Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20723 in VHS
• Released on: 1993-03-24
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Black & White, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 88 minutes

Customer Reviews

Cowboy Noir
At a time when Hollywood was turning out dozens of urban noirs like Force of Evil, European expressionism's moody style reached into even that most American of genres -- the Western. Films like Pursued, Roughshod, and Blood on the Moon, all contain strong elements of noir, particularly in the use of light and shadow. Though conventional in most repects, darkening landscapes nonetheless erupt in this film like some sinster version of John Ford's sunny pictorialism, while shadows creep menacingly across claustrophobic exteriors. No one is to be trusted. And in the middle of the murk lurks that icon of noirish ambiguity -- Robert Mitchum, fitting easily into the peculiarly passive role of saddle tramp caught in the middle of a range war. As could be expected, Robert Preston's aggressive villian makes a charming foil to the laid-back Mitchum; with Barbara Bel Geddes in an unusually strong female role. Overall, however, the movie represents an uneasy blend of outstanding location photography with shabby sound stage settings. The film really works best as a document of its time for those movie historians interested in the evolution of styles.

Excellent Mitchum Western
Blood On The Moon is a western done right - a stalwart, tough-as-nails hero, a low-down, dastardly villain, a strong woman who loves the hero in spite of his faults and failings, and a great supporting cast.

Mitchum plays Jim Garry, a cowboy who great with a gun, who's brought to town by Tate Riling, played by Robert Preston. Riling is leading a fight against a cattleman who is expanding his turf, and moving a large herd of cattle through the town. Ostensibly, Riling is protecting the interest of the smaller ranchers in the area, but he shares with Garry his dark secret, which is that he is conspiring to force the rancher into selling all of his herd to himself at a bargain price. He needs good gunhands, which is why he called for Garry.

Garry goes along with the plan at first, but when he gets to know the rancher's youngest daughter, played by Barbara Bel Geddes, and when he sees the human cost of Riling's plan, as reflected by the loss of life incurred by the ranchers following Riling, Garry backs out, and the real war is on.

Mitchum is stalwart, Preston is evil, Bel Geddes is believably smart and tough as the young daughter, and Walter Brennan is his usual reliable self as a rancher who loses his son partnering with Preston. This is one of Mitchum's very best, and deserves to be on DVD as soon as possible.

"I've Known Dogs Wouldn't Claim You For a Son"
This entertaining western full of atmosphere is one of Robert Mitchum's best. RKO made many great films in different genres and this one crosses boundaries, mixing elements of a standard western with a complex story and film noir undertones.

Director Robert Wise used rain and some moody lighting in some scenes to give a different feel to this oater. The script by Lillie Hayward is more complex than many westerns and Roy Webb's typically fine score give this one a unique mood and feel.

Mitchum is Jim Garry, a rider supposedly just passing through who in truth has been brought in as a hired gun by his old pal Riley (Robert Preston) to take over the huge herd of a man named Lutton and get rich. It is a complicated scheme involving army beef and Riley's duping of homesteaders into believing they are fighting Sutton to save their land.

But the methods of Garry's old pal leave a bad taste in his mouth which completely turns sour because of the sudden belief shown in him by Sutton's spunky daughter, Amy (Barbara Bel Geddes). Garry also becomes aware that Amy's sister, Carol (Phyllis Thaxter) is being used by Riley for information. Coupled with Garry's liking of Kris Bardin (Walter Brennan) and his regret that the widower loses his remaining son during the fallout, Amy's goodness begins to show on Jim, and it isn't long before a showdown with Riley and his other gunman is on the horizon.

Despite its noir undertones, this is a subtle and intelligent film in many ways. Amy's sensing the man inside Gary, and how she easily sees his shame and regret at most of his life is quite telling. A conversation between the two, when she gives him the revelation that he will be lost forever if he walks away from the fight, simply because no one believes in him, seems like a scene from a deeper and more complex film than a western.

There is a great ending involving a crusty Brennan, an injured Mitchum, and Amy pitted against Riley and his gunman. Both Bel Gedes and Phyllis Thaxter are excellent here. Mitchum is, well, Mitchum, which is about all you could want in a film such as this. This is a fine oater with a nice and old-fashioned romance and a good story with a bit of a noir atmosphere. A must for Mitchum fans.