Producers William H. Pine and William C. Thomas were known for low-budget action fare. They churned out a lot of hits at Paramount in the early 1940s. Typically their pictures cost anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000 to make and usually doubled their money back. Around the Paramount lot, these two guys were known as the Dollar Bills.
After the war, they were eager to increase their efforts at the studio and try at least one big-budget item each year. ALBUQUERQUE was the first expanded 'A' feature for the duo. The budget was a little more than $700,000, twice what was normally allocated for their productions...as a result of the extra capital, they were able to hire freelancer Randolph Scott, a name familiar to audiences for his work in the western genre.
If it seemed like they were going to have another hit on their hands, well that's exactly what happened. ALBUQUERQUE was a success with audiences, grossing over $2 million...which means it earned as much as three low-budget hits would have earned. There was no turning back for the Bills...they signed a new deal with Paramount, to make three 'A' budget movies annually, usually action-adventure yarns or westerns. Their next picture, EL PASO (1949), starring John Payne and Sterling Hayden had a larger budget and was another smash hit.
The reason these films worked with moviegoers is because they told simple character-driven stories. They were filmed in color, in the case of ALBUQUERQUE the new Cinecolor technology was used...and they were made on location, in the hills of California or somewhere in Arizona. The exterior action sequences for ALBUQUERQUE were shot in Sedona standing in for New Mexico.
Mr. Scott has two leading ladies in this picture. One is lovely Catherine Craig (real-life wife of Robert Preston). She plays a woman who is running a competing stagecoach line. Scott is initially employed by his wealthy uncle (George Cleveland) who owns the other line. Cleveland seems a bit miscast here as a tyrannical entrepreneur who resorts to whatever means necessary to run Miss Craig out of business. Usually Mr. Cleveland turns up as kind-hearted characters.
In addition to his nephew, Cleveland's payroll includes a crooked sheriff (Bernard Nedell) and a henchman who likes to go around causing trouble. The henchman is played with gusto by scene stealer Lon Chaney Jr. Who seems to be enjoying his work! Scott tangles with Chaney and realizes his uncle is corrupt. So he leaves the family operation and goes over to work for Craig and her brother. Now the tables are turned, and it's uncle who is going to be run out of business!
Complicating matters is another woman (second-billed Barbara Britton) that has been hired by Cleveland. Her job is to gain Scott's confidence and undermine him, so that the uncle will emerge victorious in this battle to the finish.
There are some exciting hauling scenes. Plus some fine comic relief provided along the way by George 'Gabby' Hayes as a trusted old sidekick of Scott's. This is not a deep film that comments on postwar society. Nor is it a moody western that taxes the brain. It's just a good old-fashioned oater with a lot of talent put into it that makes it a fine way to spend 90 minutes when you have nothing better to do.
After the war, they were eager to increase their efforts at the studio and try at least one big-budget item each year. ALBUQUERQUE was the first expanded 'A' feature for the duo. The budget was a little more than $700,000, twice what was normally allocated for their productions...as a result of the extra capital, they were able to hire freelancer Randolph Scott, a name familiar to audiences for his work in the western genre.
If it seemed like they were going to have another hit on their hands, well that's exactly what happened. ALBUQUERQUE was a success with audiences, grossing over $2 million...which means it earned as much as three low-budget hits would have earned. There was no turning back for the Bills...they signed a new deal with Paramount, to make three 'A' budget movies annually, usually action-adventure yarns or westerns. Their next picture, EL PASO (1949), starring John Payne and Sterling Hayden had a larger budget and was another smash hit.
The reason these films worked with moviegoers is because they told simple character-driven stories. They were filmed in color, in the case of ALBUQUERQUE the new Cinecolor technology was used...and they were made on location, in the hills of California or somewhere in Arizona. The exterior action sequences for ALBUQUERQUE were shot in Sedona standing in for New Mexico.
Mr. Scott has two leading ladies in this picture. One is lovely Catherine Craig (real-life wife of Robert Preston). She plays a woman who is running a competing stagecoach line. Scott is initially employed by his wealthy uncle (George Cleveland) who owns the other line. Cleveland seems a bit miscast here as a tyrannical entrepreneur who resorts to whatever means necessary to run Miss Craig out of business. Usually Mr. Cleveland turns up as kind-hearted characters.
In addition to his nephew, Cleveland's payroll includes a crooked sheriff (Bernard Nedell) and a henchman who likes to go around causing trouble. The henchman is played with gusto by scene stealer Lon Chaney Jr. Who seems to be enjoying his work! Scott tangles with Chaney and realizes his uncle is corrupt. So he leaves the family operation and goes over to work for Craig and her brother. Now the tables are turned, and it's uncle who is going to be run out of business!
Complicating matters is another woman (second-billed Barbara Britton) that has been hired by Cleveland. Her job is to gain Scott's confidence and undermine him, so that the uncle will emerge victorious in this battle to the finish.
There are some exciting hauling scenes. Plus some fine comic relief provided along the way by George 'Gabby' Hayes as a trusted old sidekick of Scott's. This is not a deep film that comments on postwar society. Nor is it a moody western that taxes the brain. It's just a good old-fashioned oater with a lot of talent put into it that makes it a fine way to spend 90 minutes when you have nothing better to do.