The Stranger Wore a Gun

Originally released in 3-D, this 1953 Western didn't really need the gimmick to impress: it's an above-average entry that boasts excellent performances and beautiful outdoor cinematography. Randolph Scott plays Jeff Travis, a former spy for Quantrill's Raiders who heads West after the Civil War to avoid capture. Accompanied by old flame Josie Sullivan (Claire Trevor), he settles in Arizona and becomes a stage driver, only to have his past catch up with him in the person of Jules Mourret (George Macready), an old “friend” and Confederate loyalist who heads one of the outlaw gangs terrorizing his town. Mourret wants Jeff to help him undertake a gold robbery, and threatens to expose him if he refuses. Director Andre De Toth, working from familiar story material, makes the most of Kenneth Gamet's script by placing more emphasis on character and staging action scenes with exceptional vigor (shot in the starkly beautiful area around Lone Pine, California—a small town nestled at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains). Among the heavies here are Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine, then in their salad days as actors but already revealing the talent that would make them stars. Presented with an unexceptional DVD transfer and no extras, this is recommended, overall. (E. Hulse)