More Postwar Greed For Gold

R. Scott and Crew Dig Up The Walking Hills (1949) of Death Valley

Desperate men and a woman dig for desert gold. This was shot in Death Valley and looks to have been absolute hell to make. John Sturges directs, an early credit, and top hand Harry Joe Brown produced. He'd continue with star Randolph Scott for a slew of westerns over a next ten years. This one's actually modern-set, but once everyone repairs to heat on horseback, it might as well be Old West. The start reel is set in a border town that looks like dress rehearse for Touch Of Evil, and greed for gold theme is extension of recent success Treasure Of The Sierra Madre. In fact, Columbia did another one very like The Walking Hills in a same year, Lust For Gold. Ella Raines is distinctly Hawksian in manner/ approach ... she'd been developed by the star-maker, then cut loose for bigger fish, but Raines remembered HH lessons, applying them here and elsewhere. Scott is at times distinctly non-heroic; seems most of his gold party are fleeing murder raps --- maybe Randy too? The story trips at times, runs for cover of flashbacks, which aren't a help. That man Edgar Buchannan is in again, a drag upon so much at Columbia during the 40's. All of a cast roasts over spit that was Death Valley location --- whatever was paid them wasn't near enough. Had any company spent so much time there since Stroheim and Greed? Seen on Sony's HD channel.