Man of the West (1958)
Based on the book “The Boarder Jumpers” this adaptation stars Gary Cooper in the familiar western theme of the man who can not escape his past. A reformed outlaw is on a train which is held up while loading on extra wood and gets left behind when the train flees the bandits. Returning to his former hide out he finds that his controlling uncle is the one in charge of the bandits that attempted to rob the train. Stuck along with the former bandit are two stock characters in a con man/gambler/coward and a female school teacher.
Our hero has to balance the suspicions of his old gang that he has not really rejoined them willingly along with protecting the other abandoned passengers and getting back the gold his villagers entrusted him with. As you might expect the film is never going to end with a full complement of characters still living. There is a lot that is fairly predictable about this film and Gary Cooper does seem pretty old to be rolling around in fist fights but the movie holds together.
Nothing really stands out about this film one way or another so I give it 3/5, not worth seeking out but watch-able.
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