Utah Blaine

Rory Calhoun plays the title role in Utah Blaine a film based on a Louis L'Amour novel, a range war story with a different twist.

In this film it's the homesteaders who are the villains. But these homesteaders aren't yeoman farmers or small ranchers. No in Utah Blaine Ray Teal has organized a gang of thugs who call themselves vigilantes. They can do that because the area is unorganized, the town is not official, no mayor, no town council, most important no sheriff. Teal is making war on the ranches currently there.

The film opens with Calhoun coming upon the scene of an attempted lynching which he stops. Turns out to be Ken Christy one of the owners of one of the two big spreads. When Calhoun learns that an old enemy of his George Keymas is Teal's number one gun hand that's all the convincing he needs to throw in with Christy. Doesn't hurt that he has a pretty daughter in Angela Stevens either.

This is a nicely plotted western that moves at a good pace and the unusual plot twist is an added treat. Too bad it was not shot in color, but I'm hardly complaining. A good one for western fans.