Robbers' Roost (1955)

Crim Coop. Robbers' Roost is directed by Sidney Salkow and Salkow co-adapts the screenplay from a Zane Grey story with John O'Dea and Maurice Geraghty. It stars George Montgomery, Richard Boone, Sylvia Findley, Peter Graves, Tony Romano, Warren Stevens and Leo Gordon. Music is by Paul Dunlap and cinematography by Jack Draper. As a huge Western fan it's disappointing to find such a damn fine cast operating in such a mundane Oater. It's not bad by any stretch of the imagination, it's just so ordinary and sits with a host of other 1950s genre pieces that fail to ignite and add something interesting to a standard tale. Here we have two rival gangs of cowpokes working for one man, the reason for hiring both sets of rivals is tenuous at best. Anyhoo, the two mobs must try and get along enough to get the job done, only a couple of the main players have hidden agendas. While of course right in the middle is a tough gal, creating untold amounts of sexual tension. The story unfolds in steady sedate fashion, the odd moments of action perking the pace occasionally, with plenty of macho posturing on show, while the ever lingering cloud of intrigue keeps the interest ticking by. Once the agendas are revealed the pic kicks into a higher gear, which builds tidily to the expected finale of few surprises. The location photography is most pleasant (Durango, Mexico) and the colour lenses are also easy on the eye. But it's ultimately a waste of good casting and a potent premise, leaving us with an average Oater that's more a gap filler than a must see for genre fans. 5/10