1960's "The Plunderers" was a relatively overlooked Allied Artists release that at first glance might pass for "Rebel Without a Cause" out West. Trail City TX is a quiet, unassuming town where four weary youths decide to hang out after getting fleeced in Dodge City: Ray Stricklyn is their nominal leader Jeb, Roger Torrey his massive sidekick Mule, Dee Pollock's Davy the youngest and least experienced, John Saxon's Mexican Rondo pegged as the most dangerous. Sizing up the townsfolk with newfound bravado, the foursome spend one night in the prison cell of Jay C. Flippen's aging Sheriff, after refusing to pay saloon owner James Westerfield for a bottle of whiskey. Rather than ride out in the morning as they promised, they turn to robbing shopkeeper Jess Walters (Vaughn Taylor) out of $73 worth of clothes, then hold up at widow Marsha Hunt's hotel. All this is witnessed by Jeff Chandler's crippled Civil War veteran Captain Sam, the town's only chance to fight back despite a useless right arm, trying hard to keep out of the fray until he finds his courage restored by the love of Dolores Hart's Ellie Walters, daughter of Jess, whose virginal appearance proves most alluring for Saxon's lustful Latino. A nice change to find two beautiful women vying for Chandler's affection, one an experienced widow, the other little more than a child, yet both displaying more courage than their male counterparts. An early character role for former teen heartthrob John Saxon, well cast in villainous mode, his wanton assault on Ellie resulting in claw marks on his once handsome cheek (note the swinging lamp reflected in the mirror during this attack). The lone feature from Jeff Chandler's own August Productions (he would die a year later at age 42), he chose his favorite Universal director Joseph Pevney, soon to make a smooth transition to television, helming a record 14 episodes of Gene Roddenberry's STAR TREK.
Review of The Plunderers
