The Bounty Hunter

A straightforward yet satisfying Randolph Scott western, in which the stone-faced one sets out after three marauding bank robbers, all of whom are in disguise as respectable townsfolk, making Scott's job a little difficult. This is gripping stuff from director Andre De Toth, who formed a working relationship with Scott that preceded the star's remarkable series of westerns with better-known director Budd Boetticher. These De Toth horse operas were screened as co-features, often with a minor musical or thick-ear thriller (this one partnered the original Dragnet on its release), and provided satisfactory, value-for-money programming. The production company, Transcona Enterprises, was owned by Judy Garland and her then husband Sid Luft, who made this western as part of the A Star Is Born deal with Warner Bros.