Spikeopath Riding Shotgun is directed by Andre De Toth and adapted to screenplay by Thomas W. Blackburn fro the story "Riding Solo" written by Kenneth Perkins. It stars Randolph Scott, Wayne Morris, Joan Weldon, Joe Sawyer, James Millican, Charles Bronson and James Bell. Music is by David Buttolph and Warnercolor cinematography is by Bert Glennon.Before he would make the Western movies with Budd Boetticher that would define him as a Western movie legend, Randolph Scott worked tirelessly in the genre. He would make 6 films with Ray Enright and 6 with Andre De Toth, all of these are good value for the Western fan. They vary in thematic quality, but production value was always decent and there was always Randy at war with some gruff or poncey bloke, nice location photography and of course some gorgeous ladies as well. That's enough for genre fans who happily take these movies on their required terms.Anyone else got anything to say?Riding Shotgun has Scott as Larry Delong, a man who spends his time "riding shotgun" as a stagecoach guard. He has an ulterior motive, though, he's constantly on the look out for a known outlaw, Dan Marady (Millican), and he wants him dead. Sure enough Malady is about the place and Larry falls into a trap and finds things spiralling so out of control, that by the time he manages to get back into town, practically everyone hates him and thinks he's part of Marady's murderous gang.Hate makes a man careless.Cue a scenario where Delong, who has been wonderfully providing us with a film noir like narration throughout (love the wry David and Goliath observation), literally has to make a one man stand against the dimwit townsfolk and also Marady and his henchmen who are fronted by twitchy gun Pinto! (Bronson). It clocks in at under 75 minutes, it's brisk, it has Scott kicking ass big time and it looks lovely (unsurprising with Glennon photographing).Is it flawless? God no! There's some distinctly below average acting around Scott (Morris/Millican), while Fritz Feld as the Cantina owner (erm, called Fritz) where Delong holes up, is annoying in the extreme. While as radiant and perky as Joan Weldon is, she's no actress capable of grabbing a scene and shooting electricity through it. But this type of Scott Oater is comfort food to genre fans who once in a while like to down pistols and relax away from the more serious genre fare. 7/10

JohnHowardReid Recognized in its day as two or three cuts above your standard western entertainment, Riding Shotgun has lost little of its original appeal. True, the characters are one-dimensional – and Randolph Scott is no longer the hero he once seemed to be – but the story – obviously influenced by High Noon – gains tautness by its likewise insistence in observing the Greek unities of time, place and plot. It's also very capably acted by some familiar figures like Joe Sawyer and Fritz Feld and some not so familiar at the time like Charles Bronson (in a small role as the memorable Pinto). Both director Andre de Toth and photographer Bert Glennon make good use of tracking shots, overhead angles and tight compositions which reinforce the nervy small-town atmosphere. Music (David Buttolph) and art direction (Edward Carrere) also well serve the director's ends in creating a mood of high tension, power and suspense.

PamelaShort This is quite a suspenseful western story, filled with tension. Bad man Dan Marady ( James Millican ) and his gang of robbers, plan to rob a casino. First they holdup a stagecoach which draws the local sheriff and his posse into a wild goose chase. The trick is to leave the town defenseless so the gang can come back and rob the casino. At the start of the picture, Randolph Scott is riding shotgun on the stage but is lured away before the holdup by the opportunity to settle a score with Millican. But Scott is over powered by Pinto ( Charles Bronson ) one of Millican's men. Scott is tied up and left to die. By the time Scott is able to free himself and get to the town, he discovers the stage was robbed, the driver and his rider killed and a passenger wounded. Unfairly and ignorantly, the townsfolk assume Scott is one of the gang and everyone wants him lynched. Three people try to protect him, a Cantina owner lets him take refuge in his place of business. Deputy sheriff ( Wayne Morris ), an old friend of Scotts tries to calm done the mob, which wants to siege the Cantina. The daughter of the casino owner ( Joan Weldon ) has a romantic interest in him, and believes he's innocent and tries her best to help him. After being holdup in the Cantina for hours, the townsfolk cannot wait any longer and now, the suspense really builds to an exciting climax. I do not want to spoil the ending for the reader. I will say, this Andre De Toth directed, Warner colour, 75 minute story is an extremely fine western film. The pacing of the story is flawless. Randolph Scott is at his very best, and Charles Bronson excels in his villain role. All the characters that make up the townsfolk are excellent in each of their performances. This is another underrated western that never fails to entertain

bsmith5552 "Riding Shotgun" is another in the Randolph Scott series of westerns released by Warner Brothers in the 1950s.This one is another variation of the High Noon theme of one man left alone against the villains without the support of the town. Larry DeLong (Scott) has been searching for Dan Maraday (James Millican) who murdered his sister and nephew during a stagecoach hold up. He has been riding shotgun for various stage lines with the hope that way he will finally meet up with his nemesis.Maraday's gang, led by Pinto (Charles Bronson) captures DeLong and leaves him to die in the hot sun. They then rob and shoot up the local stagecoach on which Larry was supposed to be the shotgun guard. By sending the coach into town shot up, Maraday hopes to draw the sheriff and his posse out of town so that they can ride in and loot the casino. But DeLong escapes and rides into town to warn the townspeople. The town believes that Larry is one of the gang because he was seen riding away with a member of the gang. Led by stagecoach owner Tom Biggert (Joe Sawyer), the town turns against Larry and corners him in a dingy saloon owned by Fritz (Fritz Feld). Deputy sheriff Tub Murphy (Wayne Morris) returns from the posse with orders to hold DeLong. Unfortunately he is ineffective and unable to arrest DeLong. The townspeople then decide to try to smoke him out.Meanwhile Maraday and his gang ride into town during the commotion. DeLong manages to escape and confront the gang.Randolph Scott basically played the same character in all of his 50s westerns, the stern faced William S. Hart type of hero. He always made them believable. Wayne Morris had starred in his own series prior to this but is essentially wasted here as the ever hungry, over cautious, overweight deputy. Joan Weldon as the heroine also has little to contribute. James Millican had appeared in several Scott westerns before his untimely death in 1956. Charles Bronson (still using his real name of Buchinsky) has a meaty role as the chief henchman. Veteran "head waiter" Fritz Feld gets a welcome change of pace as the slovenly Fritz.Some other recognizable faces include Paul Picerni as the shotgun guard who dies in Scott's place, Howard Morris as a psychopathic "man with the rope" and if you look closely you might spot western veterans Bud Osborne, Buddy Roosevelt and Dub Taylor in various townsfolk.Another good entry in the the Randolph Scott series.