Duel At Silver Creek [DVD]

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The story takes an ominous twist after the Marshall meets the scheming girl Opal Lacy who has secret plans that aren't in the Marshall's best interest. Siegel's first western is a fun film and should be enjoyed as such – it's far from his best and fans may only come to it because of the significance in his career but it is worth seeing if you're in the mood for this type of film. Despite it's obvious flaws this is a really good fun B-movie western and you'll like it if you view it as such. But before the smitten sheriff manages to pin the goods on this cowtown Mata Hari, "Duel at Silver Creek" has frittered away as just another Western, loud and grim, with a stale corn kernel for every flying bullet. Set in the town of Silver Creek, it seems like there's a lot that goes on beneath the surface all the time.

Participating in the proceedings are Faith Domergue, Susan Cabot and Eugene Iglesias, who gives the film's best performance. A half-hearted attempt to steer a little Western slightly off the beaten trail was unfolded with the Palace's new stage show yesterday. The plot is pretty basic and doesn't live up to the suggestions of the opening – instead becoming rather focused on the actions of a few characters. We hear his narration of the case of a gang of claim-jumpers led by Gerald Mohr as Rod Lacy, Opal's slimy brother. Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses.Lightning sets out to get to the bottom of the murder and has several suspects already before the deceitful Opal Lacy points him towards Luke Cromwell, known as the Silver Kid. I know there hasn't been that many new releases during the pandemic, cinematic visits have been scarce, with cinemas closed for long periods of time and studios holding back films to make the most from their investment. At just 77 minutes long, The Duel at Silver Creek is hardly the lengthiest Western ever made yet Don Siegel is still able to pack into it a lot of action in his first outing in the genre. The screen play written by Gerald Drayson Adams and Joseph Hoffman familiarly stacks the motivations and incidents and, unfortunately, blunts some picaresque possibilities.

However, that doesn't make this any less enjoyable of a film because Siegel throws in a lot of shootouts and chases to make it all exciting, while the Technicolor photography is sumptuous and the story has enough twists and cool characters to make it work. A young cowboy played by real life war hero turned movie star Audie Murphy is on a revenge quest after the claim jumping bastards. All the clichés are here but they are delivered with a slight sense of fun that helps it move smoothly. The tropes and structure that he's working with here are certainly very conventional since it looks, acts, and is executed like a pretty typical Western of the classic variety. Faith Domergue was so striking and charismatic, it’s unfortunate that she never rose above B pictures.The local marshal, "Lightning" Tyrone (Stephen McNally), is also tracking the gang, but receives a crippling injury during a gunfight. As for the ladies, the nice one, Miss Cabot, runs around garbed like the village blacksmith, complete with smoking revolver. Unashamedly pulpy is this Western, no surprise when you see that it's an early film from legend Don Siegel.

To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Ruthless claim-jumpers, femme fatale guile, tenacious lawman, vengeful quickdraw-turned-deputy: The Duel At Silver Creek is lean, pulpy, ‘50s b-western fun.A gang of outlaws is murdering miners and taking over their claims, but they cross the wrong man when they target the father of Luke Cromwell (Audie Murphy), a gunslinger known as "the Silver Kid.

DUEL AT SILVER CREEK; screen play by Gerald Drayson Adams and Joseph Hoffman; directed by Don Siegel; produced by Leonard Goldstein for Universal-International. Aside from Domergue the 'baddies' are fairly unmemorable; when the film started they were tough and violent but eventually we are presented Mohr's words in place of this and it really isn't enough for a fun B-movie.Though it does suffer from the bevy of clichés befitting for one of its genre in 1952, The Duel at Silver Creek is pretty satisfying for things you know you want to see in a Siegel feature (B-movie efficiency, surprising violence, straight-up cool noir vibes) but also some things you might not expect (a femme fetale, brilliant tracking shots, and terrific costumes). Murphy is good but his character has less meat on it and he has therefore less to do that really sticks in the mind. He is deputised by Marshal Lightning Tyrone ( Stephen McNally) of Silver City, who wants to defeat the claim jumpers.