Rory Calhoun

Colleen Miller

George Nader

Walter Brennan

Nina Foch

John McIntire

Charles Drake

Jay Silverheels

Nestor Paiva

Mary Field

Robert F. Hoy

Bob Herron

Regis Parton

Donald Kerr

Wag Blesing

Emile Avery

John Barton

Marshall Bradford

Paul Brinegar

Tom Coleman

Slim Gaut

George Huggins

Jack Kenny

Walter Lawrence

Buddy Roosevelt

Sailor Vincent

Alexander Golitzen

Russell A. Gausman

Franklin Coen

Frank Gross

Bud Westmore

George Van Marter

Eric Orbom

Joseph Gershenson

Corson Jowett

Joan St. Oegger

Julia Heron

William Alland

Tom Shaw

Leslie I. Carey

Jay A. Morley Jr.

Richard Carlson

Russell Metty

Louis L'Amour

Western

Four Guns to the Border

Universal International Pictures

United States of America

Simmering Passions In Shadow Valley.

Four Guns to the Border is directed by Richard Carlson and collectively written by George Van Marter, Franklin Coen and Louis L'Amour. It stars Rory Calhoun, Colleen Miller, George Nader, Walter Brennan, Nina Foch, John McIntire, Charles Drake and Jay Silverheels. Music is by Joseph Gershenson and cinematography by Russell Metty.

A little ole devil of an Oater is this. The Outlaw machinations and manoeuvres of Rory Calhoun's gang of outlaws is kind of secondary to the sex angle of the plotting. The pic is ripe with sexual frustrations, born out by Colleen Miller's blossoming from tomboy daddies girl into a sex-kitten. There is nary a moment missed to sexualise the stunning Miss Miller, she gets wet a lot, and looks amazing with it, she suggestively licks a candy stick, and on it goes.

It would appear on the surface that these are cheap tactics to put horny Western fan's bums on seats, but there's a relevant thread running through the piece. That of awakenings, or growing up if you like. Be it Miller's discovering and curiosity about her sexuality, to the Outlaw gang who seem perpetually stuck in a world of youthful exuberance, there's a constant "growing up" theme throughout.

"We haven't seen an Indian all day"

"Sometimes that's when they're closest"

Lest I forget to mention this is an action movie as well! Standard Oater conventions do apply in the action stakes, with Calhoun (a very under valued actor in the Western pantheon) exuding machismo at every opportunity. There's Apache attacks, fisticuffs, shoot-outs, deaths and chases, you know, the stuff we Western fans love in our 50s Oater diets. There's a running fun thread that sees Silverheels (who gets the best costume) and Nader taking each other on in friendly bouts of fighting, while a sub-plot involving Foch and Drake adds meat to the thematic stew.

Thoroughly enjoyable and not without some intelligence and racy merit as well, Four Guns to the Border is well worth checking out. 7.5/10

English

Four Guns to the Border (1954) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD]