Comanche Station (1960)

Randolph Scott plays Jefferson Cody. He’s spent 10 years tracking down tips on white women captured by Indians in hopes of finding his wife.

On this trip, he trades with the Comanches and winds up in the company of pretty Nancy Lowe (Nancy Gates).

Cody doesn’t know that her husband has offered $5,000 for her safe return. Heck, he’ll pay that sum just to find out what happened to her.

But Ben Lane (Claude Akins) knows. He and two young guns (Skip Homeier and Richard Rust) have been out looking for Mrs. Lowe in hopes of claiming that reward.

All five meet at Comanche Station, where the stage isn’t going to arrive because of an Indian uprising.

Seems someone has been scalping Indian women and children, and that has the Comanches in a very nasty mood.

That also means a long journey to Lordsburg through hostile country. And in addition to worrying about Comanche, Cody has to worry about his traveling companions.

Because he knows somewhere between Comanche Station and Lordsburg, Lane is going to try to take Mrs. Lowe away from him.

Randolph Scott as Jefferson Cody, a man haunted by his wife’s disappearance 10 years earlier in Comanche Station (1960)

Nancy Gates as Nancy Lowe, being presented to Jefferson Cody as a possible trade in Comanche Station (1960)

Review:

Quite similar to “Ride Lonesome,” made by the same team just a year earlier. But both films are wonderful examples of what can be accomplished with a minimal cast and a runtime of less than 90 minutes.

Scott turns in another of his quietly confident performances, Gates looks lovely in her final big-screen appearance at age 34 and Akins is solid as the man who’s thirst for money won’t let him turn back once he’s set his mind on doing something.

The film is filled with snappy dialogue and splendid little moments, like Scott dumping Gates into a water trough to protect her during an Indian attack. In another scene, he winces and hops around in very under-hero like pain while Gates is applying alcohol to a wound on his leg.

The action scenes aren’t large-scale by any standpoint, but they’re well handled too.

Claude Akins as Ben Lane, spilling the news about the bounty for Nancy Lowe in Comanche Station (1960)

Richard Rust as Dobie, reading a stage station schedule as Frank (Skip Homeier) looks on in Comanche Station (1960)

Directed by
Budd Boetticher

Cast:
Randolph Scott … Jefferson Cody
Nancy Gates … Nancy Lowe
Claude Akins … Ben Lane
Skip Homeier … Frank
Richard Rust … Dobie
Dyke Johnson … John Lowe

Runtime: 73 min.

Joe Molina as the Comanche chief, negotiating a trade with Jefferson Cody in Comanche Station (1960)

Randolph Scott as Jefferson Cody, trying to negotiate a trade with the Comanches in Comanche Station (1960)

Memorable lines:

Jefferson Cody: “Talked to a tame Indian up Casa Verde way. Said the Comanche were holding a white woman, holding her for trade.”
Nancy Lowe: “So you came after me?”
Cody: “Yes, maam.”
Nancy: “Why?”
Cody: “Seemed like a good idea.”

Dobie, talking about Ben Lane: “Do this, do that. He says jump, we say which way.”
Frank: “So?”
Dobie: “Well, so we might as well not even have a head.”

Ben Lane, to Cody: “You know, it’s a long way to Lordsburg. Wouldn’t surprise me if somebody didn’t try to take that woman away from you.”
Cody: “Like you, for instance?”
Ben Lane: “Like me in particular.”

Ben Lane: “Sure would put a man to the test having to decide between you and $5,000, Mrs. Lowe. Sure glad it ain’t me.”

Ben Lane, quizzing Cody on an imminent showdown: “This fellow, how’d he manage it, doin’ all of ’em that way?”
Cody: “Comanch got one.”
Lane: “What happened to the others?”
Cody: “Let’s just say, he had a way with a gun.”

Nancy Gates as Nancy Lowe, being guided away from the Comanche camp by Jefferson Cody (Randolph Scott) in Comanche Station (1960)

Claude Akins as Ben Lane chats with Jefferson Cody (Randolph Scott), the man in line for a $5,000 bounty in Comanche Station (1960)

Skip Homeier as Frank and Richard Rust as Dobie, the young guns under Ben Lane’s influence in Comanche Station (1960)

Nancy Gates as Nancy Lowe, wet and defiant after an Indian attack as Frank (Skip Homeier) looks on in Comanche Station (1960)