Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Jackson Booth-Millard This B-movie is one that was listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, it had average ratings by critics, so I questioned why it would have this kind of high recommendation, the only way to find out was to watch it. Basically in the western town of Silver Lode, Dan Ballard (John Payne) is a respected citizen, he and Rose Evans (Lizabeth Scott) are getting married. But the wedding is interrupted by four Marshal Fred McCarty (Dan Duryea) and his deputies riding into town, McCarty is an old acquaintance of Ballard, who they have come to arrest, accused of the murder of McCarty's brother, and the theft of $20,000. Ballard denies the charges and intends to do whatever it takes to gather evidence and prove himself innocent. At first the citizens of Silver Lode are on his side, but gradually they turn against him. Ballard is then accused by the townspeople of killing Sheriff Wooley (Emile Meyer), only his love Rose, and saloon girl Dolly (Dolores Moran) are left. Ballard struggles to stay out of the clutches of McCarty and the phoney lawmen, and it all comes to a head in the final showdown with a shootout breaking out in Silver Lode, but ultimately, the good guy beats the bad guys. Also starring Robert Warwick as Judge Cranston, John Hudson as Michael 'Mitch' Evans, Harry Carey Jr. as Johnson, Alan Hale Jr. as Kirk, Stuart Whitman as Wickers and Frank Sully as Paul Herbert. Payne is a slightly dull hero, Scott is alright as his fiancée, Duryea is a reasonable villain, and Moran gets her moments as the local floozy, the film is pretty much exactly the same as High Noon, on a wedding day with a final showdown, there is certainly some good photography, use of colour, costumes and the setting, all together it is a reasonable classic Western. Worth watching!

Dalbert Pringle Released in 1954 - Silver Lode stands tall as a pretty decent Western in its own right. True. Its familiar story can easily be compared to "High Noon" in many ways, but, nevertheless, it is an entertaining cowboy flick, all the same.Filmed with the obvious restrictions of its B-movie budget, this vintage, Technicolor Western tells the tale of Dan Ballard, a decent man (relatively new to town) who (on his wedding day, which also happens to be the 4th of July) finds himself being accused of cold-blooded murder and the theft of $20,000.This unjust accusation is leveled at Ballard by Marshal McCarty, a very mean and forceful lawman, who unexpectedly arrives in town from Discovery, California, in the company of his 3 rough-looking deputies.Needless to say, an intense conflict takes place that quickly escalates into an all-out gunfight which has almost every able-bodied man in town involved (and even some of the women).With his life now hanging delicately in the balance, Ballard soon finds himself a hunted man in his own hometown. A vicious, mindless mob-mentality takes over as the citizens of Silver Lode pursue Ballard with a blind, hateful vengeance.Silver Lode was a film that was very much a product of its time. It was produced during the "McCarthy" era, when film producers, writers and actors were called to account during a (literal) political witch hunt.This film's screenplay reflects the concerns of the American people of that time in regards to matters such as truth and liberty in what they believed to be a free society.With a running time of only 80 minutes, Silver Lode moved along at a really good clip. Its cast included John Payne, Dan Duryea, Harry Carey Jr., and Lizabeth Scott.

Sean Morrow Dan Duryea is the reason I decided to watch this western and he is wonderful but far from the only reason I rate the movie an 8. The action starts with Dan and three other riders (Harry Carey Jr and Alan Hale Jr for gosh sakes... you know you're in for a good time) riding into the town of Silver Lode on forth of July. They're looking for the man named "Dan Ballard" but everyone they ask gives them the cold shoulder, one remarks they know a gunfighter when they see one. Turns out Dan is a federal marshal named Ned McCarty (other reviews have noted the McCarthy similarity and I agree with them on that) come to take Ballard -- solidly played by John Payne -- prisoner back to California for a murder rap. The victim is, it turns out, McCarty's brother and there is also a matter of $20,000 stolen at the same time.At first the town's people are solidly behind Ballard but gradually they come around to bow McCarty's assumed authority and turn against Ballard. This is done rather well, not nearly as heavy handedly as might be. Many reviewers have noted the similarity to "High Noon", it's sort of a "High Noon" in reverse. While that's mighty high company the comparison is not out of line and the wonderful direction of Allan Dwan makes up for the lower production values. This is a good story, well made and worth looking for.

Boba_Fett1138 As something original and different this is a pretty interesting movie to watch. It's a western but not one with a story that involves a typical gunslinger story or revenge plot.It's a movie in which a man who is about to get married has to defend himself in front of its town and town-folks, when he man, who claims to be an U.S. Marshall, rides into town with a warrant for his arrest and accuses him of having committed a murder. This whole story provides the movie with a different approach like you would normally expect from a western. If I have to compare it to anything else, the movie "The Ox-Bow Incident" is the one that comes the most close to it.Even though its an interesting and original approach it doesn't also mean that the movie is great throughout to watch. The movie does certainly feel a bit dated and its being a bit awkward to watch at times because its action and just the movie overall feels a bit clumsy and is cheap looking at times.The story itself also of course doesn't provide the movie with much spectacular fireworks. Not that the movie is dull or anything but at times I wished there would be some less talking and also less characters involved with the story.This movie would had most likely not cost a lot of money to make. It has an unknown director at the helm and also an unknown cast in it. Directing and acting-wise this is also not really a movie that impresses much but due to the fact that its original and different this movie still remains a perfectly good one and also interesting one to watch.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/