alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) "Mayo, trapped with 500 desperate men! Fighting like jungle beasts for her love! In Natural Vision 3 Dimension! Starring Virginia Mayo coming to you real as flesh! In3D! Every savage thrill! Every scorching scene!" I just took those word above from the teaser of the film, which misleads you. I did not see the trailer, but it must have been better than the film.(which they usually are) The film tells the story of a an ex marshal Billy Reynolds (Dale Robertson) who kills in self defense two men, who were out to get him. He is sent to prison where he ends up meeting Abby Nixon (Virginia Mayo) and her boyfriend Jessie Gorman (Stephen McNally). Gorman is the brother of one of the guys he shot and will try to kill him. The film is slow moving, up to the end, where there are good action scenes. The romantic part is poorly scripted, the relationships of Mayo with McNally and Robertson not making much sense. The film (due probably to Hughes) makes a point of enhancing Virginia Mayo's bosom, after all "The Outlaw" was a huge moneymaker.

whitec-3 I taped Devil's Canyon when TCM screened it in November 2009 b/c another western with a historical theme (Great Day in the Morning)was next and I had plenty of tape (I'm still an analogue guy). Reasons for giving it a chance included Dale Robertson in his prime, Steve McInally who was a dependable western heavy, plus Virginia Mayo's OK, but esp. b/c RKO in its decline often made uniquely flawed but curious products.What's strange about Devil's Canyon (besides the absence of a canyon) is the prison set, which appears only partially, but the walls appear to be enormous hewn stones that cast off strange pastel glows that change with the time of day. As a complement to these eerie atmospherics, the script and scenario range from casually crude to bluntly stupid. As a friend once said of a similar film, "It's just like a porn flick except everybody keeps their clothes on." The film's best passage--the attempted prison break--takes advantage of the set. The escapees anticipate which doors the guards will open and ambush their entrances, eventually controlling the entire prison, which sets up Robertson's gatling gun throwdown. Overall, the direction and editing of Devil's Canyon overall are unredeemable, but if you're not asking for much in those regards, the film's visuals have the quality of a meaningless dream.

C.K. Dexter Haven Film noir, prison break drama or western? It doesn't seem to know and you'll give up caring to figure it out about a third of the way in. This is a lacklustre B movie in any genre. Starts out a western shoot em up then takes on a Cagney in the big house edge. A good scene at the end with a gatling gun though, if you don't mind fighting to stay awake to get that far. Notable if spotting Earl Holliman in early bit parts is one of your favorite past-times, and Virginia Mayo is watchable if you like your western dames talking tough as nails and looking like they stepped out of a 50's LIFE ad for Lee Jeans. Otherwise, skipping this would probably be more to your liking.And I agree with the other reviewer that the title refers to Ms. Mayo's *mm-hmm*. If you can find an actual canyon anywhere in this picture you paid closer attention than I did.

Michael O'Keefe This grim sagebrush drama is about a clash between inmates at a 1890s Arizona prison. Dale Robertson is the ex-marshal that finds himself behind bars for killing two men in self defense. Virgina Mayo is the love interest and maybe best thing about the movie. Also in the cast are: Stephen McNally, Robert Keith and Earl Holliman. Typically predictable western.