Western Wednesdays: Abilene Town (1946)

     Abilene Town was released on January 11th, 1946. It is directed by Edwin L. Marin and written by Harold Shumate from a novel by Ernest Haycox (whose short story "Stage to Lordsburg" was the basis for John Ford's Stagecoach). In it Dan Mitchell (Randolph Scott), the Marshal of  Abilene, Kansas, becomes embroiled in a conflict between the cattlemen who run the town and the newly arrived homesteaders.

     The plot of Abilene Town not exactly a novel one. The conflict between the homesteader and the cowboy is almost as old as the genre itself. The classic example is, of course Shane but countless earlier westerns (including the silent classic Hell's Hinges which I reviewed a number of weeks ago) utilized this scenario. As is often the case with the genre, the real trick is not to have a groundbreaking story but to put a fresh spin on a familiar tale or at least to present it with real panache.

     I can't really say Abilene Town provides a fresh spin on this story. It is, in most respects, an incredibly predictable western. The story unfolds more or less as you would expect but the acting, direction and dialogue are all really solid. In many ways it is like a really expensive series western, and an entertaining one at that. There's enough action, song and dance numbers and romance to please most genre enthusiasts. Scott is a fine lead and the romantic triangle between him, the showgirl Rita (Ann Dvorak) and the shopkeepers daughter Sherry (Rhonda Fleming) is concluded in a way I didn't expect (the film is not completely without surprises)!

     Marin's direction is assured. He keeps the, at times, episodic plot moving at a good pace. The action and the dance numbers are appropriately energetic and the drama is handled with suitable gravitas. The supporting players all do an excellent job especially Edgar Buchanan as the cowardly Sheriff Bravo Trimble, who provides most of the film's comic relief. Dvorak and Fleming are both well cast as the sultry dancehall girl and the pious shopkeepers daughter respectively. Jack Lambert provides a menacing presence as the cattlemen's strongman Ed Balder. Lloyd Bridges (another familiar face for western fans) is also solid as Henry Dreiser, the homesteaders leader and a rival for Sherry's affection.

     Abilene Town is not a particularly remarkable western but it is a well made and entertaining one nonetheless!

Score: 7/10