play the brash and brazen "set-em-up-boys" frontier dame, scenes which are embarrassingly unconvincing. Heck, O'Hara looks embarrassed playing flirty-flirty. The situation improves significantly as the movie progresses. O'Hara shucks her Technicolor gowns for Technicolor wrangling duds, hits the range and spends pretty much the rest of the film imposing her feminine will on a succession of strong willed men. In other words, after a couple of shaky opening scenes, the movie scoots its star back into her comfort zone and keeps her there till they roll the closing credits.
Universal didn't exactly stock REDHEAD with a galaxy of stars. O'Hara's love interests in this are William Bishop, who plays the opportunistic politician fomenting a range war between the newcomers and the entrenched order and Alex Nicol is the cowpoke who drifted into a sheriff's job and does his best to thwart Bishop's nefarious plans. There's a noticeable lack of chemistry between O'Hara and Nicol, mostly because Nicol's take on his role ranges from laconic to catatonic. For oldies television buffs a very young Dennis Weaver (Gunsmoke, McCloud) has a fairly sizable role as a young, firebrand wrangler.
THE REDHEAD FROM WYOMING is just good enough to recommend, not quite good enough to urge or insist upon.
September 11, 2004

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