Buckskin ** (1968, Barry Sullivan, Joan Caulfield, Wendell Corey, Lon Chaney Jr, John Russell, Richard Arlen, Barbara Hale, Barton MacLane, Bill Williams, Leo Gordon) – Classic Movie Review 9890

It’s heroic new marshal Chaddock (Barry Sullivan) versus cattle baron Rep Marlowe (Wendell Corey) in director Michael D Moore’s 1968 typical A C Lyles Western film Buckskin. It stars Barry Sullivan, Joan Caulfield, Wendell Corey, Lon Chaney Jr, John Russell, Richard Arlen, Barbara Hale, Barton MacLane, Bill Williams and Leo Gordon, almost all of whom had appeared in Lyles’s previous movies.

It was shot back-to-back with Arizona Bushwhackers, and is the last of the 13 A C Lyles old-timer Westerns produced between 1964 and 1968.

Chaddock (Sullivan) must rouse the locals into action to help him battle Marlowe (Corey) after the scheming Marlowe diverts water away from the town. Lon Chaney Jr has much to do as Sheriff Tangley.

It may be underwritten, over-performed and slackly directed but it is full of welcome old friends, ten of them veteran old-time stars, who provide a considerable measure of satisfaction.

It is Barton MacLane’s last film.

Also in the cast are Jean-Michel Michenaud [Gerald Michenaud], George Chandler, Aki Aleong, Michael Larrain and Craig Littler.

Bill Williams (Hermann Katt) and his wife Barbara Hale appeared together in Buckskin (1968) and The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) as well as on TV. Their middle child is the actor William Katt.

Buckskin is directed by Michael D Moore, runs 97 minutes, is made by A C Lyles Productions, is released by Paramount, is written by Michael Fisher, is shot by W Wallace Kelley (Pathécolor), is produced by A C Lyles and is scored by Jimmie Haskell.

Andrew Craddock Lyles (17 May 1918 – 27 September 2013) was an American film producer for Paramount Pictures, who approached him to produce a Western when they realised they had none on their schedule. Law of the Lawless (1964) did well at the box office, so Paramount gave him the go ahead to produce more, filling his casts with many older actors who were his friends.

It turned out to be a run of 13, produced between 1964 and 1968: Law of the Lawless, Stage to Thunder Rock, Young Fury, Black Spurs, Town Tamer, Apache Uprising, Johnny Reno, Waco, Red Tomahawk, Hostile Guns, Fort Utah, Arizona Bushwhackers, and Buckskin.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9890

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