''Riding Shotgun'' is a 1954 American

western film The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

directed by

Andre DeToth Endre Antal Miksa DeToth, better known as Andre de Toth (born Endre Antal Mihály Tóth; May 15, 1913 – October 27, 2002), was a Hungarian-American film director, born and raised in Makó, Austria-Hungary. He directed the 3D film ''House of ...

and starring Randolph Scott,

Wayne Morris Wayne Morris (born Bert DeWayne Morris Jr. February 17, 1914 – September 14, 1959) was an American film and television actor, as well as a decorated World War II fighter ace. He appeared in many films, including ''Paths of Glory'' (1957), '' ...

and

Joan Weldon Joan Weldon (born Joan Louise Welton; August 5, 1930 – February 11, 2021) was an American actress and singer in film, television, and theatre. Early years Weldon was born in San Francisco, California in 1930. Her grandmother, Olio Cornell, rai ...

. The film was based on the short story "Riding Solo" by Kenneth Perkins, originally published in the September 1942 issue of ''

Blue Book A blue book or bluebook is an almanac, buyer's guide or other compilation of statistics and information. The term dates back to the 15th century, when large blue velvet-covered books were used for record-keeping by the Parliament of England. The ...

''. The production is unusual in that Scott narrates his inner thoughts at crucial moments in the action.

Plot

Stagecoach guard Larry Delong is ambushed by a gang of outlaws associated with Dan Marady, the man who murdered his sister and nephew. Delong has been searching for Marady, intending to kill him. When he returns to the town of Deep Water, Delong discovers that nearly everyone there believes he was involved in a holdup of the stage on which he had been the guard. The robbery resulted in the deaths of the stage driver and of the man who sat in for Delong. With no one other than Orissa Flynn, his sweetheart, and Doc Winkler heeding his warnings that Marady's men are coming to rob the town, Delong is forced to take refuge in a

cantina A cantina is a type of bar common in Latin America and Spain. The word is similar in etymology to " canteen", and is derived from the Italian word for a cellar, winery, or vault. In Italy, the word ''cantina'' refers to a room below the groun ...

. A lynch mob forms, with deputy Tub Murphy trying to hold them off until the sheriff's posse returns. Marady's men, including an accomplice, Pinto, rob the bank while the townspeople are distracted. Delong escapes through an attic and sabotages the getaway horses of Malady's gang. A shootout results in Marady mistakenly believing, fatally, that Delong is out of bullets.

Cast

* Randolph Scott as Larry Delong *

as Deputy Sheriff Tub Murphy *

as Orissa Flynn *

Joe Sawyer Joe Sawyer (born Joseph Sauers, August 29, 1906 – April 21, 1982) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1927 and 1962, and was sometimes billed under his birth name. Early life Sawyer was born August 29, 1 ...

as Tom Biggert *

James Millican James Millican (February 17, 1911 – November 24, 1955) was an American actor with over 200 film appearances mostly in western movies. Millican was the son of Fred S. Millican, a circus owner, and Dorothy Millican. Millican was a clos ...

as Dan Marady * Charles Buchinsky aka Charles Bronson as Pinto * James Bell as Doc Winkler *

Fritz Feld Fritz Feld (October 15, 1900 – November 18, 1993) was a German-American film character actor who appeared in over 140 films in 72 years, both silent and sound. His trademark was to slap his mouth with the palm of his hand to create a "pop" s ...

as Fritz

References

External links

* * * * 1954 films 1954 Western (genre) films American Western (genre) films Films directed by Andre DeToth Warner Bros. films Films based on short fiction Films scored by David Buttolph 1950s English-language films 1950s American films {{1950s-Western-film-stub