The Bounty Hunter *** (1954, Randolph Scott, Dolores Dorn, Marie Windsor, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Keyes, Dub Taylor, Howard Petrie, Harry Antrim, Paul Picerni) – Classic Movie Review 6,594

The modestly effective 1954 mystery Western film The Bounty Hunter stars Randolph Scott as the black-clad bounty hunter Jim Kipp, who chases three train-robbing outlaws and their loot. It is said to be the first film to have a bounty hunter as its hero. 

Director Andre De Toth’s 1954 mystery Western The Bounty Hunter stars Randolph Scott as the black-clad bounty hunter Jim Kipp, who chases three murderous train-robbing outlaws and their loot, in this modestly effective vehicle for the favourite square-jawed Fifties Western star.

It is supposedly the first film to have a bounty hunter for its hero, though he carefully portrayed as a good and honourable lawman just except without the badge. Kipp says his role is to enforce the law but not to break up fights or throw drunks in jail. But, when he is asked by the town Sheriff Brand (Howard Petrie) why he became a bounty hunter, he counts his cash reward and says: ‘I’m counting the reasons, and they’re ten short.’ So it is all about the money after all.

Kipp is hired by the Pinkerton detective agency, which has failed track down the unknown train robbers after a year, and follows sparse clues to trail them to a town called Twin Forks, where he finds a plethora of suspects.

The Bounty Hunter still remains pacy and entertaining despite its evident weaknesses in Winston Miller’s rather stodgy screenplay (based on a story by Winston Miller and Finlay McDermid) and de Toth’s somewhat uninspired direction.

It is pumped up by a strong star turn by the sterling Scott, the reliable work of the supreme Western character actor cast (Dolores Dorn, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Keyes, Harry Antrim and Paul Picerni), Edwin B DuPar’s fine colour cinematography (WarnerColor), David Buttolph’s rousing score, robust action scenes and a slap-up action climax.

Marie Windsor, Dub Taylor and Howard Petrie, in particular, score strongly as the outlaws who have, surprisingly, gone all respectable.

Also in the cast are Mary Lou Holloway, Phil Chambers, Archie R Twitchell, Tyler MacDuff. Guy Teague, Hope Miller, Kathryn Marlowe and Fess Parker.

The Bounty Hunter runs 79 minutes, is a Transcona Enterprises production and a Warner Bros release, is written by Winston Miller, based on a story by Winston Miller and Finlay McDermid, is shot in WarnerColor by Edwin B DuPar, is produced by Sam Bischoff, is scored by David Buttolph, and is designed by Stanley Fleischer.

It is one of two films produced by Judy Garland and her then husband Sidney Luft’s Transcona Enterprises for Warner Bros, the other being A Star Is Born (1954).

It is the last of six Westerns De Toth directed with Scott, following Man in the Saddle (1951), Carson City (1952), and The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953), Thunder Over the Plains (1953), and Riding Shotgun (1954).

Though it was shot in 3D, it was released only in 2D, but the Warner archives have a 3D print. Though De Toth directed this film and also the 3D film House of Wax, he was unable to see in 3D himself, having lost an eye at an early age. It was released on September 22, 1954.

During his seven marriages, De Toth became father and stepfather of 19 children. He was married to Veronica Lake from 1944 until their divorce in 1952. In 1953 he married the actress Mary Lou Holloway (née Stratton), who appears in this film as Mrs Harrison and in House of Wax,

It was shot at the Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles; Red Rock Canyon State Park, Cantil, California; the Mojave Desert, California; and the Warner Ranch, Calabasas, California.

It uses stock footage from De Toth’s own Carson City (1952) at the start.

The Bounty Hunter is Dolores Dorn’s screen debut. Randolph Scott may have been tall in the saddle but he was getting long in the tooth. Dolores Dorn was 36 years his junior. Kipp’s marriage to Julie might raise eyebrows now.

Dolores Dorn, who was married to actors Franchot Tone (1956–1959) and Ben Piazza (1967–1979) died on October 5, 2019, aged 85. She had a short and disappointing film career, which also includes Uncle Vanya (1957), 13 West Street and Underworld USA. (1961).

DeToth allegedly filmed the scene where Julie and Alice fight over a gun in one take without a rehearsal, and encouraged the women to fight for real, ending up covered in dirt and sweat.

The cast are Randolph Scott as Jim Kipp, Dolores Dorn as Julie Spencer, Marie Windsor as Alice Williams, Howard Petrie as Sheriff Brand, Harry Antrim as Dr Spencer, Robert Keys as George Williams, Tyler MacDuff as Vance, Ernest Borgnine as Rachin, Dub Taylor as Danvers, Fess Parker as young cowboy, Archie R Twitchell as Harrison, Mary Lou Holloway as Mrs Harrison, Guy Teague, Hope Miller, Kathryn Marlowe and Phil Chambers.

The films directed by André De Toth (1913–2002).

The films directed by Andre De Toth (1913–2002) are Passport to Suez (1943), None Shall Escape (1944), Dark Waters  (1944), Ramrod (1947), The Other Love (1947), Pitfall (1948), Slattery’s Hurricane (1949), Man in the Saddle (1951), Carson City (1952), Springfield Rifle (1952), Last of the Comanches (1953), House of Wax (1953), The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953), Thunder Over the Plains (1953), Crime Wave (1954), Tanganyika (1954), Riding Shotgun (1954), The Bounty Hunter (1954), The Indian Fighter (1955), Hidden Fear (1957), Monkey on My Back (1957), The Two-Headed Spy (1958), Day of the Outlaw (1959), Man on a String (1960), Morgan, the Pirate (1960), The Mongols (1961), Gold for the Caesars (1963) and Play Dirty (1968).

Hungarian-American film director Endre Antal Mihály Tóth [Andre De Toth] (May 15, 1913 – October 27, 2002), was born and raised in Makó, Austria-Hungary.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6,594

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