Customer Reviews

Carson City

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

 

 

I, like many, first encountered Carson City in the early-60s, when WOR in NYC played it as its Million Dollar Movie. That meant multiple, sequential viewings for young, impressionable minds like mine.

Carson City features a taut script, excellent characters (led by the very creepy Massey) and very good direction by de Toth, a real pro. I think that Scott's portrayal of Kincaid probably served as a political blue print for many post-WWII suburban youngsters caught unawares in the cross-currents of the 60s. It did for me.

A final note about the music here, created by the great David Buttolph. Heroic, exciting and memorable, his score is the real star (or co-star) of this terrific flick. It's great to have it back in circulation after all this time.

CARSON CITY is one of the better Warner Bros./Randolph Scott collaborations from the 1950s. Scott is up against "The Champagne Bandit," played marvelously by Raymond Massey. This is one of director Andre de Toth's better films, and quite enjoyable. Recommended.

I may be pushing my luck here,after the great Warner Archive movies, especially with Randolph Scott. However, one Scott, Warner,DeToth collaboration that has gone unnoticed is a great western called "THE BOUNTY HUNTER". It is also a good thriller with Scott looking for three men wanted for robbery and murder. He has a whole town suspicious of one another and a couple of them even end up killing one and other. It has the usual Scott action throughout all in glorious Warnercolor. Surely this must be released on Warner Archives soon. I think its Scott's best Warner western after Carson City.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents "CARSON CITY" (1952) (87 min/Color) -- Starring Randolph Scott, Lucille Norman, Raymond Massey, Richard Webb & James Millican.

Directed by André De Toth

When a construction engineer known only as Silent Jeff Kincaid (Scott), commences building a railroad between Nevada's Carson City and Virginia City in the 1870s, he is met with hostility by the locals, who feel that where there are trains, there are bandits. And as expected, a criminal gang headed by A.J. 'Big' Jack Davis (Raymond Massey) begins drawing up plans to plunder Carson City. When Silent Jeff vows to get rid of the town's criminal element, the villains frame him on a murder charge.

Under appreciated and versatile actor Raymond Massey, delivers a nicely nuanced performance and devises a brilliant railroad heist. Both his performance and his scheme are well worth a view. It is definitely one of the cleverest railroad robbery schemes ever conceived in a Western, and it is filmed in a way that clearly depicts the various elements of the plan.

TV's Captain Midnight Richard Webb has a pivotal role.

Melodic score by composer David Buttolph gives this oater a first class treatment, with André De Toth at the directors helm loaded with action and stunt co-coordinators.

If you're a Randolph Scott fans will be satisfied, this is one not to be missed.

BIOS:
1. André De Toth [aka: Sāsvari Farkasfawi Tóthfalusi Toth Endre Antai Mihály] - (Director)
Date of Birth: 15 May 1912 - Makó, Csongrád, Hungary, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]
Date of Death: 27 October 2002 - Burbank, California

2. Randolph Scott (aka: George Randolph Scott)
Date of birth: 23 January 1898 - Orange County, Virginia
Date of death: 2 March 1987 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California

3. Lucille Norman [aka: Lucille Pharaby Boileau]
Date of Birth: 15 June 1921 - Lincoln, Nebraska
Date of Death: 1 April 1998 - Glendale, California

4. Raymond Massey
Date of Birth: 30 August 1896 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date of Death: 29 July 1983 - Los Angeles, California

5. Richard Webb [aka: John Richard Webb]
Date of Birth: 9 September 1915, Bloomington, Illinois, USA
Date of Death: 10 June 1993, Van Nuys, California, USA (suicide)

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars
Performance: 5 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 87 min on DVD ~ Warner Bros. Pictures ~ (July 21, 2009)

In my opinion, a minor movie in André de Toth's career. However, one may note that the famous scene of bandits offering champagne and free brunch to the passengers of the stagecoach can be found in Carson City. If you're in the mood for a few reflections, you may also ruminate about how De Toth handles the theme of the double in this film : the Kincaid brothers, the double tunnel, etc.. A DVD zone completists. Only.