Customer Reviews

Duel at Silver Creek [VHS]

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

 

 

I had forgotten just how enjoyable this little Audie Murphy Western was until I recently purchased this handsome Universal DVD release. Murphy in this venture is "the silver kid," and his co-star Stephen McNally actually steals the show. The action is fast-paced and believable, the plot way above average. There are shoot outs, claim jumping, and some humor thrown in--Audie has some droll lines. Universal-International made a number of fine Murphy Westerns in the 1950s into the mid 1960s. DUEL AT SILVER CREEK is one of the better ones. Now let's hope that Murphy's finest outing in the genre, NO NAME ON THE BULLET, and some of his other, better films---RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO, GUNSMOKE, SEVEN WAYS FROM SUNDOWN, TUMBLEWEEDS, get the nod from the engineers at Universal.

Celebrated war hero Audie Murphy (1924-1971) packs a two-fisted punch in this action filled western adventure , which also features legendary Oscar winner Lee Marvin (1924-1987) in one of his screen appearences . Stephen McNally (1913-1994) is lightning , the quick-drawing Marshal of Silver City wh?s intent on capturing a ruthless gang of claim jumpers that have been terrorising and murdering local miners -including his best friend . After losing the of his famed trigger fingers in a shootout , Lighting deputizes the sharp-shooting Silver Kid (Murphy) , whose own father was killed by the gang to help bring

the outlaws to justice . But their plans are complicated when Lighting falls for beautiful new lady in town ( Faith Domergue 1924-1999), whose interest in the Marshal is a thin disguise for her own dangerous agenda , in this unforgettable drama brimming with puls-ponding thrills , danger-tinged romance and Gun-Blazing glory ! . This is a classic and well done plot ! . High Quality digital transfer . Highly recommended

We're not talking classic here but this is a good example of the solid little B westerns the studios were churning out in the fifties. There's a ton of action crammed into the modest 77 minute running time, from the opening montage of violent killings through to the final gun battle between the baddies and the town posse. Audie Murphy is his usual average self as The Silver Kid (yeah, it's that kind of western where charcaters get saddled with dumb names like Brown Eyes and Sombrero), but Steve McNally is good as the sherrif (making a change from his role as the villainous brother in the classic Winchester 73) and Lee Marvin adds solid support in a small role as a town heavy (it's never really made clear whether he's in league with the bad guys or not). Don Siegel who would go on to make Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Dirty Harry and The Shootist, directs with an eye for tough action (this is one of those rare fifties westerns where you actually see blood on the guys who are shot). Universal has come up with a beautiful full screen print. Sure, there's not much in the way of extras (theatrical trailer and that's it), but it's not really the sort of film you can say a lot about. Good, modest entertainment that I'm sure western lovers will enjoy.

This is one of Audie Murphy's Best. A real adult western. Audie Murphy, out to avenge the killing of his father by the gang who jumped their claim, gains a rep as a real fast gun. He rides into a town where the sheriff/gunfighter (McNally) uses his rep to keep the local gunmen in line. When the sheriff is crippled he covers his injury with bravado and hiring the "kid" as his deputy. It's cross and double cross as the sheriff chases the kid away because he thinks the kid betrayed the secret of his injury to his enemies. It's up to the kid to save the sheriff, get the gang and his revenge, and save the day. Great performances by a perfectly selected cast make this a must watch for classic western fans.

I've been avoiding Audie Murphy for years, copping the attitude Howard Cosell had for the Frank Giffords of the world. Cosell devoted a good portion of at least one book attacking "jockocracy," the invasion of the professional broadcasting booth by unqualified ex-jocks. Audie Murphy was a war hero but the bits and clips I've seen of his work always made it look like he was in over his head. Murphy's appearance in a movie meant one unemployed real actor.
So I was a little trepidatious when I hit the play button on DUEL AT SILVER CREEK. I hung with it through the slow opening exposition scenes (a pod of claim jumpers are terrorizing silver miners, forcing them to sign over their deeds and then shooting them.) By the time Murphy's pa was kilt and he morphed into the poker playing Silver Kid I was hooked. DUEL AT SILVER CREEK is a fun little flick.
Look, this movie made me laugh at things decent folks don't laugh at, but I believe these elements were put in deliberately. This is director Don Siegel's first western and his first Technicolor production. He would go on to work with the likes of Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) and John Wayne (The Shootist.) Siegel knew what he was doing.
One of the humorous elements, to me at least, was the proliferation of nicknames. Murphy's Luke Cromwell is the "Silver Kid," or just "Kid." Sheriff Stephen McNally is "Lightning," there's a character called "Rat Face." Lee Marvin plays a heavy nicked "Tinhorn." The lovely Faith Domergue (Opal Lacy) is nicked "Brown Eyes" early on by "Lightning."
Then there's mondo-heavy Eugene Iglesias, who plays Johnny Sombrero. I honestly couldn't refrain from laughing every time he was on screen. Dressed in red and white striped pants and wearing an impossibly large sombrero pushed back off his head he was a caricature of... something. How can a guy in candy stripe pants and a balloon hat intimidate?
Wisely the film-makers don't overload Murphy in this one. Although he's the nominal star, McNally does most of the heavy lifting. Murphy is along more as a wise-cracking (!?) sidekick. My uninformed take on Murphy was that he was a Roy Rogers/Gene Autry type. Squeaky clean, you know. Siegel gives the Silver Kid an edge, and to Murphy credit that edge remains sharp. Still and all it was a bit of a surprise to see Lightning and The Kid interrogating Brown Eyes and hearing The Kid impulsively say "I bet I can get it out of her." Heeheehee. I was half expecting The Kid to call her a punk and ask her if she was feeling lucky.
DUEL AT SILVER CREEK is a dandy little horse opera. It will satisfy without offense those who love traditional westerns, and sate those with less conventional tastes.

it was a normal Saturday cowboy western of years gone by and i love it

ANOTHER AUDIE MURPHY GEM,SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT A YOUNG LEE MARVIN,IF IM NOT MISTAKEN THIS MAY BE HIS FIRST STARING ROLE...THIS MOVIE WAS MADE IN THE WESTERN HAYDAY,TODAY THE PLOT MAY BE CORNEY,BUT I THINK IT STILL RESONATES WITH BOTH WESTERN AND MURPHY FANS ALIKE,FOR IT SHOWS A TRUE WORLD HERO ON STAGE NOT AN IMITATION,I SAY TRUE WORLD HERO BECAUSE IF IT WERE NOT FOR PEOPLE LIKE MR MURPHY AND MANY OTHERS,SEVERAL COUNTRIES WOULD BE SPEAKING ANOTHER LANGUAGE.

You probably shouldn't expect too much from a western when you see that the characters have names like The Silver Kid, Marshall "Lightning" Tyrone, Johnny Sombrero and Opal "Brown Eyes" Lacy. Still, Duel at Silver Creek has one interesting twist. It's the bickering misunderstandings between the two male good-guy leads, The Kid and "Lightening," Audie Murphy plays Luke "The Silver Kid" Cromwell and Stephen McNally is "Lightening" Tyrone. (It's a shame that we don't give our top law enforcers nicknames like this anymore. J. Edgar "Lightening" Hoover carries authority.)

There's a lot of lethal claim-jumping going around in the mountains near Silver City. A gang of killers forces the claim holders to sign over their claims, then guns them down so there are no witnesses. Marshal "Lightening" Tyrone, the fastest draw around, plans to hunt them down, bring them to justice or kill them himself. One of the claim holders had a son. He's aiming to do the same. He calls himself The Silver Kid. He's handy with a gun and good at poker. When "Lightening," no dummy who knows he needs more firepower, offers a deputy's badge to The Silver Kid, the Kid accepts. This is going to be a fraught partnership, complicated by a slick mining engineer (Gerald Mohr), a lush, pink-bosomed femme fatale (Faith Domerque) and Dusty (Susan Cabot), the feisty, pants-wearing tomboy we know will smarten up right fine in a dress. We meet the gang leaders early on. There are no surprises as we watch one shoot down miners in cold blood and another strangle to death a wounded miner.

I like Audie Murphy. His early movies leave a lot to be desired, but he grew into a decent actor. In real life he was a man to admire. In Hollywood he gave it his best and learned. In The Duel at Silver Creek he's no match for the hack-written dialogue and those nicknames. Try on "Thanks for the warning, Brown Eyes," "We're trapped! Spread out," "That was a smart stunt! I almost plugged you," "Hey, Dusty, Lighting's back!" and "He didn't have the face of a killer, but he had the cold-steel look of one. I noticed his hands were quick and sure." Stephen McNally was a competent actor, but here he's saddled with providing a dull narration to the story. There's not much he can do with what the writers gave him. This was also one of director Don Siegel's earliest movies.

The video and audio transfers are nothing out of the ordinary. You might enjoy this movie if you like Audie Murphy, if you enjoy the turgid clichés of hack screenwriting and if you have something else to do while you watch. I'm three for three. I'll give it thee stars out of five. You might not.

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One last cliché to keep in mind. (And clichés aren't spoilers) Remember that in Hollywood, good-natured old coots are always gunned down.

Universal International Pictures presents "THE DUEL AT SILVER CREEK" (1952) (77 min/Color) -- Starring Audie Murphy, Faith Domergue, Stephen McNally, Susan Cabot, Gerald Mohr & Lee Marvin

Directed by Don Siegel

A group of vicious claim-jumpers is killing the miners in a Western settlement. Their latest victim is Cromwell (Harry Harvey), who is shot to death at his mine just after his son Luke (Audie Murphy) leaves for town. Luke has three passions in life: poker, guns, and the silver ornamentation he carries on him - and is better known as the Silver Kid; he kills one of the claim-jumpers but can't catch the rest. The marshal of Silver Creek, "Lightning" Tyrone (Stephen McNally), is also trying to cope with the claim-jumpers, and he has a problem of his own, courtesy of a bullet in his shoulder - he can still draw faster than almost anyone, but he can't pull the trigger like he used to, and he doesn't know how long he can bluff some of the tougher citizens he's been riding herd on, especially a fellow named Johnny Sombrero (Eugene Iglesias), who's been itching to draw on him.

These two cross paths and the Silver Kid ends up as Lightning's deputy, just in time to become suspicious of newcomers Opal Lacy (Faith Domergue) and her brother Rod (Gerald Mohr), who are in the mining business. Lighting's attraction to Opal and the Kid's distrust of her could just cost him the services of a deputy who is, literally, his good right arm.

From live theater to film, McNally gives one of his best performances, even steals a few scenes from Murphy and the rest of the cast.

Nicely balanced western helmed by famed Dirty Harry director Don Seigel

BIOS:

1. Don Siegel (Director)

Date of Birth: 26 October 1912 - Chicago, Illinois

Date of Death: 20 April 1991 - Nipomo, California

2. Audie Murphy [aka: Audie Leon Murphy]

Date of Birth: 20 June 1924 - Kingston, Texas

Date of Death: 28 May 1971 - near Roanoke, Virginia

3. Faith Domergue

Date of Birth: 16 June 1924 - New Orleans, Louisiana

Date of Death: 4 April 1999 - Santa Barbara, California

4. Stephen McNally [aka: Horace Vincent McNally]

Date of Birth: 29 July 1913 - New York City, New York

Date of Death: 4 June 1994 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California

5. Susan Cabot [aka: Harriet Shapiro]

Date of Birth: 9 July 1927 - Boston, Massachusetts

Date of Death: 10 December 1986 - Encino, California

6. Gerald Mohr

Date of Birth: 11 June 1914 - New York City, New York

Date of Death: 9 November 1968 - Södermalm, Stockholm, Stockholms Län, Sweden

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: 77 min on DVD ~ Universal International Pictures (UI) ~ (August 23, 2005)

Audie Murphy has been my most respected hero. The movie is great it brings back good memories of when I was young.