When retired Texas Ranger Oren Hayes (Pat O'Brien) witnesses his
son-in-law being heavily bullied at his campaign for the election for
mayor by the corrupt present mayor Nard Lundy (Edward Andrews) and his
cronies, the trigger-happy Sheriff (Jack Elam) and the drunk judge (Andy
Devine), he figures it's high time to call in his old fighting pals
(Walter Brennan, Chil Wills, Edgar Buchanan) from the Texas Ranger days
and clear up town. But Hayes' old pals are one thing before everything
else, old, and in their first confrontation with the Sheriff and his men,
they only become the center of public ridicule. However, these old-timers
are not the ones to give up too easily, and with the help of a local
showgirl (Gypsy Rose Lee), they make up various schemes to have the
Sheriff shoot his deputies or drive the deputies out of town so that
ultimately, the town becomes too hot for both the Sheriff and the judge
and the two make their getaway. With the Sheriff and the judge gone,
Hayes and his men ride into town as if they own the place - but now, mayor
Lundy has hired a gang of real outlaws and cut-throats whom the oldtimers
once again are no match for - but for the shootout with the mayor's new
man they have built a system of elaborate traps so the odds are more than
only evened ... and ultimately the mayor skips town - and since Hayes has
no legal right to hold the outlaws Lundy has hired, he lets them go - go
after Lundy who has neglected to pay them ... ouch! Not a
masterpiece in any sense of the word, but considering it's a film about a
bunch of old folks riosing to a challenge one last time, this film is
surprisingly free of sentimental stretches, adds humour to the proceedings
that is at times really funny, and is basically built along the lines of a
B-Western from the 1930's and 40's - meaning the story keeps flowing at a
steady pace, there's plenty of action to keep one entertained, and the
focus is almost never shifted from its main narrative. As I said, not a
masterpiece in any sense of the word, but good (if harmless)
entertainment.
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