Duel at Silver Creek, the

 

 

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I had forgotten just how enjoyable this little Audie Murphy Western was until I recently purchased this handsome Universal DVD release. Murphy in this venture is "the silver kid," and his co-star Stephen McNally actually steals the show. The action is fast-paced and believable, the plot way above average. There are shoot outs, claim jumping, and some humor thrown in--Audie has some droll lines. Universal-International made a number of fine Murphy Westerns in the 1950s into the mid 1960s. DUEL AT SILVER CREEK is one of the better ones. Now let's hope that Murphy's finest outing in the genre, NO NAME ON THE BULLET, and some of his other, better films---RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO, GUNSMOKE, SEVEN WAYS FROM SUNDOWN, TUMBLEWEEDS, get the nod from the engineers at Universal.

I've been avoiding Audie Murphy for years, copping the attitude Howard Cosell had for the Frank Giffords of the world. Cosell devoted a good portion of at least one book attacking "jockocracy," the invasion of the professional broadcasting booth by unqualified ex-jocks. Audie Murphy was a war hero but the bits and clips I've seen of his work always made it look like he was in over his head. Murphy's appearance in a movie meant one unemployed real actor.
So I was a little trepidatious when I hit the play button on DUEL AT SILVER CREEK. I hung with it through the slow opening exposition scenes (a pod of claim jumpers are terrorizing silver miners, forcing them to sign over their deeds and then shooting them.) By the time Murphy's pa was kilt and he morphed into the poker playing Silver Kid I was hooked. DUEL AT SILVER CREEK is a fun little flick.
Look, this movie made me laugh at things decent folks don't laugh at, but I believe these elements were put in deliberately. This is director Don Siegel's first western and his first Technicolor production. He would go on to work with the likes of Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) and John Wayne (The Shootist.) Siegel knew what he was doing.
One of the humorous elements, to me at least, was the proliferation of nicknames. Murphy's Luke Cromwell is the "Silver Kid," or just "Kid." Sheriff Stephen McNally is "Lightning," there's a character called "Rat Face." Lee Marvin plays a heavy nicked "Tinhorn." The lovely Faith Domergue (Opal Lacy) is nicked "Brown Eyes" early on by "Lightning."
Then there's mondo-heavy Eugene Iglesias, who plays Johnny Sombrero. I honestly couldn't refrain from laughing every time he was on screen. Dressed in red and white striped pants and wearing an impossibly large sombrero pushed back off his head he was a caricature of... something. How can a guy in candy stripe pants and a balloon hat intimidate?
Wisely the film-makers don't overload Murphy in this one. Although he's the nominal star, McNally does most of the heavy lifting. Murphy is along more as a wise-cracking (!?) sidekick. My uninformed take on Murphy was that he was a Roy Rogers/Gene Autry type. Squeaky clean, you know. Siegel gives the Silver Kid an edge, and to Murphy credit that edge remains sharp. Still and all it was a bit of a surprise to see Lightning and The Kid interrogating Brown Eyes and hearing The Kid impulsively say "I bet I can get it out of her." Heeheehee. I was half expecting The Kid to call her a punk and ask her if she was feeling lucky.
DUEL AT SILVER CREEK is a dandy little horse opera. It will satisfy without offense those who love traditional westerns, and sate those with less conventional tastes.

Universal International Pictures presents "THE DUEL AT SILVER CREEK" (1952) (77 min/Color) -- Starring Audie Murphy, Faith Domergue, Stephen McNally, Susan Cabot, Gerald Mohr & Lee Marvin

Directed by Don Siegel

A group of vicious claim-jumpers is killing the miners in a Western settlement. Their latest victim is Cromwell (Harry Harvey), who is shot to death at his mine just after his son Luke (Audie Murphy) leaves for town. Luke has three passions in life: poker, guns, and the silver ornamentation he carries on him - and is better known as the Silver Kid; he kills one of the claim-jumpers but can't catch the rest. The marshal of Silver Creek, "Lightning" Tyrone (Stephen McNally), is also trying to cope with the claim-jumpers, and he has a problem of his own, courtesy of a bullet in his shoulder - he can still draw faster than almost anyone, but he can't pull the trigger like he used to, and he doesn't know how long he can bluff some of the tougher citizens he's been riding herd on, especially a fellow named Johnny Sombrero (Eugene Iglesias), who's been itching to draw on him.

These two cross paths and the Silver Kid ends up as Lightning's deputy, just in time to become suspicious of newcomers Opal Lacy (Faith Domergue) and her brother Rod (Gerald Mohr), who are in the mining business. Lighting's attraction to Opal and the Kid's distrust of her could just cost him the services of a deputy who is, literally, his good right arm.

From live theater to film, McNally gives one of his best performances, even steals a few scenes from Murphy and the rest of the cast.

Nicely balanced western helmed by famed Dirty Harry director Don Seigel

BIOS:
1. Don Siegel (Director)
Date of Birth: 26 October 1912 - Chicago, Illinois
Date of Death: 20 April 1991 - Nipomo, California

2. Audie Murphy [aka: Audie Leon Murphy]
Date of Birth: 20 June 1924 - Kingston, Texas
Date of Death: 28 May 1971 - near Roanoke, Virginia

3. Faith Domergue
Date of Birth: 16 June 1924 - New Orleans, Louisiana
Date of Death: 4 April 1999 - Santa Barbara, California

4. Stephen McNally [aka: Horace Vincent McNally]
Date of Birth: 29 July 1913 - New York City, New York
Date of Death: 4 June 1994 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California

5. Susan Cabot [aka: Harriet Shapiro]
Date of Birth: 9 July 1927 - Boston, Massachusetts
Date of Death: 10 December 1986 - Encino, California

6. Gerald Mohr
Date of Birth: 11 June 1914 - New York City, New York
Date of Death: 9 November 1968 - Södermalm, Stockholm, Stockholms Län, Sweden

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars
Performance: 5 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 77 min on DVD ~ Universal International Pictures (UI) ~ (August 23, 2005)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Old Style Westerns
I am not a movie 'critic'. I grew up in a time when movies in general and westerns in particular were innocent and entertaining as opposed to today's attempts at 'realism' and... Read more

Published on Feb 17 2009 by Orlando Goveia

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