Abilene Town ** (1946, Randolph Scott, Ann Dvorak, Edgar Buchanan, Rhonda Fleming, Edgar Buchanan, Lloyd Bridges, Jack Lambert) – Classic Movie Review 6439

Director Edwin L Marin’s modest 1946 Western stars Randolph Scott as Dan Mitchell, the marshal trying to keep an uneasy peace between the murderous, grasping cattlemen and the peace-loving homesteaders in his Abilene, Kansas home town.

Harold Shumate’s screenplay is based on an excellent novel called Trail Town by Ernest Haycox, whose characterisations and complexities are unfortunately largely lost on this routine Western, which sticks to a well-established formula and builds steadily to a predictable ending.

Ann Dvorak provides statuesque support as the lovely Rita. It also stars Rhonda Fleming as Sherry Balder, Edgar Buchanan as Sheriff ‘Bravo’ Trimble and Lloyd Bridges as Henry Dreiser. This hard-working cast is very welcome.

Chubby Johnson (1902–1974) makes his debut as a Homesteader.

Character actor Chubby Johnson (1902–1974) makes his debut in his mid-40s as an uncredited homesteader.

Also in the cast are Howard Freeman, Richard Hale, Jack Lambert as Jet Younger, Dick Curtis, Helen Boyce, Hank Patterson, Earl Schenck, Eddy Waller, Paul Brinegar, Stanley Andrews, Guy Wilkerson, Dick Elliott, Buddy Roosevelt, Irving Bacon, Walter Baldwin, Victor Cox, Morgan Flowers and Chick Hannon.

It is shot by Archie J Stout, produced by Jules Levy, scored by Gerard Carbonara and Albert Glasser, and designed by Duncan Cramer.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6439

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

Randolph Scott with Jack Lambert as Jet Younger in Abilene Town, 1946.