Gun Duel in Durango (1957)

Director: Sidney Salkow

Writer: Louis Stevens

Composers: Paul Sawtell, Bert Shefter

Starring: George Montgomery, Ann Robinson, Steve Brodie, Bobby Clark, Frank Ferguson, Don 'Red' Barry, Henry Rowland, Denver Pyle, Mary Treen, Al Wyatt Sr., Boyd 'Red' Morgan, Joe Yrigoyen

More info: IMDb

Tagline: No One Man Could Stand Up Against Will Sabre---BUT NOW HE WAS FACING FIVE!

Plot: Dan Tomlinson, aka Will Sabre, head of a gang of outlaws, states his intentions to go straight but is warned by the new gang leader, Dunsten, that he has thirty days to come back to the gang---or else. On his way back to his hometown and girl, Judy, Dan picks up 10-year-old Robbie whose father has been killed. Dan gets a job as a bank teller and suspicion falls on him when a hold-up occurs and he doesn't use his guns. And, Dunsten and his former gang plants evidence to make it appear as if Dan cooperated with them. Dan is accused and now has to find a way to capture Dunsten and his gang, and clear his name.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? No.

Here's another routine Western Programmer B-picture that's not doing anything new but then that wasn't the point.  As long these were produced on the cheap, everything was A-OK with the studio.  Being Universal, this one, though, has better production values and a stronger cast than most.  George Montgomery makes for a nice lead as the former bank robber turning good.  That was a bit of a stretch (hell, he gets a job as a bank teller...it must have been his charisma that got him the job because the bank manager doesn't think more than a few seconds before giving this stranger a job!) but it ultimately works its way around so that there's the happy ending where the hero gets the girl and the kid (whose pa died at the beginning and he gets 'adopted' so to speak by Dan (Montgomery)).  There's a bit of action from time to time and the bad guys are really bad but there aren't any surprises or anything overly exciting.  It's a backhanded compliment but the best thing it's got going for it (besides Montgomery) is that it's not boring.