Montana

Morgan Lane (Errol Flynn) is an Australian sheep herder. He has come to Montana to graze his sheep despite attack by murderous local cattlemen. He encounters traveling huckster Papa Otto Schultz (S. Z. Sakall). He decides to play a peddler and infiltrate the town. Maria Singleton (Alexis Smith) is one of the local cattle ranchers.

It's a fine Errol Flynn western. Sheep herders are not the usual western fare. That's an unique spin. Otherwise, it's very standard and non-challenging. There are some cowboy stunts with the stuntmen. Errol Flynn is doing his leading man work. This is fine but a little slow.

Reminds me a little of the Glenn Ford movie, "The Sheepman". Glenn Ford also brought sheep into bovine territory. I always like that movie and then just discovered this one on TCM this morning. Errol Flynn is one of my favorite actors and this little jewel will be added to my collection. The movies a classic B movie. But Errol Flynn and Alexis Smith was able to pull it off.

And to the person who called his sheepdog a mutt: that was a blue merle collie and could very well be my dog's great-great parent. Mac looked exactly like that. We lost him last year to cancer. This makes the movie even more cherished to me. I just purchased it on Amazon!

Errol Flynn, as a sheep-herder? Say it ain't sew! No wonder Flynn drank his way through this turgid Western. I'd be pulling the wool over your eyes by saying Flynn doesn't mail it in. Lots of short scenes with many edits plus obvious studio cuts against outdoor backdrops. Flynn's first film in 1950 but the miles and trials were taking a toll on Errol. His eyes were too bloodshot to shoot some scenes.

Nevertheless, the Technicolor cinematography (Calabasas Ranch)is first rate plus production values make up for the drab characters. It's tough to care about anyone except beautiful, flaming redhead, Alexis Smith. I've never seen whiter teeth in my life. Cute little scar on her chin too. Flynn and Smith have some nice scenes plus sing a fun little ditty: Reckon, I'm in love! Seriously, it's not bad! A sheep-herder invades cattle country! If this sounds like a bum steer of a film, you're probably right but it's Flynn in his final decade. He went downhill fast from here but "amoung other things", he still looks good next to Alexis.

this is a very primitive western with terrible screenplay, wordy dialog, but most of all, the annoying childish cartoon-like music would drive you crazy. the directing was basic, deadbeat and breathless due to a lifeless screenplay, the acting of all the characters in this boring film were badly affected by the lousy script. when these sheepherders went into the territory of the cattlemen, they didn't pay any attention to the eminent danger, drinking and singing around the camp fire, what a stupid arrangement was that? when the cattlemen attacked them at night, there was only a gun available to fight back, what made the guy think that he could deal with the self-entitled cattlemen in Montana? the childish screenplay then forcefully developed into a more stupid scenario with a gunfight in the tavern, then the guy met a pretty local girl in town that was so predictably boring and so formulaic stupid. do i have to go on and on with the annoying sound track? sorry, no can do.

This was the beginning of the final years for Errol Flynn, he was still good in this surprise less story full of charm and action, a bit different an dmore effective than George Marshall's THE SHEEPMAN for Metro Goldwyn Mayer. It is rather short for a major Warner flick, maybe because Ray Enright was the director and not William Keighley or William Wellman. This scheme concerning sheepmen vs cattle owners war has certainly been told many times, besides this one and THE SHEEPMAN; I guess they are both the most important films. So, to summarize, that's a prety good old fashioned western in the pure Hollywood style. Well done, very professional piece of work.