Ride Lonesome (1959)

If Buchanan Rides Alone (1958) is noticeably lacking in women, at least Ride Lonesome has Karen Steele. She's pretty prominent in this movie, although I guess her main role is to be a burden for the guys that are trying to ride faster than the people chasing them. She's also someone to stare at and talk about. She's the kind of woman, we're told, that needs a man and can't be happy unless there's a man around to give her what she needs... okay.

Funny thing is, I watched this movie last night, went to sleep, and now I'm a little fuzzy already on what happened to her at the end. I can see her quite vividly talking to Brigade (Randolph Scott), but did they go their separate ways? I've honestly already forgotten and need to go back and watch the ending again. In a lot of movies, you'd just expect her and Brigade, as old as he is, to get together at the end. But I don't remember that happening.

I just read the Wikipedia summary of the film and even Googled the question "What happens to Carrie at the end of Ride Lonesome?" Neither really give a response. I guess I could be forgiven for not remembering what happens with her at the end. She's not the focal point.

Billy John (James Best) is the man that Brigade needs to take in. Ultimately, Brigade never cared about that. What he wanted was the chase. He wanted revenge on the man chasing him, because that man killed his wife. Billy John was just a means to an end.

Brigade gets his revenge, and when he no longer needs Billy John, he's happy to hand him off. The guys he's riding with need Billy John so they can claim amnesty and get a fresh start with the law. Brigade wishes them well and hopes they take advantage of the fresh start. It's funny that right until the end, these men who want to get square with the law are ready to murder Brigade to make it happen. I guess if they murder Brigade, amnesty will cover that crime as well. To me, however, it shows that the hearts of the men haven't really changed. They are still willing to do whatever they need to do to get what they want. Of course, maybe Brigade is too.

Like Buchanan Rides Alone, I just felt like this was a notch below The Tall T and Decision at Sundown. But, like I said, I was happy to see Karen Steele in this one. I just wish she had a more memorable role at the end.

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