ABILENE TOWN

 

This is a 1946 black & white Western, starring Randolph Scott as Dan Mitchell, the town marshal of Abilene, Kansas. Dan has plenty of issues on his hands, what with having to deal with rowdy trail hands, shopkeepers, and homesteaders. Mitchell tries to keep peace among the various factions trying to decide what the future of Abilene will be, and he eventually takes the side of the many new homesteaders who have moved into the area. 

ABILENE TOWN is a good, solid Western. It's very predictable, and there's nothing in it that I would call game-changing, but it gives you 90 minutes of decent entertainment. The movie gives Randolph Scott the type of role he would play for most of the rest of his film career--an amiable fellow who can get tough when he has to, someone who exudes honesty and integrity. His Dan Mitchell is a law officer who would rather use his wits than his fists or his gun, but he's definitely someone you don't want to mess with. 

One main highlight of ABILENE TOWN is Ann Dvorak as saloon queen Rita. Dvorak is essentially playing the Marlene Dietrich role from DESTRY RIDES AGAIN, but she brings plenty of spunk and glamour to it. Dvorak fans will be happy to know she gets to sing and dance multiple times, and she fills out her showgirl costumes most admirably. Dvorak starred at Warner Bros. in the early 1930s, but her independent nature got her into trouble with the studio, and she was never able to become a major leading lady. It's disappointing that she didn't have a bigger presence in Hollywood--she's far more interesting onscreen than most actresses who are now better remembered. 

Ann Dvorak in ABILENE TOWN

Rhonda Fleming plays the nice-girl equivalent to Rita, a shopkeeper's daughter who has eyes for the Marshal. Rita also has an interest in the lawman (in her own sardonic way). Edgar Buchanan is the cowardly county sheriff, and Lloyd Bridges is the leader of the homesteaders. The main bad guys are played by long-time tough types Jack Lambert and Dick Curtis. 

ABILENE TOWN was directed by veteran Edwin L. Marin, who would wind up working with Randolph Scott a number of times. One can easily surmise why Scott would want Marin as a director. Marin's films are not fancy or out-of-the-ordinary, but they stick to the basics and they give audiences what they expect. There probably wasn't a lot of money spent on ABILENE TOWN, but the movie has above-average production values and it moves along in a crisp, efficient manner. One reason why the film comes off so well is the cinematography of Archie Stout. 

There's a saying that if you've seen one Randolph Scott Western, you've seen them all (except for the ones directed by Budd Boetticher). That's not really true, but even if many Scott Westerns resemble each other, I haven't come across one yet that isn't at least a very good, well-made title.