Comanche Station (1960)

Wife Story

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Comanche Station on DVD

This was the last of the seven "Ranown" films, Westerns produced by Harry Joe Brown, starring Randolph Scott and directed by Budd Boetticher. Fans will notice the same general plot arc and the same general characters as the other six, but still told with the same expert economy, use of space and psychological detail. In a way, by making the same film seven times, Boetticher was able to burrow deeper into his subjects than most normal filmmakers could do with just one film. Scott stars as the stoic Jefferson Cody, a man whose wife was kidnapped by Indians. Following a lead, he winds up rescuing another man's wife, Nancy Lowe (Nancy Gates) and proceeds to deliver her back home. They reluctantly team up with three bandits, led by Ben Lane (Claude Akins), to better survive hostile Indian attacks. Thus psychological and sexual turmoil begins boiling just under the surface, between skillful, exciting action sequences. As usual, the picture climaxes amidst a jagged landscape, littered with giant rocks and hiding places. Though it's highly recommended to Western fans, this one is generally ranked a bit lower than Seven Men from Now (1956), The Tall T (1957) and Ride Lonesome (1959).

See also The Films of Budd Boetticher.

Starring: Randolph Scott, Nancy Gates, Claude Akins, Skip Homeier, Richard Rust, Rand Brooks, Dyke Johnson
Written by: Burt Kennedy
Directed by: Budd Boetticher
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 74 minutes
Date: September 22, 2008