Panhandle **½ (1948, Rod Cameron, Cathy Downs, Reed Hadley, Anne Gwynne) – Classic Movie Review 12,968

‘Wild! Wicked! Wide Open!’ ‘Last roaring stronghold of the West’s fiercest outlaws!’ The stalwart 1948 Western film Panhandle stars Rod Cameron, Cathy Downs, Reed Hadley and Anne Gwynne, with Blake Edwards.

‘Filmed in Glorious SEPIA TONE!’ ‘Wild! Wicked! Wide Open!’ ‘Last roaring stronghold of the West’s fiercest outlaws!’

Director Lesley Selander’s stalwart 1948 black and white Western film Panhandle stars Rod Cameron, Cathy Downs, Reed Hadley and Anne Gwynne, with Blake Edwards, Dick Crockett, and Charles Judels.

Blake Edwards and John C Champion produce the film and write the story and screenplay in their writing and producing debuts.

Rod Cameron stars as John Sands, a one-time Texas marshal turned cowboy now going straight as a rancher, who finds himself forced to turn back to gunfighter violence when his crusading newspaperman brother is killed, in a familiar theme that gives the movie a constant sense of déja-vu. He sets out to prove that casino and saloon owner Matt Garson (Reed Hadley) had his brother Billy Sands killed.

Cathy Downs plays Dusty Stewart who tell Sands that his brother, her fiancé, has been mysteriously murdered in Sentinel, Texas.

The conscientious, earnest performances help out this standard but robust old-time Western fare, and it turns out pretty good of its kind, with co-writer and co-producer Blake Edwards appearing as actor in support, as Floyd Schofield.

Edwards and Champion raised $40,000 of the budget, with the Monogram film studio (later Allied Artists) providing a further $140,000.

Release date: February 22, 1948.

The cast are Rod Cameron as John Sands, Cathy Downs as Jean ‘Dusty’ Stewart, Reed Hadley as Matt Garson, Anne Gwynne as June O’Carroll, Blake Edwards as Floyd Schofield, Dick Crockett as Elliott Crockett, Rory Mallinson as Sheriff Jim, Charles Judels as the barber Botticelli, Alex Gerry as Raven McBride, Francis McDonald as Crump, J Farrell MacDonald as Doc Cooper, Henry Hall as Wells, Stanley Andrews as Tyler, Jeff York as Jack, James Harrison as Harland, Charles La Torre as Juan, Frank Dae as Regan, Billy Wayne as gambler, Bud Osborne, Trevor Bardette, Anthony Warde, Wally Walker, Hank Patterson, Frank Mayo, Louis Mason, Rory Mallinson, Tom Fadden, Ben Corbett, John Frawley, and Charlie Jordan.

Talking about sense of déja-vu, John C Champion reworked the story as the 1966 Western film The Texican with Audie Murphy.

Edwards, Champion, Selander and Cameron re-teamed for the 1949 Western film Stampede.

Later Edwards produced and wrote the police drama series City Detective starring Rod Cameron as Bart Grant, a tough 1950s New York City police lieutenant, which was the first syndicated drama series on TV. Sixty-five episodes were made in two seasons from 1953 to 1955.

Panhandle is directed by Lesley Selander, runs 85 minutes, is made by Champion-Edwards Productions, is released by Monogram, is written by Blake Edwards and John C Champion, is shot by Harry Neumann, is produced by Blake Edwards and John C Champion, is scored by Rex Dunn, and designed by Dave Milton.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,968

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