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Cult Review
Archivist John
Senior Editor
Alright, so Beauty and Bullets. It's one of those old cowboy movies. If you're someone who likes digging through the archives, seeing how these things were made way back when, then yeah, it’s probably worth a look. But if you’re hoping for a fast-paced, action-packed ride, you’ll likely find yourself checking the clock. 🕰️
The whole thing kicks off with a robbery, which is, you know, pretty standard Western stuff. Our hero, Bill Allen (Duane Thompson), he steps in to break it up. Does the whole heroic cowboy thing, looks good doing it.
Then comes the wrinkle. The leader of the bad guys, this fella, is actually the brother of Bill's sweetheart. Suddenly, it’s not just a good guy versus bad guy thing anymore, is it? It’s a lot more messy.
I mean, imagine that! You’re just trying to do the right thing, save the day, and boom, family drama. That moment where Bill realizes who he’s up against, it’s The Idol of the Stage levels of sudden revelation, just maybe a little less dramatic than that one. It really changes the whole feel of the movie right there.
Duane Thompson as Bill, he’s got that classic cowboy look. Square jaw, good with a gun, the whole package. He plays the conflict pretty straight, though you kinda wish for a little more internal struggle sometimes. Like, you know he’s upset, but it’s mostly shown through some heavy sighs and a few tight-lipped stares.
The action scenes, they're… quaint. There's some galloping, some shooting. Nothing too wild, but it gets the job done. The stagecoach chase feels a little like everyone’s just taking a Sunday drive, but then a bullet whizzes by, and you remember it’s supposed to be serious business.
What I found kinda interesting was the way they handled the sweetheart character. She’s not just a prop. She has a real reaction to her brother being a crook, which feels a little more grounded than some other films from this period. It wasn’t just about her being pretty.
There's a scene, a small one, where Bill is just sitting by the fire, looking off into the distance. It’s quiet, maybe a minute long. You can almost feel him wrestling with what to do. No dialogue, just the fire crackling. It’s a nice touch, actually. A little moment of quiet before the next bit of plot.
And speaking of plot, it’s fairly straightforward after the big reveal. You know where it’s heading. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, and that’s fine. Sometimes you just want a simple story with clear stakes.
The writing by George H. Plympton and Carl Krusada, with Vin Moore, keeps it moving along. Not too many detours. It’s lean. They know what the central conflict is and they stick to it.
Some of the acting, especially from Jack Kenny as the brother, it's a bit over the top. Big gestures, a lot of squinting. But hey, it's a product of its time. You expect a little more theatricality back then, right? Like watching The Firing Line, you get that same kind of heightened performance.
Overall, Beauty and Bullets, it’s a neat little piece of cowboy history. It’s not gonna blow your mind, but it does tell its story with a certain charm. It’s a reminder that even way back, filmmakers knew how to throw a wrench into a hero’s perfectly planned day. And that’s pretty cool. 👍
IMDb 6
1928
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