Customer Reviews

Abilene Town

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Smart and briskly told, ABILENE TOWN is an above-average homesteader vs. cattle rancher movie. Randolph Scott stars as the town marshal of Abilene who finds himself in the middle of a land war. Short of only John Wayne, Scott is the man for the task. The movie opens with Scott in church, singing hymns with the angelic Rhonda Fleming. The pious music is interrupted by the sound of gunfire. The cattle drovers are in town, shooting up the honey pots.
Check that - they're shooting up-wards in the saloons, more in emphatic syncopation with song and dance girl Ann Dvorak's act that in meanness. The wranglers and ramrods are saving that meanness for act two, when the hymn singing, sodbusting homesteaders arrive and begin planting houses and barb-wiring up the northern terminus of the Abilene Trail. That levels out their aim some.
ABILENE TOWN is about the tension of opposites, with Randolph Scott smack in the middle. His character is a failed rancher who sympathizes with the "decent life" desiring homesteaders. He has to chose between Good Girl Rhonda Fleming and Bad Girl (with a heart of gold) Ann Dvorak. The movie also pits the merchants against the saloons, cattle against wheat, the pious against the profane. It's a contest between a restoration of the status quo and the establishment of a new order.
With its strong story, straight-ahead direction, and solid cast, ABILENE TOWN is a treat. Scott is well within his competent comfort zone as the man with the badge, Edgar Buchanan and Ann Dvorak leaven things with amusing diversions, and a young Lloyd Bridge is effective as the firebrand leader of the sodbusters. Hired thug Chet Younger, played by the underrated Jack Lambert, burns enough barns and shoots enough defenseless women and children to keep our sympathies from straying over to the wrong side of the fence. The transfer print on the review copy was faded out some, which tends to flatten out the picture. Nothing major. Otherwise it's in good shape, a real bargain considering its deeply discounted price.
ABILENE TOWN is a classic western that will delight fans of the genre and quite possibly hold the attention of non-converts as well.

As most viewers will be aware, this movie used Ernest Haycox's book TRAIL TOWN as it guiding background. It must have been familiar territory for Randolph Scott as he appeared in movies made from many western author's books: Zane Grey, Jonas Ward, Luke Short, and Haycox among others.

This western is one of very few that shows one condition of the 'ole' west as it pretty much was, the towns oft times were divided down the middle, with the saloons and other sinful devices on one side of town, with the schools, churches, and businesses on the other. Often the train tracks helped to separate the two sections. And the twain did not meet, no pun intended. This condition did not apply to all towns for certain, but did occur in many. As the film shows for a town marshal to walk both sections of the town took great proficiency. And though it did not happen that often, some trail towns did suffer from "treeing the town", but most often as the film depicts, the town's folk armed themselves and sent the 'cowboys' off, on their way.

One must also find pleasure with the talents of the cast in this picture, and also in their youthful appearances. The musical numbers are quite catchy, though when I watch a western most musical interludes get on my nerves. I want my westerns fairly realistic without singing cowboys, but in this movie as many others, the music adds to the allure of the movie magic. Ann Dvorak is just magnificent in both song and dance.

I have a couple copies of this film and must say it is one of my favorites, mainly due to Scott. But through many viewing I have come to appreciate the other actors roles as well. And anyone having seen THE DESPERADOES knows that Edgar Buchanan and Randolph Scott did very well together on any screen.

Looking for an enjoyable 90 minutes or so of film, then you might want to watch this movie from long ago. And don't miss Scott's obedient horse that follows him everywhere. Wonder how they got the horse to do that.

Semper Fi.

Avoid this at ALL costs. The disc is a DVDr, the insert, a cheap paper photocopy, the picture quality 3rd rate VHS at best. To call this " Enhanced " is beyond laughable. No way should this be sold through Amazon, it's just a cheap bootleg and should be removed immediately. To add insult to injury, this is priced a lot higher than other versions of the title ( the reason I was duped into buying it ). I'll sign off now, I'm just going to the Post Office to return it.

In this opus,town marshall(Randolph Scott)his his hands full keeping trail hands,at the end of a drive from treeing his town. Added to this is an enept sheriff(Edgar Bucannan),a hot headed farmer (Lloyd Bridges)and the town's saloon keepers -who will do anything to make a fast buck

Firstly, this review applies to the DVD with the mainly yellow stylised cover. Since Amazon applies a review to all DVD productions of a particular movie I don't want other DVD's getting unfair reviews.

Secondly, this is a review about the DVD quality etc, not the movie itself.

This DVD has two features that sit right at the top of things that really tick me off when it comes to DVDs.
1. No menu, chapters etc. You put the disc in the player and it automatically starts playing. Horrible!!
2. The media company Real Entertainment decided to put their stupid RE logo at the bottom right corner throughout the entire movie. WTF? If I buy a DVD I want to watch it as it was released, not with friggin logos on it.

I wil not be buying any more Real Entertainment releases and suggest that anyone seeking this movie should buy one of the other 2 DVD productions available.
Abilene Town

This film is interesting because it shows how a city that was built and that prospered thanks to the driving of cattle from the SouthWest to the Middle West becomes a farming town. The fight between the drovers and the homesteaders is very well depicted, with its killings when the drovers deem it necessary to impose their domination. But the city is cut in two. On one side of the street the saloons. On the other side of the street the shops. The change comes when the homesteaders cut the trail with their barbed wire and when the shopkeepers understand that there is more money on the homesteaders' side than on the drovers'. The drovers push their last pawns, with the support at first of the saloonkeepers. But it means killing some homesteaders and the local marshall opposes it and imposes law and order. The drovers are driven out of the city. The city becomes a farming city and Kansas moves from a state that is crossed by herds of cattle to a farming state. This is possible, though never really said, because the railroads make it feasible to transport the cattle from Texas to Illinois without having to cross any farmland any more. But this future is made a reality because of the alliance of the shopkeepers with the homesteaders. We thus are shown history in its making.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

This brisk and lively western is based on Ernest Haycock's fine novel "Trail Town" and is essentially a scaled down version of the classic 1939 Western "Dodge City",having a script built along similar lines .
It is a town taming tale in which Randolph Scott plays a tough lawman ,charged with the task of restoring order to Abilene,a cattle town at the end of the Chisholm Trail .Abilene is riven with conflict between cattlemen and homesteaders and Scott needs to tackle the corruption endemic within certain sections of the cattle interest while striving to ensure that the hotheaded and fiery leader of the homesteaders( Lloyd Bridges)does not inflame the situation so badly that widespread violence is inevitable .and that saner counsels previal .He still finds time for amorous dalliance with two opposite women -the "nice,respectable"girl (Rhonda Fleming)and the wisecracking saloon gal (Ann Dvorak).The latter character has echoes of Dietrich in Destry Rides Again

This was the first of several movies pairing Scott and director Edward L Marin ,a partnership ended by the death of the director in 1951 .It is a tough ,fast moving and unpretentious movie with decent performances - I especilaly liked the droll cameo from Edgar Buchanan aa a lawmam who would rather booze than fight -and a tight script by Harold Shumale ,allied to punchy direction keeps things moving briskly throughout

This is a robust unpretentious movie that will be admired by Western fans particularly

If you like westerns and especially if you like Randolf Scott you will enjoy Abilene Town. Being in B&W makes it like a documnetary on the growth of our nation. Yet this movie does have action and lessons to be learned without all of the blood and guts that the current movies like to show; and yes it does have a happy ending. This is a movie you can watch with your kids to give them an opportunity to see how the west was won.

If you ever wondered why there are two sides of town, the church-goers, and the saloon patrons, this movie will knock you off your feet! One moment you're listening to reverent church hymns, the next you're thrust into the saloon where the dancing girls are entertaining you with high kicks and flashing lots of flesh; this movie will keep you on the edge of your seat! Fierce gun battles, covert kissing between the town marshal and one of the town women, homesteaders, and cattle-rustlers! Ever wonder what it is you love about Wild Western flicks? This is it, folks! Buy now!

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

This is an "Oldie,but Goodie" Old West Western that came out in 1946;and is a Classic in every sense of the word.It's hard to believe it is now 64 years old, but it is just as good a watch now as it was then.We are a little spoiled with all the fantastic color,music,and special effects with the movies of today;but the storyline,characters,action,and even the camera work and B&W are so good that it can't be ovrshadowed with the advancements of today.
Three great actors of the time, Randolph Scott,Rhonda Flemming,Ann Dvorak,and Edgar Butman along with Lloyd Bridges,an upcoming star at the time, all gave stellar pergformances.
This film deals with a time,1870, when great changes were sweeping across the Old West.The great Trail Drives of cattle from Texas to Abilene, Kanswas,a trek of over a thousand miles ,following trails across "open ranges" was coming to an end.The construction of the Railroads,and the settling of the ranges by Homesteaders,and the erection of barbed wire fences,virtually overnight spelled the end of cattle drives.Not only the drives ended,but also great changes were in store for the "wild cattle towns",the whole way of life for the merchants and townspeople,were changed ,but not without great resistance.
It's often been said that there are no great writers today;because those who know anything ,can't write;and those who can write don't know anything. I guess one can also say the same about movie makers.
Either way,if you are looking for a good Old West Western,and disappointed with what the movie industry is serving up these days;go back and check out some of these B&W Classics.There are many to choose from.