The Broken Star (1956)

Howard Duff portrays Deputy Marshal Frank Smeed, who drags a dead cow onto the land of a man named Alvarado, asks if he’s alone, then shoots him and steals $8,000 from his home.

The dead cow will back up his story that he was investigating Alvarado as a potential rustler. And to back up his self-defense claim, Smeed fires Alvarado’s gun three times, even giving himself a flesh wound.

Smeed has three problems. Alvarado wasn’t alone; an Apache named Natchez who worked for him witnessed the killing.

Second, the $8,000 belonged to cattle king Thornton Wills, and he wants his money back, more for the principle than the money itself. A

And, third, Smeed happens to work for a very deliberate sheriff named Forrester (Addison Richards), who hates gunplay and thinks there’s something about Smeed’s story that doesn’t add up.

He asks his other deputy, Bill Gentry (Bill Williams) to investigate. Gentry believes Smeed’s version of the shooting; after all, they’re friends and Smeed once saved Gentry’s life.

But Gentry is also engaged to Alvarado’s cousin Conchita. As time passes, he begins to doubt Smeed’s story, too.

Review:

Well-handled low-budget Western from Selander, who sure churned out his share of similar films. As his story unravels, Smeed becomes more and more desperate in his attempts to cover his tracks. And the sheriff just keeps watching, suspecting that as time passes and events unfold, the truth will be revealed.

A handwritten description of the shooting from Natchez, which Smeed deliberately interprets incorrectly, winds up being a key piece of evidence. And Henry Calvin is convincing as the smug cattleman who doesn’t much care that Alvarado is dead; he just doesn’t want anyone stealing from him, regardless of what they steal. And, in this case, it’s extortion money from local settlers.

The biggest flaw: Thornton Wills’ henchmen — Van Horn and Messendyke — are bumbling idiots. You’d think someone as well off as Wills could afford competent help, wouldn’t you?

Directed by:
Lesley Selander

Cast:
Howard Duff … Frank Smeed
Bill Williams … Bill Gentry
Addison Richards … Sheriff Forrester
Lita Baron … Conchita
Henry Calvin … Thornton Wills
Douglas Fowley … Hiram Charleton
Joel Ashley … Messendyke
John Pickard … Van Horn
William “Bill” Phillips … Doc Mott
Joe Dominguez … Nachez

Runtime: 82 min.

Memorable lines:

Rancher Thornton Wills to two of his ranch hands, after they done something particularly dumb: “You’ve acted like a couple of pumpkin heads. I don’t believe … either one of you could drive a spike into a snowbank.”

Conchita, on her cousin’s temperament: “He had hot peppers in his brain.”

Genty, to two of Wills’ henchman who have accosted Conchita: “Alright you two, I’m taking you down to the courthouse. And I’d take it kindly if you’d try to make a run for it. I like a moving target.”
Henchman: “There ain’t no need to make a Texas twister out of this.”

Wills to Smeed: “I ain’t interested in your ruckus with Alvarado. I ain’t particularly interested that he ain’t among the livin’. I don’t even care who’s got the cash. Just so I get it back.”

Lawyer: “Telling an Apache to do anything is like trying to saddle a cougar.”

One of the ranch hands, to Smeed: “When he (Wills) whispers, people take it for shouting.”

Joel Ashley as Messendyke and John Pickard as Van Horn, two of Thorton Wills’ henchmen in The Broken Star (1956)

Lita Baron as Conchita, after being beaten by men in search of information in The Broken Star (1956)

Douglas Fowley as Hiram Charleton, attorney for the powerful cattleman Thornton Wills in The Broken Star (1956)

Howard Duff as Deputy Frank Smeed, confronted by an ally of cattle king Thornton Wills in The Broken Star (1956)