The Sunday Afternoon Western: More Dead Than Alive (Region 1)
This is a strange little film, a pacifist western with an ambiguous message. Clint Walker star of TV’s Cheyenne plays “Killer” Cain who upon release from prison after 18 years is determined to go straight and make an honest living. His reputation presedes however and unable to find decent work he’s ultimately forced to join a travelling sideshow and make money from his notorious past.
After a big opening action scene featuring a prison break that goes awry the film settles down to a more easy going pace with Walker travelling around looking for work, meeting artist Monica Alton (Anne Francis) and generally doing his best to avoid trouble. When he hooks up with Dan Ruffalo’s sideshow he takes the place of young sharpshooter Billy as the show’s main attraction. It’s here that the film really comes into it’s own as Billy, Ruffalo and Cain travel from town to town making an “honest” living. It’s Cain’s relationship with the two men that forms the cornerstone of the film.
As Ruffalo, Vincent Price steals every scene he’s in. He may be a conman but Price also brings a twisted decency to Ruffalo; he may be exploiting Cain but you get the feeling he’s also trying to help the guy. At the time price was usually seen either in his trademark horror roles or as a guest star on TV shows like Batman and this must have made a pleasant change for the criminaly underused actor.
In the important role of Billy, the youngster who at first hero worships Cain before turning against him, Paul Hampton does a credible job. He may go a little over the top in a couple of scenes but he works well with Price and Walker. You know the character will come to a bad end but Hampton keeps you hoping he’ll wise up. He’s not a bad man just young and foolish but sometimes that will get you killed.
At the centre of the film is Walker’s performance as the rehabilitated Cain. It’s not hard to believe this hulking brute of a man could be a killer but with his easygoing charm Walker convinces you that he’s a changed man who deserves another chance. There’s a nobility about Cain rarely seen in westerns of this era, the character most closely resembles Alan Ladd’s Shane in temperament (though certainly not in stature).
There’s a TV look to the film and it’s no surprise that director Robert Sparr was a veteran of the medium. He made his fair share of westerns (including Cheyenne with Walker) but his work wasn’t confined to the genre, he even ventured into SF with Star Trek and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He does a competent job here; just don’t expect the panoramic vistas of John Ford.
Sparr is helped no end by his cast who manage to elevate this above the norm and also by George Schenck’s script. Schenck delights in wrong footing the viewer, frequently going against conventional western movie lore but always remaining true to the characters. The ending will also leave you wondering what message he was trying to get across.
This is a film well worth seeking out if you’re a western fan particularly one looking for something a little different.
The 1.85:1 picture is decent if unspectacular and the print is in very good condition. The disc is dual sided with a 4:3 pan and scan version on the reverse, though why anyone would want it is beyond me. Sound is only mono but its very clear and gets the job done nicely.
The only extra is a trailer.
