Posse from Hell (1961) User Reviews

Murphy at his best

[junkof9-1 · 7/10 · 27 August 2008]

I've long been a fan of Audie Murphy and event his lesser movies are better than most of the drivel that comes out of Hollywood today.

This is a good movie on its merits and not just as a vehicle for Murphy. It works well on all levels - story, acting, and directing. What I most enjoyed is the fact each actor is given screen time to rise above the stereotypes and create a memorable character - even if they only have a few lines.

The two I remember most are the young banker Seymour Kern (John Saxon) and the Mexican cowboy Johnny Caddo (Rudolph Acosta). Saxon in particular does well showing true, believable growth; he isn't just there as a foil/sidekick for Murphy to play off of but as a genuine character treated as equally important to the storyline. Acosta, usually a villain in the movies, plays an equally important role as a Spanish cowboy who joins simply because "it's the right thing to do".

superior B-Western on all levels

[chipe · 7/10 · 19 June 2013]

Very superior B-Western. It is well cast. The posse is made of heterogeneous, well fleshed-out characters --more so than the usual Western. I enjoyed everything about the film, even stolid, amiable star Audie Murphy, who seemed tolerable. Most of the time, in an understated way, he seemed to keep from laughing out loud or reprimanding his inept posse crew. It must amuse most fans that while Murphy was the most decorated American soldier in WW II (maybe US history) in real life, his movie presence is often milquetoast.

I want to mention three very unusual things about this movie, all commendable in my opinion: One, in most Westerns the bad guys hold up the bank, quickly race out of town, and an instant posse takes off after them. But here there was an amazing scene that I found believable and in tune with the movie. The bad guys killed the marshal and some others and DIDN'T rush out of town. Instead they took over the saloon, sat down at some tables and gave orders and threats and killed some as examples, for an extended period of time. It made some sense to me. The townsfolk were not soldiers or gunmen. They didn't want to die, so they didn't fight back.

Two, when the posse came across one fatally wounded outlaw (Van Cleef), he lie on the ground telling them that they had a duty to care for his wounds, but Murphy said they couldn't spare a man to take Van Cleef back to town or to tend to him on the spot, so they had to leave him to die there.

Three, most Westerns would end with the death of the last outlaw, but not this one. After the last outlaw is killed, Murphy carries John Saxon (good as a posse member) a few miles back to town in triumph to be congratulated. But the film refuses to end there. There is a lot of talk about the dead marshal who had recommended bad boy gunfighter Murphy for the job, about Murphy possibly becoming the new marshal and talk with the girl (Zohra Lampert, a favorite of everyone) about her future.

There is always someone or something worthwhile. We just have to look hard enough.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 9 December 2011]

Posse from Hell is directed by Herbert Coleman and adapted to screenplay by Clair Huffaker from his own novel of the same name. It stars Audie Murphy, John Saxon, Zohra Lampert, Rodolfo Acosta, Royal Dano, Robert Keith and Vic Morrow. Out of Universal-International, it's an Eastman Color production with cinematography by Clifford Stine and music supervised by Joseph Gershenson.

1880 and four escapees from death row ride into the small town of Paradise intent on causing mayhem. After robbing the bank and killing innocent men in the saloon, the men escape out of Paradise, taking with them a female hostage. A posse is formed, to be led by the slain Marshal's friend, ex-gunfighter Banner Cole, but good men are hard to find and Cole senses he would be better off on his own. But although many will die from this point on, from such adversity can heroes and friendships be born....

A little under seen and under appreciated is Posse from Hell. Hardly a deep psychological Western that strips bare the characters out on the trail, but certainly a picture high on action, blood and gutsy bravado. The title is a little misleading because the posse assembled is practically a roll call of stereotypes: gunman turned good, tenderfoot, man of different race ostracised, vengeful brother, pretty gal emotionally damaged, ex-army guy, wanna be kid gunslinger, and on it goes. Yet there is grim textures in the narrative (rape/revenge/cold blooded murder) and Gershenson scores it with horror movie strains. Even the blood red titles that open the picture look like something from a Hammer Horror production, clearly Coleman, Huffaker and co were aiming for a hellish wild west while cheekily having their posse formed out of a town called Paradise! A place where not all the citizens are stand up folk.

For Murphy fans this rounds out as real good value, he gets to do a number of great scenes like pouncing on a rattlesnake and diving through a window, while there's plenty of gun play moments for him to get his teeth into. But it also represents a good characterisation performance from him as Banner Cole, a man rough around the edges but definitely beating a humanist heart underneath the tough exterior. Around Murphy is a group of solid pros and up and coming stars, there's the odd iffy performance (Frank Overton) and overacting (Paul Carr), but nothing that overtly hurts the film. Main problem with it is that the villains remain elusive to us as characters, galling because we have been teased greatly in the opening section where we were introduced to some delicious villainy from Morrow as the leader Crip and Lee Van Cleef as Leo. More Morrow as a reprehensible bastard was definitely needed!

Major plus point is the use of Lone Pine, Alabama Hills, for the exteriors. A wonderfully rugged, yet beautiful part of the world, where the weird rock and boulder formations envelope the characters as a reminder that it's tough out here in the west. It's an area that Budd Boetticher and Randy Scott used to great effect for their superb Ranown Westerns. It's a shame that Boetticher never worked with Murphy more, for I feel sure he really could have gotten another 25% out of him, especially around the early 60s period. Still, Posse from Hell is a very enjoyable Audie Murphy picture, a bit more violent than most of his other Westerns, it's one that if you can forgive the odd creak here and there? And not expect some posse containing Satan's offspring? Then entertained you shall be. 7/10

Above average Eastmancolor B-Western with a good pace and one of Audie Murphy's most underrated.

[DeuceWild_77 · 7/10 · 20 February 2020]

Medium budget'd B-Western, starred by the all-american clean shaved Audie Murphy, one of the most condecorated combat soldiers of World War II which turned Hollywood star, mostly in Western films, with more than 40 credits in his resumé. Stoic, healthy, soft-spoken with a natural shyness, but projecting an on-screen likeability that earned him his loyal fanbase, Audie Murphy was (and still is) one of the most beloved American icons.

"Posse from Hell" directed by Herbert Coleman, making his debut in the director's chair after being an assistant director, and shot by Clifford Stine in the beautiful palette of Eastmancolor, is one of Audie's most underrated Westerns.

Written by Clair Huffaker, based on his own novel, tells the story of four fugitives from death row that rode to the pacific town of Paradise, and after killing the Town Marshal, they made hostage a beautiful girl and ran away with $11,200 from the Bank. Former gunfighter Banner Cole (Murphy) arrives to town the next day and makes a promise to the dying Marshal that will form a Posse and bring the four men to justice.

The story itself is nothing new to the genre and has been seen before in countless B-Westerns, but the way it was shot and paced, makes a joyful entertaining and exciting experience to the viewer. The movie looks good visually and the cinematography is above par, including nicely composed shots from Alabama Hills, Lone Pine and Olancha Dunes in California.

Audie Murphy plays himself effortlessly, with a good bunch of supporting players, including a young John Saxon; a sadly underused Vic Morrow as the leader of the fugitives pack; future Western icon, Lee Van Cleef; method actress Zohra Lampert and the character actors Robert Keith, Rodolfo Acosta, Frank Overton, Royal Dano and Ward Ramsey, among others.

"Posse from Hell" could have been more nastier (as the story suggests) and could have ended sooner, but with Audie aboard, he made sure that his moral valors and code of honor were there to the character's redemption, with the film ending in a positive note. Every Audie Murphy's is a happy end and that's what his fans want.

I give it a 7.5

Recommended !!

"Yeah, well, the more punishment you take, the tougher you get."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 9 November 2016]

Audie Murphy fan or not, one needs no other reason to watch this Western than to catch all the cool supporting players. Not all of them are on screen much or last very long, but there's a bit of a who's who list of veteran character actors in the bunch, guys like Harry Lauter (the first to go actually in an early violent scene), Royal Dano, Lee Van Cleef, Ray Teal, Rocky Lane and I. Stanford Jolley among the cast list. And that's without even mentioning the great support from John Saxon, Vic Morrow and Rodolfo Acosta.

This one has Murphy in the role of a conflicted hero. I'd be curious to know how many times he appeared in films as a villain and as a good guy; he seemed to pop up in these B Westerns on both sides of the law as it were. One thing I thought the story could have done a better job with was with Cole Banner's (Murphy) back story, as we're given some sort of a hint by the dying Sheriff Webb (Ward Ramsey), but those details never materialize.

Leading a rag-tag posse in pursuit of four bank robbers from the town of Paradise, Banner takes some meager satisfaction in acknowledging that most of it's members aren't worth their salt. Probably the best element of the story deals with elite New York banker Kern (Saxon) and Indian guide Johnny Caddo (Acosta) proving their worth out on the trail, while hell bent for leather gunslinger Wiley (Paul Carr) freezes up during his very first, real live gunfight. That was a tough exit for Wiley.

There's also the uncomfortable theme of rape occurring off screen that provides moments of angst for Helen Caldwell (Zohra Lampert), kidnapped by the Crip Gang and left to fend for herself in the desert. Desperate to the point of suicide over her fate, Banner manages to convince her to return to Paradise and deal with her abuse constructively. I was relieved the story didn't try to take her relationship with Banner in the direction of a romance, it would have been all wrong for the dynamic of the picture.

Over all I'd rate this as one of Audie Murphy's better Western efforts, a notch below my personal favorite, "No Name on the Bullet". The one you really need to see though is his true life story depicted in 1955's "To Hell and Back", depicting Murphy's World War II service. As far as this picture goes, it seems to me there was one plot element left dangling at the end of the story, and that would be - how did Johnny Caddo's body make it back to Paradise for burial in the town cemetery?

Decent Murphy Western that has rigour look , violence , action-packed and wild energy

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 15 August 2020]

Here stars a lawman called Banner (Audie Murphy) , he is a deputy who goes after bad guys led by Crip (Vic Morrow) , four baddies escapees from death row , they shot his friend and kidnapped a local girl named Helen Caldwell (Zohra Lampert) and with rape in mind . But the posse of the coward inhabitants of the small town gradually abandon him . Only a tenderfoot banker clerk accompanies him at whatever risks .Two steel-nerved and two-fisted men take apart a gang of gun-mad killers who had looted the whole Southwest! Together They Team Up As An Avenging Posse From Hell! Only A Posse From Hell Could Stop The Gun-Mad Spawn Of The Devil!

This exciting Western packs thrills , hard-edged scenes , pursuits , spectacular shootouts , brief character studio and lots of gutsy action . Brawling , sprawling , almost primitive action in which our protagonist is forced to participate in a posse , teeming across the screen by means of gun-play , go-riding , attacks , and ambushes . The picture contains whirlwinds of frantic action , fights , sustained energy and often commendable results with a plot reminiscent of several classic Westerns .The film has a slickness and crude vigour , including impressive outdoors with rocky mountains stunningly photographed by cameraman Clifford Stine , being shot on location in Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, Olancha Dunes, Olancha, California, and Universal studios . Audie Murphy gives a nice acting in his usual style as Banner Cole , a tough sheriff's deputy who forms a small posse to go after some bandits .Murphy won more than 20 medals , being the most decorated American soldier , including the Congressional Medal of Honor and he was also awarded five decorations by France and Belgium . He starred a rendition on his own self-biography titled ¨To Hell and back¨ that was an acceptable picture based on actual events about Audie Murphy who played himself following his Army career in WWII , being professionally directed by Jesse Hibbs and it was a box-office hit for Universal Pictures and its record was apparently not broken until Jaws (1975) . Murphy starred a great number of Westerns as ¨The kid from Texas¨, ¨Cimarron Kid¨, ¨Gunpoint¨, ¨Night Passage¨, ¨The Gunrunners¨, ¨Posse from Hell¨, ¨Gunfight at Comanche¨, ¨Rifles Apaches¨, ¨The Unforgiven¨, ¨Red badge of courage¨, ¨Legend of Sam Ward¨, ¨Whispering Smith¨, ¨40 Guns at Apache pass¨ , ¨Texas kid¨ , among others . Being usually directed by Jesse Hibbs who directed various Audie Murphy vehicles such as : this ¨To hell and Back¨ (1955) , ¨World in My Corner¨ (1956) , ¨Ride a Crooked Trail¨ (1958) , ¨Medal of Honor¨ and ¨To Hell and Back¨.In ¨Posse from Hell¨(1951) Murphy is well accompanied by the young John Saxon as a kind clerk in one of his first films and the unknown Zohra Lampert as a girl abused by the captors , being really rejected by the hostile citizens who feel revulsion for her . Support cast is frankly nice , providing splendid interpretations , such as : Vic Morrow , Robert Keith , Rodolfo Acosta , Royal Dano , Frank Overton , James Bell , Paul Carr , Stuart Randall , Charles Horvath , Ray Teal and Lee Van Cleef pre-Sergio Leone's For a fistful of dollars more .

The motion picture was well written by Western expert Clair Huffaker and competently directed by Herbert Coleman. This professional director Coleman demonstrates a special talent for making the densest action sequences seem uncomplicated and uncluttered and his characters , like the scenes distinguished , often have an unfettered , raw power . He only directed this film and one warlike movie : Battle at Bloody Beach . However he's considered to be a prestigious producer , financing various Alfred Hitchcock films , such as : Vertigo , North by Northwest , To catch a thief , The Wrong Man , The trouble with Harry .Rating : 6.5/10. Acceptable and above average Western . Well worth watching .

a diverse posse

[j_eyon · 6/10 · 15 September 2012]

better than average Audie Murphy western with more sharply defined characters than usual - plus a good script that brings freshness - and even fun - to the heavily traveled chase 'em plot

the actors help a lot - Robert Keith as the grizzled ex Civil War soldier who keeps trying to take over the posse - Rudolph Acosta as an Indian trying to be accepted - John Saxon as a soft Easterner reluctantly shoved into posse duty - Paul Carr as an eager young man handy with pistols - to name a few - somehow the script makes this diverse group interesting without making them annoying - the one notable exception is the 1-dimensional quality of the kidnapped girl as written - fortunately - the role was given over to the way-too-talented Zohra Lampert - and she brings this small part to life

the represents the type of effort that makes genre enjoyable

One motley posse

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 24 July 2014]

Posse From Hell is my second favorite Audie Murphy western, his best being No Name On The Bullet. It's Audie who is leading the men who make up the Posse From Hell, he's a deputy tracking down the killer of the marshal and another citizen from his town of Paradise.

Four prize specimens scheduled to hang escape from territorial prison and come upon the town and terrorize it, taking with them as hostage and sex toy Zohra Lampert. The leader of the four is Vic Morrow who packs a deadly shotgun. Morrow is absolutely riveting in his evil, this may very well be his career role.

In fact Posse From Hell has many good supporting parts, Robert Keith plays a vain Civil War soldier looking to recapture some of his former prestige or acquire some he never had. John Saxon also stands out as a bank clerk who's from the east who joins the posse to see if he has the right stuff. Rudolfo Acosta who usually plays bad guys plays an Indian who joins the posse as a tracker and takes a lot of guff from the more self righteous whites.

Seeing how deadly Morrow is with a shotgun this is an image that will disturb you and stay with you a long time.

A nice cast of familiar players help Audie Murphy make this one of his best westerns. An absolute must for his fans.

4 escaped cons rape and pillage across the old west

[helpless_dancer · 7/10 · 17 February 2000]

A reluctant deputy takes an even more reluctant posse after 4 dangerous thugs who killed several townspeople and left with a hostage. The posse is so inept that several of them are gunned down while engaging the enemy on 3 or 4 occasions. Ol' Murph tried to keep them in line but they were mostly pretty hopeless. Lots of gunplay made for a good western, even if it was a little lame.

Posse from Hollyfad

[Brooks-9 · 4/10 · 15 September 1999]

The producer spent enough money on this film for it to have been a real tribute to Murphy and some new talent that came along with him. In spite of liberal financing, the chemistry of the picture is as a gourmet meal spoiling & decomposing over some hot days of being left out on the table -- and yet not as if this film had gone stale from protracted timing or over-working. Simply put: the production money had been spent in the wrong places; although technically, there was no lacking of potential, and a number of scenes are actually very good -- only to be spoilt in brand "x" followups & careless errors. The screenwriting editors seem greatly to be blamed. The cinematography was "competent" TV-style dead-panning, with little imagination. It seemed to have been deliberately sabotaged by corny, even shoddy, lapses in set, dialogue, and cinematography -- all set to lavishly overdone Gershwin music. It is as if somebody tried to make an upside-down parody of 'Schindler's List' into a Western -- and succeeded in canning all of the "vitality" of the picture. This film is as if all of the life had been taken out of 'Hud' and lot's of action / colour had been forced-in instead. This film is a cinematographical nightmare that one has in the early morning hours before awaking, after eating too much of a rich dinner. Audie should have known better than to have made this film the way it was; he ought to have produced it himself and done it right. In sum, 'POSSE...' is one of the examples of fine Westerns ceasing to be made. At best, it paved the way for the "spaghetti" phenomena that ushered in the Clint Eastwood era...and the last death throws of the Westerns' golden age [...1927-1961...]. One can only ask, 'Why?'

Above Average Audie Murphy Western with Some Really Bad Bad Guys

[LeonLouisRicci · 8/10 · 19 June 2016]

Audie Murphy Over John Wayne Any Day. Real Life War Hero Audie Murphy was an Admired Man who was Brave, Courageous, and True. He Admitted that Acting was a Battle He Never Won. With a Likable Screen Persona He Soldered through a Career including many a Western. This was One of His Best.

A Solid Cast of B-Movie Actors, Striking Color Cinematography, more Violent than usual for the Time, some Truly Good vs Evil Characters, and Philosophical Musing make this an Above Average Entry in the Wagonload of Westerns in the Time Period (1950-Early 1960's).

It's a Grueling Task for the Make-Shift Posse on the Trail of some Hideous Bad-Guys lead by Vic Morrow and Lee Van Cleef. Audie and John Saxon reach Deep for some Soul Searching and the Ever Elusive, Nasty and Clever Outlaws show some Serious Signs of the Change about to Occur in Hollywood.

A Must See for Western Fans, especially Audie Murphy Cultists. The Story is well told and as Entertaining as All Get Out as these things go. This is one that the Most Decorated Military Hero in History can be Proud.

Better-than-usual Murphy film

[Marlburian · 7/10 · 3 December 2011]

Most Audie Murphy Westerns are OK, with a basic plot and very average cast, but PFH is better than average. There were lots of familiar faces in the cast, even though I couldn't put names to all of them without checking. Two were slightly out of character: Ray Teal as a banker and John Saxon as a tenderfoot. Lee van Cleef in an early role didn't have much to do before expiring, but his villainous persona was evident.

I was impressed with the way that gunshots propelled their victims backward, in contrast to the dignified collapse so often seen in Westerns,but PFH maintained the other irritating tradition of men -in this case the posse - riding off for what was obviously a very long ride with no apparent provisions.

I've always had this slight problem with Audie in that he doesn't actually look a tough guy (yes, I do know about his fantastic war record)and Randolph Scott or Burt Lancaster would have been more authentic, judging from some of their hatchet-faced portrayals of unforgiving avengers.

The only really weak point was the twee and unconvincing romantic ending.

Solid Murphy, Saxon, sadly short show from Morrow in tough Western

[adrianovasconcelos · 7/10 · 17 April 2023]

My ignorance about Director Herbert Coleman is infamous, given the fact that he worked as assistant director to Alfred Hitchcock in some of the latter's greatest work, notably NORTH BY NORTHWEST, VERTIGO.

POSSE FROM HELL has no vestiges of any Hitchcockian influence. It is shot mostly at eye level, without any psychological or specifically meaningful angles, and cinematography is strictly competent and no more than that.

The screenplay by Hufffaker contains good lines, spoken mainly by Murphy, Saxon and Morrow, the baddie with a great opening hand, shooting dead the sheriff of the town of Paradise, a few local citizens, and basically placing the town at his mercy... until Murphy turns up and whips together a seven-man posse to chase Morrow and his three henchmen.

Saxon is a particularly interesting character as a banker hailing from New York who had hardly ever ridden a horse and as a result has blistures on his bum caused by the saddle.

Still, the MVP is Murphy with a quiet, measured leadership of a bunch of misfits either biting at the bit to chase the outlaws or to jump out of the posse. Murphy delivers one of his finest performances, the high point being when he has to shoot one of the posse's men - Robert Keith, wearing military uniform, intent on implementing military tactics unsuitable to the situation at hand - and he does it because it is inevitable, and the most appropriate move under the circumstances. He shows no pity and yet he conveys unspoken sorrow over it. You can tell it is a situation he may have experienced in combat in WWII, when he became the USA's most decorated soldier ever.

To conclude, POSSE FROM HELL posts nothing groundbreaking but it is well done and it had me riveted to the end.

Definitely worth watching!

Grim Story In A Grim Landscape

[boblipton · 7/10 · 12 July 2021]

Four men scheduled to be hanged escape, kill the sheriff and three other men, and kidnap Zohra Lampert for their personal amusement. Deputy Audie Murphy forms a posse of untried men to pursue them.

It's an Audie Murphy western, and so most of the scenes center around him. Happily for the movie, he's up to it, with a grim attitude and a lack of concern for details in how he gets the job done. John Saxon is an easterner stuck out west for some reason. Drafted into the posse, he is at first more concerned with what it's going to do to his clothes and his inexperience at riding a horse; nonetheless, he's game. Other performers are also good, as the movie western slides from the simple tropes of the classic B western towards the darkness of the violent spaghetti western. There's still a veneer of law and order, but it's more about order at any price.

DP Clifford Stine spent more of his career doing second-unit work than main photography, but he shoots the Alabama Hills as grimmer than any other movie I've seen. They're not just a backdrop, they're physically oppressive.

MURPHY FORCED TO FACE HIS FEARS...!

[masonfisk · 7/10 · 19 January 2020]

Another Audie Murphy Western from 1961. A group of men ride into a town & proceed to rob & kill w/o abandon w/the sheriff being one of the victims & a woman kidnapped (& raped repeatedly). Enter Murphy, a newly hired deputy, thrust into a situation where a posse has to be formed to go after the killers. Murphy is not too pleased w/the motley crew assembled (the uncle of the kidnapped girl, a former military man, a bank representative sent along to recover the money, et al) but he's a professional & along w/an expert tracker, they stay within killing distance of the murderous pack. After a time, the posse members are killed off or leave so Murphy soon comes to the realization he'll have to overcome his own hang-ups to get the job done which works well since the prey they're after is more metaphoric than anything finally. W/a supporting cast consisting of John Saxon, Frank Overton, Royal Dano, Lee Van Cleef & Vic Morrow (Jennifer Jason Leigh's dad) as the head of the killing crew.

Decent western trying to be more

[cbmd-37352 · 6/10 · 27 December 2022]

I am no fan of Westerns, although grew up watching Gunsmoke and Bonanza because of the regular cast. Only watched this because had never seen an Audi Murphy movie and recognized some other cast.. Loved the powerful beginning, four escaped convicts with nothing to lose doing whatever they wanted, holding hostages and killing freely. The final scenes of the posse remnants chasing the bad guys were very beautifully filmed. It was all the stuff in the middle that didn't seem to fit. I then read the reviews and watched it again. I originally recognized John Saxons strong performance, but on reviewing the film I realized that he also that the best part in it. His is the only character that actually grows and develops, going from a New Yorker pressured by his boss to be part of the posse, to being a man giving his all to the the unenviable task. There are 2 great lines in this movie and he has one of them. Jock(PaulCarr) gushes about them becoming famous and being in every newspaper in the country, and Saxon replied " Hopefully not in the obituaries." One reviewer thought Frank Overton's performance was iffy, but I think it's the character he plays that's iffy. He joins the posse because his brother was one of the men killed, but he tells the undertaker that the cheapest coffin is good enough. Not surprisingly as soon as one bad guy is dead, it's good enough for him, he's done. After getting punched by Banner Cole for insulting Jonny Caddo he gets the last word "At least I didn't have to shoot one of our own men!" , as Cole was forced to do. Many people cite their trouble seeing the soft spoken, babyfaced Murphy as the guy with the Right Stuff. I think there is something similar when they see Frank Overton as this iffy character. He is a big man with a strong rich voice best known for authoritative roles as lawyer, police or army officer, and he clearly is not that in this film. But as a superb character actor, he has also excelled playing wimpier types like Morris Lacey in The Dark at the Top of the Stairs and Lee Remick rejected suitor in Wild River.

Both Paul Carr and Robert Keith are overacting, but I put the onus on the director, they fit with the heavy handed irony that weighs down the middle of the film. The ultimate irony is actually the title, the posse is from the town of Paradise, and it's headed toward Hell.

Robert Keith was in Boomerang , in which Frank Overton had his first uncredited movie part. Franks first speaking role was in No Way Out. Strangely that title was first used for a Broadway play years earlier , with Robert Keith.

Very good quality western

[tennesseecoin · 8/10 · 10 July 2020]

Good writing, very enjoyable, shows Audies acting abilities

Posse from Hell

[coltras35 · 9/10 · 2 May 2023]

Four killers break out of jail and ride into the town of Paradise. The bank is looted, three men lie dead and the gang have escaped with a hostage. Banner Cole forms a posse and pursues the murderers. As the reality of hunting down a gang of ruthless killers dawns on the chasing posse, their numbers begin to dwindle, leaving Banner and New York city banker Seymour Kern (John Saxon) to bring the outlaws to justice.

Audie Murphy stars in a tough, brooding, and violent- for its time- western that has a great cast. The posse formed consist primarily of varying characters, from a gunslinger to a greenhorn bank. The character I loved was the one played by Robert Keith - a civil war veteran who thinks his experience in the war gives him the skills the other members need. He's hilarious with his one liners.

Audie Murphy delivers a fine performance as Banner, and he might not look hatchet-faced like Randolph Scott but he comes across determined, cold as well as sympathetic. His inner strength glows as he hunts Vic Morrow- an excellent villain - and his nasty gang. The gang are quite a mean bunch, not the pencil twirling variety, which heightens the sense of danger. There's plenty of edgy gunplay, adventure and hard riding through the rugged terrain, which seems to envelope around the trio of posse members. There's a deeply moral parable about the value of society and the nature of violence expressed. Also unpleasant subject of molestation of Zohra Lambert is explored. This western can be a bit glum, a little too dark for its liking, but it's nevertheless a solid b-western which I reckon is one of Audie's best westerns. Saw this for the first time on BBC2 in 1989 shown as part of a season of Audie films.