Roughshod (1949) User Reviews

A forgotten, unknown Masterpiece among B Westerns...

[galwayfra · 8/10 · 28 April 2016]

Unfortunately, this was the only Western directed by the talented Mark Robson. It has an excellent, tight screenplay by Daniel Mainwaring (aka Geoffrey Homes) and Hugo Butler, from a story by Peter Viertel. Most surprisingly it boasts unusual violence for the Genre, thus making ROUGHSHOD hold up the test of time so well. Uniformly outstanding performances by a very young and luminous Gloria Grahame, Claude Jarman Jr, Myrna Dell, John Ireland and Jeff Donnell. Character actors James Bell, Jeff Corey and Sara Haden were very good in small roles and it must be said that the usually dull leading man Robert Sterling here proved he could act.

It has impeccable photography by Joe Biroc, an evocative score by the underrated Roy Webb and remarkable women costumes by Renie. Unfortunately, as with so many RKO Titles, WarnerVideo never released it on VHS and the first DVD Edition (Made on order) came out as late as January 2016!. Fans of Westerns should not miss ROUGHSHOD, unavailabilty pushed it into oblivion but definitely is worth of a reappraisal.

Watch it for Grahame

[gbill-74877 · 7/10 · 5 June 2019]

Gloria Grahame elevates this old western and makes it worth seeing, and John Ireland is also strong as the leader of the bad guys. The story-telling from director Mark Robson teeters at times a little too much on the overly wholesome side because of the presence of the boy, but overall it's well-balanced and doesn't overstay its welcome at 88 minutes. I also liked how he left the fate of one of the dancehall/working girls (Myrna Dell) to our imagination in a chilling moment, maybe the film's best. I'm not sure I can imagine liking the film without Grahame though, she's just stunning.

Fine actors, femme western, ingenious plot, careful direction

[whitec-3 · 7/10 · 15 August 2009]

Gloria Grahame is Roughshod's major attraction, but bonuses are Jeff Corey in a small role, John Ireland as a lean young killer, and Claude Jarman Jr. carrying as serious a teenage role as a western may offer. Robert Sterling honestly manages the male lead. All the supporting roles are a testament to the kind of dependable quality the studios were delivering in the mid-20th century.

The most pleasant surprise may be the number of women's roles--the four bar girls, each of whom has her own denouement, including the accidental reunion of one with her decently grieving parents. As other posters have noted, the movie handles such scenes with minimal sentimentality or chatter, so that the strong feminine presence operates within the proper western decorum.

As a student of plot, I felt continually (if mildly) impressed by the story's layers and crossings. The bad guys' journey interweaves with the good guys' journey, which involves driving 10 free horses and assuming responsibility for the bar girls who break down on their path. One genre hallmark of a western is the story's geography or landscape. The good guys take another trail to avoid the bad guys, which leads the brassiest of the saloon-girls to hitch up with a gold prospector. The only wince-factor is the dependence on Gloria Grahame's character's reckless driving, but when that results in some of her clothes spilling in the river, those clothes float downstream and signal to the bad guys where the good guys are.

A lot happens in about 90 minutes, but it's all a bit subdued like its male lead. Director Mark Robson worked with Orson Welles and Val Lewton, so the quality-floor is high throughout. The best visuals are the long shots through the landscape where the different parties see each other; otherwise the film's composition, in keeping with its feminine content, is tight, personal, and intimate. The final gunfight is modest but, again, honest in its way, like the whole movie.

Likable Western

[dougdoepke · 26 April 2008]

Unusually adult Western for its time. Brothers Sterling and Jarman have to drive their horse herd over a dangerous mountain pass so they can start a ranch on the other side. Along the way, however, they encounter four stranded dance hall girls (Production Code euphemism for hookers). Now the brothers are torn between helping the women or getting their herd safely across. And, oh yes, there are the three baddies chasing Sterling, but they're in the movie mainly to provide action and not to drive the plot.

Now, Robert Sterling doesn't exactly fit my image of a cowboy lead. He seems a shade too boyish and perhaps a little soft looking (likely why the unshaven stubble was added). However, he does well with the part, being convincingly tough when he needs to be. In fact, acting skill means more in this Western than in most because of the emotional interplay between the three principals, Sterling, Jarman, and Grahame. And, as it turns out, the chemistry between Jarman and Sterling is outstandingly unforced. There seems to be a genuine rapport between the brothers. Grahame, of course, specialized in this kind of compromised role in her all-too-brief and exotic career. Having her teach the skeptical Jarman to read amounts to an interesting character sidelight. In my book, however, the youthful Jarman walks off with the movie since he manages to be genuinely appealing without piling it on.

For Sterling the challenge is whether to follow conventional morality and reject Grahame's overtures or to follow instinct and see the real potential in her. Jarman sees such inner qualities immediately since he has not yet learned to judge others according to stereotype. Fortunately the screenplay avoids getting sentimental over the conflict, and in fact handles the whole risky theme quite intelligently.

The mountain shootout is scenic and well-staged. I wish I had a nickel for every nasty heavy John Ireland played during this period. But then, he was so very good at it. For a Western with a strong human interest side, director Robson avoids the usual pitfall of too much talk by moving things along nicely. All in all. the movie's an entertaining and satisfying 90 minutes with a genuinely humane message.

I could only dream of being as lucky to find four (4) ladies in distress in the middle of no man's country

[Ed-Shullivan · 7/10 · 29 June 2022]

Keeping in mind this western classic was released in 1949 more than seventy (70) years earlier when film censorship was at its peak. I felt that the director Mark Robson, took liberties with the films storyline about four loose and attractive saloon girls that was borderline risky for the times, and kudos to him for doing so.

The story is filled with personal stories of survival in the rough surrounding hilly countryside by the exiled saloon girls, three escaped convicts who come after the ladies and their rancher hero brothers the young Steve and older brother Clay played respectively by Claude Jarman Jr. And Robert Sterling.

It is a very entertaining classic western if you consider it was released in 1949 so keep that in mind when listening to the dialogue of the saloon ladies and how tame the escaped convicts seem to behave.

I give this early western a more than respectable 7 out of 10 IMDb rating.

Journey to the right side of the street

[AAdaSC · 7/10 · 30 May 2013]

Brothers Robert Sterling (Clay) and Claude Jarman Jr ((Steve) are heading to Sonora with 9 horses to start up ranch life. On the way they pick up 4 ladies of ill-repute who are heading the same way – Gloria Grahame (Mary), Myrna Dell (Helen), Jeff Donnell (Elaine) and Martha Hyer (Marcia). Sterling also has John Ireland (Lednov) and two other escaped outlaws after him for revenge. We follow Sterling and his merry band as they follow their dreams to Sonora. Not all of them make it there, though.

This engaging western is easy to watch as the fates of the 2 brothers and 4 women is revealed. The end shoot-out scene is well done with a degree of tension that sustains itself throughout. The cast are all good with particular mention to John Ireland, Gloria Grahame and Myrna Dell. Robert Sterling in the lead isn't as memorable as these three. John Ireland makes the most of his screen time and he is definitely not a good guy. The fate of Myrna Dell is the most unfortunate and is dealt with in, what was for me, the film's most powerful segment. It will leave you asking yourself what happened.

I usually find children in films quite annoying, especially if they run around saying "swell". Well, Claude Jarman Jr is the exception to this rule and he adds some nice moments to the developing relationship between Sterling and Grahame. I would have liked to see some Indian trouble as well but you can't have everything! And there is no need for it, really. It's an enjoyable character-driven western.

Predictable But Entertaining Western

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 29 November 2016]

Robert Sterling is a Winchester-toting rancher in "Peyton Place" director Mark Robson's "Roughshod," a romantic western epic, where our stalwart hero finds his fortunes changed by a quartet of women that have been run out of Aspen by social reformers. Clay Phillips (Robert Sterling of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea") has nine horses and his little brother Steve (Claude Jarman, Jr., of "The Yearling") and he herding them to their new ranch in Sonora. They encounter a buggy load of prostitutes broken down on the trail to Sonora. Reluctantly, rather than leave them to die by the elements, Clay decides to load their things and them in the back of his wagon and deposit them at the first ranch that they see. Meantime, Sheriff Gardner (Ed Cassidy) warns Clay about the trio of desperadoes that have broken out of prison, shot down three innocent gents, and stolen not only their horses but also their hardware. Actually, this is the first thing that happens in "Roughshod." The man who leads this threesome, Lednov (John Ireland of "Red River" in an outfit that resembles his Red River garb) wants to even up a score with Clay. As it turns out, our hero took part in arresting Lednov because he killed of his best friend. Mary Wells (film noir femme fatale Gloria Grahame of "The Big Heat") and the three of her dancehall girl friends with her, Elaine (Jeff Donnell), Helen (Myrna Dell) and Marcia (Martha Hyer of "The Sons of Katie Elder"), are literally fish out of water on the frontier. One frontiersman (Jeff Cory of "True Grit") helps the women navigate their way down a sloping road. Eventually, the wagon that they were run out of town in breaks down on them, and this is when they meet Clay. Nothing of significance, "Roughshod" is still an above-average oater with strong performances and great photography.

Opportunities Beckon

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 13 August 2009]

Roughshod is a B western from RKO Studios where Robert Sterling and his younger brother Claude Jarman are driving a herd of horses to their new ranch. The brothers have been separated for years, but with their parents dying, they're reconnecting in this new venture. On the way they stop to help a group of four saloon girls also moving west for bigger and better opportunities. The girls are Gloria Grahame, Jeff Donnell, Martha Hyer and Myrna Dell. They all went on to have film careers of varying degrees of success and RKO was using this western as an opportunity to exhibit some of the flesh.

Sterling also has John Ireland on his trail, an outlaw he wounded and put in jail for several years. He'd probably wait and shoot it out with him like Gary Cooper in High Noon, but with all these responsibilities, the best course is to keep moving.

Although it's never said, it is sure implied here more than in most westerns done under the Code that the four girls are working girls. And the opportunities they seek are places where men are scarce and they can make money or even marry one.

Naturally this makes the film perfect for Gloria Grahame who when you needed a woman of loose morals in the coming decade, she always got first call. She's who makes Roughshod any kind of memorable and without the women, Roughshod could have passed for a Gene Autry or a Roy Rogers product.

Gloria however has a great deal more character to her than originally supposed. You'll see that if you watch Roughshod and believe me, she's the reason to check this film out.

A Great Classic Gloria Grahame Film!

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 19 November 2004]

This is a film I seemed to have missed over the years and I was glued to the TV screen because Gloria Grahame had a starring role in this Western Classic. Gloria Grahame (Mary Wells),"Oklahoma",'55, played a sweet sexy looking hooker who found herself falling in love with Robert Sterling,(Clay Phillips),"Showboat",'51, who was on a manhunt and had trouble trying to forget Mary Wells affairs with men in the various dance halls throughout the West. Claude Jarman, Jr., (Steve Phillips),"The Yearling",'46, was Clay Phillips brother who was very wise at knowing people, but did not know his ABC's, which Gloria was glad to teach him in a buckboard! If you are a Gloria Grahame fan, you will want to view this film, because Gloria was very young and extremely attractive at the start of a very short career. She should have been given better roles in Hollywood, but she was TYPE CAST too SOON!

Surprised me in the best way possible

[mollytinkers · 7/10 · 22 August 2021]

Born in 1965, I cannot count how many westerns I watched as a child, not including TV western series' reruns ad nauseum, such as Gunsmoke and Bonanza. I stopped watching them in the '80s, except for maybe the critically acclaimed feature films that are few and far between since then. But when I saw Ms. Grahame was in the cast, it piqued my interest; and I'm glad I gave it a go.

It's your average plot. Good guy 20s-something cowboy and his teenage brother set out to deliver ten horses to a buyer. Hot on their trail are three escaped convicts bent on revenge. To spice things up, the two brothers encounter four stranded women along the way and agree to let them ride in their wagon.

You can pretty much figure the rest. If you can't, then you must be a newcomer to the genre. But what really propels this one into the much-better-than-average category is Ms. Grahame.

Usually associated with sassy, unstable dames that deliver sarcastic quips with a dangerously sharp tongue, here she's given a much more approachable, likeable character to play. And she does a great job of showing us her softer side. But don't be fooled, she can still keep up with the rest of them.

The cast is good The direction is good. The editing is good. And the music score fits very nicely, especially with a melodic yet bold opening theme that sets the tone, composed by Roy Webb, a sadly overlooked, strong contributor to film music.

As good as it is, it's still like pulling teeth to get me to watch a western. Just like war movies. Grew up on those, too.

A very, very special after-school special

[ArtVandelayImporterExporter · 3/10 · 5 November 2023]

If it's 1949, I'm back from the war, and my best girl put on a bunch of weight after popping out three kids, this would be a decent way to rest my sore eyes for 88 minutes. The four dames are pretty good looking.

But if a kid has more than 4 lines in a movie, it pretty much always blows. OK, there are exceptions. But it's a decent guide.

In Rougshod, little Jiminy Jarmin or whatever the kid's name is, got on my gee whiz nerves pretty early on.

And that was before Gloria Grahame started harping on Jiminy for not knowing his letters. Or on his older brother for, I dunno, being such a good-looking stud.

Ultimately this isn't a western, which usually heavily involve bad guys. This is a ch1ck flick, except for the opening scene and the climax. Years later it could have been a Rawhide episode, with Clint Eastwood playing the babysitter of the four wayward dames.

The western formula is in plain sight, but dialed back and skillfully opened up.

[wannall · 8/10 · 28 November 2018]

I stumbled into this by not changing channels after watching another movie. I was engaged within 5 minutes by the not-quite-formula everything - dialog, setup, even acting. I don't want oversell it. It's competent and interesting, partly for surprisingly good dialog occasionally, for a "western". I would call it a skillful addition to the short list of actually adult westerns. It could reasonably be called a skillful addition to the short list of actually adult westerns.

There's an exchange that serves as a good example of how the movie succeeds. At one point Mary Wells (Grahame) and Clay Phillips (Sterling) get to the moment that any film buff knows must come, where she confronts him about his attitude towards her past, we get this exchange:

MARY: Well, why don't you just say it.

CLAY: Okay, it's said.

There's a lot of that, economy of dialog and action where lesser writers would drag in familiar stuff from the standard inventory.

Other reviewers have analyzed plenty that's good. I mainly wanted to toss in another high rating for it.

Gloria Grahame steals the spotlight in this uneven western...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 13 August 2009]

GLORIA GRAHAME is photographed expertly in this B&W western that stars ROBERT STERLING as a cowboy heading back to his new ranch with brother CLAUDE JARMAN, JR. at his side. Grahame not only looks good, but gets to deliver an interesting performance as the dance hall girl (prostitute really) who wants to find the right man and go down the straight and narrow path.

She thinks she's found her man in Sterling, who looks a bit too boyish for the role of the rugged cowboy but nevertheless, he delivers an earnest and likable performance. The pairing of him with Jarman as brothers seems a bit incongruous since they look nothing alike--but again, good acting almost compensates for this minor distraction.

For a villain, we have JOHN IRELAND in full mode as a nasty guy who wants to put a bullet in Sterling for past transgressions. The final shootout provides the story with the only really tense moments in a story that is more character-driven than an action western.

Nothing special about any of the production values or Mark Robson's direction, except to mention that Grahame really walks off with most of her scenes even though her intense expression conveys little more than annoyance with the fact that Sterling seems oblivious to her charms. Still, there's a heart of gold in the gal who wants nothing more than to wear a gingham dress and play housewife, leaving her tawdry past behind.

Summing up: A bit pokey but interesting enough to maintain interest because of some well played interplay between the characters.

Dull

[Supermacha · 4/10 · 25 February 2021]

Incredibly dull!!! Dance hall girls have a secret, but we never finds out what it is! The bad guys and the star of the movie hate each other, but why???

Got a little "Lifetimey" in the middle too!!

Avoid!!!

A gingham dress

[dbdumonteil · 6 February 2012]

The first western by Robson who had already made some extraordinary movies (who says they were Val Lewton's work?) such as "the seventh victim" 'the ghost ship" or "bedlam".And his western is quite good ,if not as mind -boggling as his precedent efforts.

First of all,Gloria Grahame,who was often cast in films noirs ,shines in her part of a dance hall gal who dreams to be a housewife and to educate her young protégé,Robert Sterling's kid brother:my favorite scenes show her teaching him the alphabet and the "true" culture;it's a destruction of the bad gal cliché;and I love when Sterling tells her that he knows a lot of things she can't teach him: the nature ,the animals,the weather,an empirical knowledge for sure ,but one that is more useful than the culture you get from the books,when you are in the wilderness tracked down by outlaws (John Ireland is the ideal bandit,but his part is underwritten and his relationship with the hero is skimmed over);it seems the director was more interested in the Sterling/Grahame relationship:a hero who is (perhaps?We are not told about it) illiterate but who demands a "respectable" woman for his wife :the other one is just good for a kiss,but you cannot marry a chick with a racy past;his kid brother knows better than he does:the young actor is excellent and endearing.

A rare thing in the forties (and in the westerns of the era),the action begins a few seconds before the cast and credits.

More rom-com than cowboy yarn, film noir icon steals the show

[Turfseer · 6/10 · 24 April 2021]

Roughshod begins out on the range in the old west as three convicts who have just broken out of the penitentiary are on the loose and murder three cowboys in cold blood. They are led by a psychopath, Lednov (John Ireland), and you might surmise at this juncture that the film is about their actions and eventual capture. But actually the plot about these criminals is only tangential to the story.

Instead, Roughshod covers two themes: the relationship between a cowboy named Clay and his younger (teenage) brother Steve (Claude Jaman Jr.). They are on their way to their ranch in Sonora, California and have a herd of ten horses which they must deliver there. The second theme involves a group of four "saloon girls" (presumably women of ill repute) who have just been expelled from a small town and end up stranded after their wagon breaks down. Clay and Steve agree to take the four women to the first ranch they come to on the trail.

The stories of the four women are a mixed bag. Marcia (Martha Hyer) is soon picked up by a boyfriend and leaves so we find out nothing more about her. Elaine (Jeff Donnell) is depressed for unexplained reasons and is dropped off at the first ranch run by Ma and Pa Wyatt which turns out to be the home of her parents. While we learn nothing more about the nature of her depression (possibly homesick without wanting to admit it), the Wyatts have a troubling encounter (prior to Clay and Steve's arrival) with Lednov and his dangerous gang.

Helen (Myrna Dell), who one can describe as the unlikable "angry one," ends up staying with an Irish prospector who's eventually murdered by Lednov. That leaves the star of the film, Mary, played by the always enjoyable Gloria Grahame (known mainly for her femme fatale film noir roles). Here she's thoroughly sassy and goes up against Clay who really doesn't want her along on the trek to California. Halfway through, Mary tries to drive off in a wagon and wrecks it, almost getting killed in the process.

Clay basically agreed to have Mary come with them since she was helping brother Steve with his abc's. After the wagon incident, he has no choice but to put her on a stagecoach to the next town. The climax comes when Clay and Steve finally confront Lednov and company-there's a shootout, all the bad guys are killed but Steve sustains a flesh wound.

Back in town where Steve is being treated, Mary shows up to comfort the teenager. Clay obviously appreciates it, realizes that she's really the woman for him and they end up in a sensual kiss at film's end.

Roughshod is a mildly entertaining rom-com with enough violent scenes for (mainly) male western aficionados. Grahame has such magnetism that it's worth watching this film just to see her welcome performance. Sterling (who was primarily known for his stint on the Topper TV back in the early 50s) does well as the reluctant romantic foil to the iconic, energy-laden Grahame. Special mention for Claude Jaman Jr., a noted child actor who later ran the San Francisco International Film Festival for 15 years until 1980.

very typical western... Gloria steals the show

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 8 September 2018]

Some fun names in here....Gloria Grahame was in SO many noir films of the time. and she really steals the show here. Robert Sterling, John Ireland. Cowboy is travelling out in the old west, and comes to the rescue of four dancing girls, who left town suddenly when dancing is no longer allowed. and of course, some dangerous, escaped convicts are also still in the area. Lots of talking and arguing. Shooting, galloping. Show down at sun down. Written by Peter Viertel, who had come over from Germany under hitler. Directed by Mark Robson. It's okay. typical western. Family sometimes looking out for family. sometimes not. hunting for outlaws. shows on Turner Classics.

Worth your time.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 7 May 2022]

In the early 1940s, Robert Sterling appeared bound for stardom. After all, MGM was grooming him for bigger things and even co-starred him with their biggest star, Clark Gable. However, over the years, Sterling's career never really took off and by the time of "Roughshod", he was starring in what was essentially a second-rate film. It wasn't a B, as at nearly 90 minutes it was too long to be a B-movie. But its cast and aspirations weren't exactly huge and it was made by the struggling RKO.

The story begins with a senseless murder. It seems three convicted killers somehow escaped from prison and to get clothes and a meal, they bushwhack three innocent guys. Soon the territory is crawling with folks looking for the escapees...and the leader of the escapees (John Ireland) is looking to find Clay (Sterling) and make him pay for some past wrong.

As for Clay, the story is told from his viewpoint and his younger brother (Claude Jarmin Jr.). The pair are planning on retiring to a nice ranch somewhere when they learn about the escape....and Clay knows they'll be coming for him. However, what he never could have anticipated was their being saddled with some 'bad girls'* and much of the film is spent trying to get them to safety.

I put bad girls in quotations because the film is VERY vague about them. I assume they were prostitutes but could have perhaps been B-girls (women who hang out in bars and whose job it is to get customers to drink). I think the Production Code prevented the film from being more explicit.

So is the story any good? Well, it's a slightly better western than average but it also isn't much of an opportunity for Sterling to show his talents. Mostly his character just seems bilious and grouchy, but the story is decent and Jarmin and Gloria Graham are excellent in supporting roles.

roughshod

[mossgrymk · 5/10 · 30 August 2021]

Utterly undistinguished western that if made ten years later would have been a mid level episode of a mid level TV series like "Rifleman" or "Wagon Train". The only interesting thing about it, aside from a typically good Gloria Grahame performance, is the bad guy having a Russian name. Guess one of the screenwriters or director Mark Robson, a notorious butthole, was trying to impress the HUAC crowd. Give it a C.

Western Drama

[GManfred · 14 December 2012]

Usually, westerns have a lot more action than "Roughshod". This one, however, is a character study starring Robert Sterling and Gloria Grahame and is a likable, well made picture. Peculiar storyline has Sterling and his younger brother trying to herd some horses to another town. Along the way they encounter Grahame and 3 other dance hall girls with a broken-down wagon enroute elsewhere, having been deemed morally bankrupt and driven out of a neighboring town. Sterling is also being chased by a vengeful John Ireland and 2 other escaped cons for some payback.

The story is mainly about a budding -or not- romance between Sterling and Grahame which Sterling is trying to fight off. He is trying to maintain a righteous front for his younger brother played by Claude Jarman, Jr. in an excellent performance. As noted by other users, Gloria Grahame fans will enjoy seeing her in an admittedly routine role, but she has never looked prettier than here.

The action is all in the last 10 minutes in an exciting finale. It is an unremarkable, ultimately satisfying film that grows on you and lasts only 88 minutes. It almost makes you forget that is mostly a talking picture that could have used a little more energy and maybe some second unit stuff.