Utah Blaine (1957) - Once Upon a Time in a Western

Rory Calhoun is Utah Blaine, a fast gun for hire who’s on a mission to get vengeance against a fellow gunman, Rink Witter, who did him wrong.

He rides right into the middle of a range war, but doesn’t mind too much because Rink is now working for Russ Nevers (Ray Teal), the man who’s trying to move in on range land run by a couple of the larger ranches near the town of Red Creek.

Seems that while those large ranchers have been in the area for years, deeds for the land were never filed. So Nevers and his vigilantes figure it’s theirs for the taking. And no one in Red Creek will stand up against them.

Blaine rescues rancher Joe Neal from a hanging and is immediately hired on as his foreman. Soon he discovers there are two pretty ladies also in need of help — Angie Kinyon, who’s father has just been killed by Nevers’ vigilantes, and Mary Blake.

Slowly but surely, Blaine wins more allies in his fight to make sure Nevers and his gunhands don’t prevail in their attempt to push the rightful owners from their land.

Rory Calhoun as Utah Blaine with Susan Cummings as Angie Kinyon in Utah Blaine (1957)

Ray Teal as Russ Nevers, leader of the land grabbers, with hired gun Rink Witter (George Keymas) in Utah Blaine (1957)

Review:

Thin little Western culled from a Louis L’Amour novel. It’s both predictable and forgettable. This mark one of four Westerns Rory Calhoun starred in in 1957; all three others are stronger films.

His love interest here is pretty actress Susan Cummings, who appeared in two other Westerns — “Tomahawk Trail” and “”Man from God’s Country.” A year later she landed a starring role in the Western series “Union Pacific” opposite Jeff Morrow.

Paul Langton as Rip Coker and Rory Calhoun as Utah Blaine, looking to hire more hands in Utah Blaine (1957)

George Keymas as Rink Witter, trying to bend Angie Kinyon (Susan Cummings) to his will in Utah Blaine (1957)

Directed by:
Fred Sears

Cast:
Rory Calhoun … Utah Blaine
Susan Cummings … Angie Kinyon
Max Baer … Gus Ortmann
Angela Stevens … Mary Blake
Paul Langton … Rip Coker
George Keymas … Rink Witter
Ray Teal … Russ Nevers
Gene Roth … Tom Corey
Dean Fredericks … Jug Davis
Ken Christy … Joe Neal

Runtime: 75 min.

Max Bauer as Gus Ortmann, being ordered by Russ Nevers (Ray Teal) to use his fists to rid Red Creek of Utah Blaine in Utah Blaine (1957)

Angela Stevens as Mary Blake tries to convince Utah Blaine (Rory Calhoun) that there are some people in Red Rock he can trust while Gus Ortmann (Max Baer) listens in Utah Blaine (1957)

Memorable lines:

Rink Witter, to Utah: “How did you get out of that Mexican jail, Utah?”
Utah: “I just told them I wanted to kill you. They let me out.”

Utah: “Think you got a right to stand by and watch men like Joe Neal and Gib Black get murdered for what belongs to them.”
Rip Coker: “I don’t know, Utah. If I could answer things like that, I’d be sittin’ on a million dollars and getting drunk every night.”

Rink to Angie: “We never hung a woman before, but I don’t think it takes a different kind of rope.”