Posse from Hell ** (1961, Audie Murphy, John Saxon, Zohra Lampert) – Classic Movie Review 10,250)

Director Herbert Coleman’s 1961 Posse from Hell stars Audie Murphy, who rides in as a tough former gunfighter called Banner Cole, heading the search for a murderous band of four ex-cons, all convicted killers who have ravaged the town that gets him to form the posse as a sheriff’s deputy.

There are no surprises in the pursuit story, with the screenplay by Clair Huffaker based on her novel, though the moralising dialogue and the striking-looking mountain locations are unusual enough. Lively villainy from Vic Morrow as Crip, plus the top support roster of Western worthies in well-written characters, helps to compensate for the solemn, slow-paced direction by Coleman, a helper on Alfred Hitchcock’s films.

Also in the cast are John Saxon, Zohra Lampert, Vic Morrow, Robert Keith, Ward Ramsey, Rodolfo Acosta, Royal Dano, Frank Overton, James Bell, Paul Carr, Lee Van Cleef, Ray Teal, Forrest Lewis and Charles Horvath.

RIP John Saxon, who died on 25 July 2020, aged 83.

Posse from Hell is directed by Herbert Coleman, runs 88 minutes, is made by Universal International Pictures, is released by Universal Pictures (1961) (US) and Rank Film Distributors (1961) (UK), is written by Clair Huffaker, based on her novel, is shot in Eastman Color by Clifford Stine, is produced by Gordon Kay, is scored by Joseph Gershenson (music supervisor / musical director) and is designed by Alexander Golitzen and Alfred Sweeney.

Gershenson reused music from the scores of This Island Earth (1955) and It Came from Outer Space (1953).

Filming locations are Olancha Dunes, Olancha, California; Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California; 20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park – 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California; and at Universal Studios, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,250

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