Stunde der Abrechnung (1953)

Stunde der Abrechnung: Directed by Fred F. Sears. With John Hodiak, John Derek, David Brian, María Elena Marqués. An innocent cowboy convicted with three robbers, fresh out of Yuma Territorial Prison, travels with them to get a share of their hidden loot.

“This western is a grim, spare adventure about four ex-cons out to recover a cache of gold hidden in a ghost town. Thatu0026#39;s the entire plot, in a nutshell. The party grabs an Indian girl along the way, perhaps for a romantic effect with young John Derek, which suits the others just fine. Gold and greed are the two main themes in the screenplay, so none of the characters engender any sympathy. Most of the film dwells on the search for the gold and the anticipated Indian attack, which comes during the filmu0026#39;s last reel. The cast is good, with John Hodiak, Ray Teal and David Bryan in the lead roles. Maria Elena Marques, a sharpshooter with a bow and fire arrow, is pretty and stays on the periphery of the story. The color work is very good, and though not a major entry in the western genre, this film is worth watching for the cast and the flavor of a golden-age western.”