Topeka (1953) User Reviews

Our "Wild Bill" A Bank Robber?

[bsmith5552 · 7/10 · 13 September 2016]

"Topeka" is one of the better westerns in "Wild Bill" Elliott's Monogram/Allied Artists series.

It starts off with Jim Levering (Elliott) and his gang (omigod, is that "Wild Bill" robbing a bank?) of Ray Hammond (Rick Vallin), Marv Ransom (John James), Jonas Bailey (Denver Pyle) and Will Peters (Dick Crockett) robbing said bank. Apparently, they have been robbing banks all over the state of Iowa. When Levering is recognized by bank clerk Stanley Price, the gang is forced to flee. They wind up in the town of (you guessed it) Topeka, Kansas.

In casing the town Jim goes to Pop's restaurant where he meets Pop (Fuzzy Knight) and his comely young daughter Marian (Phyllis Coates). There he learns that gambler Mack Wilson (Harry Lauter) has the town all tied up and is exacting tributes from the local merchants. Jim then decides to take over the town himself.

After besting Wilson's henchman Jake Manning (Dale Van Sickel) in a fight, Jim is approached by the town council consisting of Pop, Doc Mason (I. Stanford Jolley) and Banker Corley (Edward Clark) and offered the job of sheriff. Jim feels that this will be the perfect cover for his planned takeover.

When a rancher (Henry Rowland) is cheated out of his bank roll, Jim goes to Wilson and forces him to return the money. However, on riding home the rancher is bushwhacked and his money taken. Meanwhile Marv, Jonas and Will are becoming impatient waiting for Jim to make his move. Jim has taken a shine to Marian and he and Ray change their minds and decide to go straight. Marv, Jonas and Will on the other hand decide to join forces with Wilson and loot the town until....................................

Elliott always gave his characters a little something extra. They were never your typical "B" western heroes. They smoked, drank hard liquor and sometimes stayed to the other side of the law, as in this film. Although frequently falling for the heroine, he never got to kiss her at the end of the picture.

Try to get hold of a sepia copy!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 19 April 2018]

Director: THOMAS CARR. Original screenplay: Milton M. Raison. Photography: Ernest Miller. Film editor: Sam Fields. Music: Raoul Kraushaar. Dialogue director: Stanley Price. Sets: Ted Offenbecker, Ernst Erlich. Special effects: Ray Mercer. Assistant director: Melville Shyer. Sound recording: Tom Lambert. Producer: Vincent M. Fennelly. A Westwood Production, originally released in sepia.

Copyright 9 August 1953 by Monogram Pictures Corp. An Allied Artists Production, released by Monogram. No New York opening. U.S. release: 9 August 1953. U.K. release through Associated British-Pathé: April 1955. No Australian theatrical release. 6,256 feet. 69 minutes.

VIEWERS' GUIDE: Okay for all.

COMMENT: Considering that the B-western was then in its last days, the series Wild Bill Elliott made for producer Vincent Fennelly at Monogram in the early fifties was unexpectedly exciting. The scripts had basic plot lines that were familiar and predictable, but they were reasonably fast-moving and allowed plenty of scope for action, and they were often peopled with some interesting, audience-involving characters.

Production values were also high, with a great deal of location shooting and occasionally imaginative direction.

Topeka is one of the best films in this series. Thomas Carr's direction is often startlingly inventive, with crane shots, tilted pans, tracking shots and even through-window angles that are surprisingly effective.

However, the staging of the numerous fight scenes seems a little contrived, though it is noticeable that no doubles are used. It is also true that Miss Coates has little to do, but the cast is otherwise adequate.

Topeka

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 19 April 2023]

Bill Elliot plays the archetypal Good Bad Man, hired to kick the crooked element out of a small town. A hard-drinking, hard-living man, Elliot entertains thoughts of taking over the town himself for the benefit of his own gang. After several reels of soul-searching, Elliot decides to honor his promise to clean up the town for its decent citizens.

Solid B-western with some fine camera work via a crane which performs remarkable calisthenics, a healthy modicum of action, and a fine performance by the peaceable man Bill Elliott. It's a mature western opposed to the juvenile kind- it has a strong story, it's a little unusual and honouring your word and doing the right the thing is a sort of theme here. Also a leopard can change his spots, though some of Elliott's gang members are unable to change their bad ways, which forces Elliott to go up against them.

A great cowboy, a beautiful actress, a wonderful story

[daviddaphnered · 10/10 · 14 March 2017]

When I was growing up in the '50's, Bill Elliott was my favorite cowboy, and I saw this western while still in grade school. But at that young age how often does anyone give thought to the story? The exciting action was that which stayed in my mind. I've seen it on DVD more recently, and at this much older age, while I still like the action and the cast, I was touched by the wonderful story. No one ever connected the straight Bill Elliott with being a bank robber, but here he was crooked while leading a band of crooks. It starts off with a bank in a small eastern Iowa town being robbed, and then the bandits go through eastern Nebraska and then end up in Topeka, KS. Though they are bandits who plan to rob the town, yet because they, more than once, mercilessly beat up the town bandits already there and instill fear in the local bandits' town boss, the town council makes Elliott sheriff, and his four (or maybe five)cohorts are placed in various businesses in the town to rob the entire Topeka. Of course, there is a love angle in this movie. The young, beautiful, refreshing-looking Phyllis Coates and Elliott find themselves falling for each other. But will that change him and, consequently, his outlaw gang? Whatever the case, the western action, excitement, and, again, the love angle combine to make this a favorite movie of mine. A great flick.

Not a bad gem.

[searchanddestroy-1 · 14 March 2010]

I found this little B western in my "vault" today. I had it since several decades and almost forgot it. Directed by Thomas Carr, it tells the interesting story of a bunch of bank robbers, lead by Wild Bill Elliot -!!! who cross states such as Iowa, Nebraska before arriving in Topeka TX, a little town which are under the rule of racketeers, outlaws too. And guess the following...The people of Topeka, ignoring the actual activities of Elliot and his friends, propose them to protect the community from the bad men who put the town under their rule.

Some among you may say that we have already seen that before. And they would be right. But I like this kind of topic, even if we can foresee that the hero will decide to settle down once and for all, after gotten rid of the "uglies". With the help of a beautiful gal, of course...

A rare gem as I like to discover - again - some time to time.