The Badlanders

This decent western, directed by the reliable Delmer Daves, stars Alan Ladd and Ernest Borgnine as ex-convicts who emerge from prison in Yuma with a plan to rob a gold mine. Since this involves blowing up a mountain and escaping with half a ton of rock, it takes some organising. The picture is actually less a western than a suspense thriller, a remake of John Huston's classic 1950 crime drama The Asphalt Jungle on horseback. There are plenty of surprises, a thrilling chase through a carnival and some excellent performances, notably from Nehemiah Persoff - best known for his mobster role in Some Like It Hot - as the gunpowder expert.