The Cimarron Kid (1952)
Director: Budd Boetticher
Cast: Audie Murphy, Beverly Tyler, James Best, Yvette Dugay, John Hudson, Leif Erickson, Noah Beery Jr., Hugh O'Brian
One book I have says this came out in 1951...another says 1952...I was born in 1952, so let's go with that one. In this film, Audie Murphy plays Bill Longley, AKA: The Cimarron Kid who is just out of prison for a previous crime. While going towards the ranch he will be working at, the train he is on is held up by the Dalton gang. Since he was friends with them, several on the train jump to the erroneous conclusion that the kid was in on it as well and he has to fight his way off the train. Later, he is still accused and has to join up with the Daltons after all, just in time to join them on one of the great failed bank jobs in history as the gang tries to rob two banks in the same town in broad daylight. Most of the gang is killed but the Kid and another escape and the rest of the film deals with his continued exploits and a woman who wants him to go straight so they can be together. There are many familiar faces in this film including Hugh O'Brian in red hair and a beard looking quite different than he would on TV in a few years when he would play the part of Wyatt Earp. While the film was directed by Budd Boetticher, this film is not as important as the films he would make later in the decade with Randolph Scott but it is still a lively quick-moving film. This is well worth the purchase, especially since this can be found on a release that includes no less than 4 western features. It also has a bit of a surprise ending...well, I was surprised anyway.
