Randolph Scott (Ned Britt), David Brian (Blair Lunsford), Phyllis Thaxter (Flora Talbot), Helena Carter (Amy Brooks), Dick Jones (Luther Wick), Ray Teal (Gabe Clevenger), Lawrence Tolan (Mort), Paul Picerni (Castro), Emerson Treacy (Ben Garvin), Bob Steele ("Shorty"), Walter Sande (Deputy Waller), Chubby Johnson (the sheriff), Don C. Harvey.
Direction by EDWIN L. MARTIN. Written by John Twist. Photography by Sid Hickox. Art director: Stanley Fleischer. Film editor: Clarence Kolster. Sound by Oliver S. Garretson. Set decorator: G. W. Berntsen. Music by David Buttolph. Special effects by William McGann (director) and H.F. Koenekamp (photographer). Technicolor color consultant: Mitchell Kovaleski. Wardrobe by Marjorie Best. Make-up artist: Gordon Bau. Assistant director: Charles Hansen. R.C.A. Sound System. Produced by Anthony Veiller.
Copyright 2 July 1951 by Warner Brothers Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Palace: 12 July 1951. U.S. release: 14 July 1951. U.K. release on the lower half of a double bill: 7 April 1952. Australian release: 26 December 1952. 7,232 feet. 80 minutes. Re-issue title: Texas EXPRESS.
SYNOPSIS: Randolph Scott, once a famed gunfighter, decides to battle lawlessness as a frontier town newspaperman. Nearing Fort Worth, he meets Phyllis Thaxter, who is on her way to marry David Brian, a friend of Scott. In brawling Fort Worth, Scott learns that the town is menaced by the tactics of ruthless cattleman Ray Teal. Brian urges Scott to establish his newspaper there and fight Teal.
COMMENT: Fleshed out with stock footage from "Dodge City" — all the railroad material, including the fire, and the cattle stampede — "Fort Worth" features Phyllis Kirk smiling inanely throughout.
Unfortunately, the slow, talkative script actually provides little to smile about, even though it pegs in a fair amount of action, glumly perpetrated by Scott. David Brian grimaces suitably insanely, Helena Carter has a couple of brief scenes, Ray Teal appears properly villainous (with a very mild assist from Bob Steele).
Marin is at his best in the action spots. The dialogue scenes are sometimes almost laughably composed of actors hitting the mark, rooted to the floor waiting for their cues. A fair amount of money was spent on the film all the same.
The plot is easy to follow but makes little sense, thanks to one- dimensional characterizations and commonplace dialogue (with one or two bright lines: "Never pitch-fork the dead"; "Knew a woman worked on a newspaper once. Wrote the cookery column").
Overall impression — routine.
Direction by EDWIN L. MARTIN. Written by John Twist. Photography by Sid Hickox. Art director: Stanley Fleischer. Film editor: Clarence Kolster. Sound by Oliver S. Garretson. Set decorator: G. W. Berntsen. Music by David Buttolph. Special effects by William McGann (director) and H.F. Koenekamp (photographer). Technicolor color consultant: Mitchell Kovaleski. Wardrobe by Marjorie Best. Make-up artist: Gordon Bau. Assistant director: Charles Hansen. R.C.A. Sound System. Produced by Anthony Veiller.
Copyright 2 July 1951 by Warner Brothers Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Palace: 12 July 1951. U.S. release: 14 July 1951. U.K. release on the lower half of a double bill: 7 April 1952. Australian release: 26 December 1952. 7,232 feet. 80 minutes. Re-issue title: Texas EXPRESS.
SYNOPSIS: Randolph Scott, once a famed gunfighter, decides to battle lawlessness as a frontier town newspaperman. Nearing Fort Worth, he meets Phyllis Thaxter, who is on her way to marry David Brian, a friend of Scott. In brawling Fort Worth, Scott learns that the town is menaced by the tactics of ruthless cattleman Ray Teal. Brian urges Scott to establish his newspaper there and fight Teal.
COMMENT: Fleshed out with stock footage from "Dodge City" — all the railroad material, including the fire, and the cattle stampede — "Fort Worth" features Phyllis Kirk smiling inanely throughout.
Unfortunately, the slow, talkative script actually provides little to smile about, even though it pegs in a fair amount of action, glumly perpetrated by Scott. David Brian grimaces suitably insanely, Helena Carter has a couple of brief scenes, Ray Teal appears properly villainous (with a very mild assist from Bob Steele).
Marin is at his best in the action spots. The dialogue scenes are sometimes almost laughably composed of actors hitting the mark, rooted to the floor waiting for their cues. A fair amount of money was spent on the film all the same.
The plot is easy to follow but makes little sense, thanks to one- dimensional characterizations and commonplace dialogue (with one or two bright lines: "Never pitch-fork the dead"; "Knew a woman worked on a newspaper once. Wrote the cookery column").
Overall impression — routine.