IMDb RATING
6.4/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
A group of treasure hunters search for a wagon load of gold, buried years before in Death Valley.A group of treasure hunters search for a wagon load of gold, buried years before in Death Valley.A group of treasure hunters search for a wagon load of gold, buried years before in Death Valley.
Ralph Dunn
- Detective
- (uncredited)
John McKee
- Bronc Handler
- (uncredited)
Frank Merlo
- Bronc Handler
- (uncredited)
Jack Parker
- American Customs Guard
- (uncredited)
Charles Stevens
- Cleve
- (uncredited)
Frank Yaconelli
- Bartender
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSome regard this as the only "film noir" western, but that would be to disregard 'Pursued' and 'Blood on the Moon', among others.
- GoofsAt the end of the picture, just before Ella Raines rides off, she calls Randolph Scott, "Jeff", only his character's name is "Jim".
- Quotes
Chris Jackson: [Referring to the large bandage on her forehead] Yeah, until I went bangin' my puss! Now get lost, will ya?
- SoundtracksYou Won't Let Me Go
Sung by Josh White
Featured review
"I ran out of words"
The reviews that have thus far been written here about "The Walking Hills" (except for a few clunkers) do it justice. It is a compact piece of good film-making and quality entertainment. The quality of the acting makes the subsequent plot twists believable without hitting you over the head in their revelations.
Not much is said about Alan Le May's script, however. He is little remembered today except possibly as the writer whose novel ''The Searchers" was turned into John Ford's great western. I grew up reading everything he wrote and found Le May a skilled story-teller who always remembered that the story was the whole point of it all.
Le May crafted subtly complex stories about frontier Texas (despite being from Indiana) before Larry McMurtry was even born. His westerns are an easy-reading blend of his own knowledge of human nature, Louis L'Amour's (whom he preceded) formula romance, and a Hemingway style prose. His characters were given names and personalities that ring absolutely true, and he treats readers as adults capable of putting two-and-two together themselves. The only writer I ever found to rival him in creating an elusive combination of complexity and subtlety in a sagebrush saga is Frank X. Tolbert, much of whose work reads like Le May's.
Such is the case with "The Walking Hills". Le May fleshes out his plot with details, but just enough to elucidate motivations while keeping the story moving. He never goes too far or too often, and as others noted, some of the character "back-stories" (such as Johnny's and Cleve's) tell just enough to give them a purpose while others (those of Chalk, Old Willy, and Josh) are left to the imagination of the viewer. Le May didn't throw a detail into the plot that wasn't wrapped up by the end, and in the natural course of events. Pretty good stuff.
As a side-note to reviewer "bkoganbing", Ella Raines' husband was ROBIN Olds, a legendary character himself, and he never flew jets in Korea, much less became an ace there. In fact Ella went behind his back and used her friendship with people of influence to keep him out of that war, which may have played a part in their eventual separation when he went on to become an icon in the Vietnam War.
Not much is said about Alan Le May's script, however. He is little remembered today except possibly as the writer whose novel ''The Searchers" was turned into John Ford's great western. I grew up reading everything he wrote and found Le May a skilled story-teller who always remembered that the story was the whole point of it all.
Le May crafted subtly complex stories about frontier Texas (despite being from Indiana) before Larry McMurtry was even born. His westerns are an easy-reading blend of his own knowledge of human nature, Louis L'Amour's (whom he preceded) formula romance, and a Hemingway style prose. His characters were given names and personalities that ring absolutely true, and he treats readers as adults capable of putting two-and-two together themselves. The only writer I ever found to rival him in creating an elusive combination of complexity and subtlety in a sagebrush saga is Frank X. Tolbert, much of whose work reads like Le May's.
Such is the case with "The Walking Hills". Le May fleshes out his plot with details, but just enough to elucidate motivations while keeping the story moving. He never goes too far or too often, and as others noted, some of the character "back-stories" (such as Johnny's and Cleve's) tell just enough to give them a purpose while others (those of Chalk, Old Willy, and Josh) are left to the imagination of the viewer. Le May didn't throw a detail into the plot that wasn't wrapped up by the end, and in the natural course of events. Pretty good stuff.
As a side-note to reviewer "bkoganbing", Ella Raines' husband was ROBIN Olds, a legendary character himself, and he never flew jets in Korea, much less became an ace there. In fact Ella went behind his back and used her friendship with people of influence to keep him out of that war, which may have played a part in their eventual separation when he went on to become an icon in the Vietnam War.
helpful•40
- Reedmalloy
- Oct 14, 2015
- How long is The Walking Hills?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 18 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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