Audience Member
a classic western with lee van clef as the menacing villain in one of his earliest roles. lee van clef is known for his role in the good the bad and the ugly
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/22/23
Full Review
Audience Member
âTwo Gun Marshalâ director Frank McDonald, who helmed as many as 1oo B-movies as well as television shows, conjures up little momentum in this saddle-sore horse opera about an old West range feud over water rights. The Tom Hubbard & Fred Eggersâ screenplay boasts many examples of memorable dialogue, but their adaptation of a Louis LâAmour story lacks a single startling surprise. Aside from this and the dialogue, they do incorporate some foreshadowing so that we are familiar with the characters. Despite all its intrigue and treachery, âThe Treasure of Ruby Hillsâ qualifies as predictable from fade-in to fade-out. Furthermore, you wonât find many wide open spaces in this low-budget Allied Artists release. Primarily, the humdrum action unfolds in a couple of venerable western towns in 1877 with several durable veterans as well as at least one newcomer gunning for each other when they take the time to stop talking and start shooting. Timeless Media has released this forgettable frontier fare and given vintage villain Lee Van Cleef top billing on the DVD box, but the future star of âThe Good, the Bad, and the Uglyâ landed only a minor role that consists of his appearance in two scenes. Naturally, Van Cleef is cast as an evil, gun-toting desperado. This 71-minute, black & white, horse opera stars former Warner Brothers contract player Zachary Scott as the son of a notorious outlaw. Just about everybody packs two, tied-down pistols in this law and order oater.
âThe Treasure of Ruby Hillsâ opens ominously one dark night with Ross Haney (Zachary Scott of âMildred Pierceâ) and Tom Hull (Steve Darrell of âThe Monolith Monstersâ) as they wait in a shack for Haneyâs partner, Ben Carter, to return alone from filing a title at the Arlington Country Recorderâs Office. Riding in quietly, Ben informs Haney that he filed the title and then Ben slumps headlong off his horse and lays dead. Haney and Hull discover that Ben has been shot in the back and they suspect a gunslinger named Frank Emmett (Lee Van Cleef) is responsible for his murder. Haney has second thoughts about his venture and Hull reminds him that Ben and he have been dreaming for five years about making this plan happen. They ride into the county seat and inform Marshal Garvey (Stanley Andrews of âThe Palefaceâ) about Benâs murder. Garvey believes them, but he has no use for either of them. He runs Hull out of town because he knows a gunslinger when he sees one, but he isnât altogether sure about Haney. âOne nice thing about this country,â Garvey observes, âa man doesnât have to live in the shadow of his fatherâs reputation unless he wants to.â
In the ghost town of Silverton, Hull quits riding with Haney because Hull would only create trouble for his friend when they ride into Soledad, and Hull doesnât want to dodge bullets from gunmen looking to acquire a reputation. Earlier, Marshal Garvey reminded Tom that they amounted to relics. According to Garvey, the rule of the fastest gun was quickly vanishing from the old West, but the action contradicts the lawman. Haney leaves Hull and discovers a horse in the brush on the trail to Soledad. Haney meets its owner, Sherry Vernon (Carole Mathews of âSwing in the Saddleâ), who has just finished swimming. Haney challenges Sherry to a horse race, and they rampage off into Soledad with Haney winning by more than a nose. Later, in the saloon, two-gun toting Robert Vernon (Rick Vallin of âRiding with Buffalo Billâ) knocks down Haney and tells him that his sister wants to see him. You see no self-respecting woman would dare set foot in a saloon. Sherry pays Haney off for the horse racing wager. Haney decides to marry Sherry and informs her of his decision.
Eventually, the two competing cattle ranchers in the Ruby Hills Valley, Chalk Reynolds (Barton MacLane of âG-Menâ) and Walt Payne (Charles E. Fredericks of âTarzanâs Hidden Jungleâ), are going to blast it out with each other. Meanwhile, scheming Alan Doran (former singing Warner Brothers cowboy Dick Foran) plans to eliminate them. He has paid Frank to work for Reynolds, while another gunman Jack Voyle (Gordon Jones of âThe Green Hornetâ) works for Payne. Voyle has a reputation of shooting men in the back. Neither gunmen have any allegiance to either Reynolds or Payne and show their true colors. Before that happens, one of Reynoldsâ men, Rollie Burt (James Alexander of âPort of Hellâ), shoots it out with a couple of Payneâs men, catches a slug in the shoulder, and hides out. Saloon owner Westbrook 'Scotty' Scott (Raymond Hatton of âThe Bad Man of Brimstoneâ) convinces Haney that he has been help Burt out because one day our hero is going to need a man like Rollie Burt.
Later, Reynolds rides into Soledad with his crew to talk with Payne about Burt. Voyle guns Reynolds when Payne tries to discuss the situation with him. Moreover, Voyle plugs Payne. Doran convinces the remainder of Reynolds and Payneâs crews to come to work for him. Meanwhile, Voyle is about to dispose of Reynolds and Payne when he catches Haney sneaking around in an alley. They get into a slugging fistfight. Voyle gets the drop on Haney, but Burt shoots Voyle. Haney and Burt clear out of Soledad before Doran and his outfit can find them. The final third of this oater has some violence.
Mustached Zachary Scott looks out of place as a leading man and he generates little charisma. âThe Treasure of Ruby Hillsâ is tolerable and its catchy dialogue stands out. Otherwise, this doesnât emerge as a very exciting western.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
01/17/23
Full Review
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