John Ericson is Jack Slade Jr., son of a railroad detective notorious for bringing them in dead. Though studying to become a lawyer, he finds himself following in his father’s footsteps with the goal of bringing down the Wild Bunch by infiltrating their gang.
So he rides into the Hole in the Wall to retrieve a six-gun he lost during a train holdup to the loveliest member of the gang (Mari Blanchard as Texas Rose) and to settle a score with the most ill-tempered (Neville Brand as Harry Sutton).
Texas falls for him and vice versa, which is going to make this job even more difficult. But Jack won’t mind bringing Sutton to justice, especially not after he kills Slade’s newfound friend Johnny Turner because he suspects him of being an undercover agent.
Review:
Blanchard looks lovely and this film is noteable for marking the first credited screen appearance for Angie Dickinson, who’s another gal hanging out in the Hole in the Wall. And there’s a neat means of luring the Wild Bunch out of their hideout.
But the film has it’s ridiculous moments, too. Like the way every gal hanging out with the gang swoons over every new male who rides in. And like the scene in which Brand’s character sings about making whiskey bread while he goes about doing just that, in the middle of a muddy street, no less.
Then there’s Slade’s reaction when Texas Rose is wounded during the final gun battle. Rather than taking her to the good guys for help, he swoops her onto his horse and rides of to an abandoned cave. Huh?
Well, all the easier for his enemies to follow.
Directed by:
Harold D. Schuster
Cast:
John Ericson … Jack Slade Jr.
Mari Blanchard … Texas Rose
Neville Brand … Harry Sutton
Max Showalter … Billy Wilcox
Jon Shepodd … Johnny Turner
Howard Petrie … Joseph Ryan
Angie Dickinson … Polly Logan
John Dennis … Kid Stanley
Donna Drew … Laughing Sam
Lyla Graham … Abilene
Alan Wells … George Hagen
Runtime: 79 min.
Memorable lines:
Jack Slade Jr., getting his orders for going undercover: “Is there anything else?”
Boss man: “One other thing. It’s a dangerous job. It may mean suicide for you.”
Jack: “Thank you.”
Texas Rose to fellow outlaw girl: “When you see me in church, Abilene, you’ll be staring up out of a pine box and I’ll be reading out of my prayer book.”
Texas Rose to Jack: “Where you go, I go.”
Outlaw Billy Wilcox to fellow outlaw Harry Sutton: “One day, someone’s gonna fill you so full of lead they’ll stake a claim over you.”
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