Customer Reviews

Johnny Reno [VHS]

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

 

 

Dana Andrews is U.S. Marshal Johnny Reno in this 1960's A.C. Lyles Western. He rides into Stone Junction with his prisoner Joe Connors (Tom Drake) much to the resentment of some of the local townspeople who attempt to break into the jail to lynch Connors. With the help of Sheriff Hodges (Lon Chaney Jr.) and old girl friend Nona Williams (Jane Russell) Reno holds them off and faces the angry mob to protect his prisoner. Reno can't understand why the townspeople should want to kill Connors but then he discovers that the town has a guilty secret and they want to silence Connors who they think might reveal this.

Some favourite lines from the film:

John Agar (to Jane Russell): "He used to be one of the top gunfighters". Russell: "He used to be a lot of things!".

Dana Andrews (to Lyle Bettger): "I'm particular who I drink with".

Tom Drake (to Andrews): "You can't fight a whole town single handed Reno".

A.C. Lyles produced many second feature Westerns at Paramount during the 1960's and "Johnny Reno" was just one of them. However, they were all worth seeing mainly due to the fine actors that A.C. always used in his films (even in the smallest roles). Take a look at the credits for "Johnny Reno" for example:- Dana Andrews, Jane Russell, Lon Chaney Jr, Tom Drake, Lyle Bettger, John Agar, Richard Arlen, Robert Lowery, and (in an uncredited role) De Forrest Kelley. Quite an impressive cast for a second feature Western I would say. Apart from producing the film A.C. also had a hand in the story. Now in his 80's, A.C. Lyles still has an office on the Paramount lot which he visits most days. A.C. can often be seen on TV currently being interviewed for the excellent "Biography" series with his recollections of the "Golden Years of Hollywood" and the stars he knew personally from that era. One of A.C.'s closest friends was James Cagney who only directed one film in his entire career and that was "Short Cut to Hell" (1957) which he did purely as a favour for A.C. Lyles to get him started as a producer. (The film was an efficient remake of the Alan Ladd classic "This Gun For Hire"). Cagney also did the narration for another A.C. Lyles production "Arizona Bushwhackers" - again as a favour for A.C. "Johnny Reno" was directed by R.G. Springsteen who specialised in making competent low budget Westerns. He directed several other A.C. Lyles films including "Hostile Guns", "Black Spurs", "Waco", "Red Tomahawk" etc and also directed many TV series Westerns such as "Bonanza", "Wagon Train" and "Gunsmoke". If you are a Western fan take a look at "Johnny Reno" and some of the other A.C. Lyles movies as they might be of interest.

"Johnny Reno" is one of the thirteen low-budget westerns produced by A.C. Lyles in the sixties. It stars Dana Andrews, Jane Russell, Lon Chaney, Richard Arlen, Lyle Bettger and Tom Drake. The premise is a simple one. Sheriff Andrews is heading to a small town in order to see his one-time sweetheart (Russell). On the way, he is set upon by two brothers who think he is after them. Forced to shoot one, he captures the other (Drake) and brings him into town. His prisoner insists he is innocent of the crime the whole town wants him hanged for, and after hearing his story, will Andrews believe him? The film is an enjoyable time waster, mostly for the appearances of the veteran stars, but the story is also fairly suspenseful. Previously available only on a full screen videocassette, "Johnny Reno" has been released on DVD in a well-preserved widescreen edition. Hopefully, the rest in the series will follow. [phillindholm]

It's good to "Johnny Reno" on DVD. This film, made in the mid-1960s, when the traditional Western genre was undergoing radical (and in some cases, not too favorable) change, "Johnny Reno" is an entertaining--at times a bit nostalgic---throwback to an earlier time when Westerns dominated at box offices and every kid wanted to grow up like Randy Scott and Wild Bill Elliott. Look for numerous familiar faces---A. C. Lyles and R.G. Springsteen peopled this film, and the other 11 or 12 made by them during the same period, with familiar Western faces and characters. It's all very enjoyable, and well worth the small investment. Go for it, and sit back and enjoy.

Lyle Bettger is one of those stalwarts whose names probably mean nothing to most average filmgoers but who enjoy instant recognition on the screen...

Bettger was far better knows as a blond, blue-eyed villain given to exuding pathological hated... His good looks worked for him in every determined effort, even as a menacing villain with a snickering charm...

Dana Andrews plays Marshal Johnny Reno, who used to be one of the top gunfighters... He just arrived with a prisoner called Joe Conners (Tom Drake) considered by the citizens of Stone Junction as a little Indian-killer...

Of course the Mayor of the town Jess Yates (Buttger) assures the marshal that Conners will be given a fair trial and asked him to get out of the town fast...

In spite of hearing that the lynch mob will be out there and one way or another they'll get Conners, the tough marshal tells everybody that his prisoner is in his protective custody and anybody who wants to get to him is going to have to step over his dead body...

That day, the way it happened--before the Connors mess--Reno was riding to see somebody he once knew, Nona Williams (Jane Russell). He knew the woman years before when he was the righteous lawman in the town where she lived... He has been wearing a badge ever since... Nona made a mistake and he couldn't forgive her...

Lon Chaney Jr shows up as a sheriff who forgets that his job is law and order...

Filmed in Technicolor and Panavision, "Johnny Reno" remains a tedious little Western worth a matinée...

Paramount Pictures presents "JOHNNY RENO" (1948) (83 min/Color) -- Starring Dana Andrews, Jane Russell, Lon Chaney Jr,, John Agar, Lyle Bettger, Tom Drake, Richard Arlen & Robert Lowery.

Directed by R.G. Springsteen

A nice cast of players mostly veterans, Dana Andrews, Jane Russell, and Lon Chaney, Jr., and involves a frontier marshal Johnny Reno (Andrews) who finds himself desperately trying to stop a man (Tom Drake) he had brought to jail from being lynched by the furious townspeople.

Lyle Bettger brings tension like no one else could in the fifties. Right in the middle of this little story is Lon Chaney Jr, Richard Arlen and John Agar that keeps us twisted into knots, hoping to see the end of the tunnel.

Springsteen gives this oater plenty of drama with his tight direction. Jane Russell nails this role just as she has in the past. Lon Chaney, Jr. plays the part of a sheriff who is just trying to keep his job and not get involved,

Not a classic western, but still worth a view for die hard fans of veteran character actors in their last hurray.

BIOS:
1. R.G. Springsteen (Director)
Date of Birth: 8 September 1904 - Tacoma, Washington
Date of Death: 9 December 1989 - Los Angeles, California

2. Dana Andrews
Date of Birth: 1 January 1909 - Covington County, Mississippi
Date of Death:17 December 1992 - Los Alamitos, California

3. Jane Russell (aka: Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell)
Date of birth: 21 June 1921 - Bemidji, Minnesota
Date of Death: 28 February 2011 - Santa Maria, California

4. Lyle Bettger
Date of Birth: 13 February 1915 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date of Death: 24 September 2003 - Atascadero, San Luis Obispo County, California

5. Lon Chaney Jr (aka Creighton Tull Chaney)
Birth Date: 2/10/1906 - Oklahoma City, Okla.
Died: 7/12/1973 - San Clemente, California

6. Tom Drake [aka: Alfred Alderdice]
Date of Birth: 5 August 1918 in Brooklyn, New York, USA
Died:August 11, 1982 (age 64) in Torrance, California, USA

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 4 Stars
Performance: 4 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 83 min on DVD/VHS ~ Paramount Pictures ~ (May 17, 2005)

I bought "Johnny Reno" because I like westerns and the cast had impressive credentials. Little did I suspect that this was almost certainly the one picture the whole cast yearned to burn every single copy of.

Dana Andrews staggers through his performace as if he had just left a saloon - even in the desert, and never quite masters balance with the ground. Ms. Russell had definitely seen better days, I like to remember her in "Tall Man" with Gable. Only Lyle Bettinger(sp?), second banana bad guy, displayed barely enough acting chops to drag this sleep-inducer UP to the level of mental chewing gum.

Unconvincing story, lame casting, mediocre dialog, performances off cue-cards, and absolutely no noticible direction anywhere in the film. The director apparently allowed the uncommitted bored cast to erratically mumble through the entire script on their own.

It's not one of those 'so bad its funny' films, its just stultifyingly bad.

Here's proof that some die-hard fans will watch (and rate highly) anything Western. I can't be sure of course, but I think I would've walked out on this one 50 years ago, half-way through the matinee, as an otherwise uncritical cap-pistol-packin' 10-year-old.
That being said, I hung in about half-way, just to spot all the familiar faces of the third-rate actors in the second-rate movies I enjoyed as a kid.
Luckily, I picked this up at the library and will return it before the due date. It's not worth a 30 cent late fee.
PS. I tried a no-star rating for this dog, but Amazon doesn't allow it.

The Citizens of the sleepy town of Stone Junction want nothing more than to lynch the outlaw they have sitting in their jail . But they'll have to get through hardbitten U.S Marshal Johnny Reno (Dana Andrews 1909-1992) fist ! . In the story of courage , romance , and revenge . Dana Adrews Portray Reno , a man og ideals who finds himself standing alone against the powder keg og mob justice . Also Starring film legends Jane Russel (1921 - ) , Lon Chaney Jr. (1906-1973) . Johnny Reno packs enough pistol-packing action to keep you riveted through the final, Gun-blazzing showdown. High Quality Transfer .

The only reason to check this out is to see Jane Russell's buxom body and cute face and here the title song sung by Jerry Wallace.

Every else stinks. Almost as bad a film as the magnificent seven, possibly worse.