Albuquerque (1948)

You know I think this is my first Randolph Scott film. He's an instantly likeable actor, and at the age of fifty when he made this flick he's far too old for the part, but it works. Scott plays Cole Armin, and man who "road with the Texas Rangers", but has now taken a stage coach to Albuquerque to a take a job working for an uncle (George Cleveland) he hasn't seen for ages. Uncle John Armin owns a shipping company that has a veritable monopoly hulling for the local mines. One potential competitor they have been able to keep at bay is run by a brother and sister pair Ted (Russell Hayedn) and Celia (Catherine Craig) Wallace. Celia is on the same stage as Cole, along with a number of others including Zuzu herself Karolyn Grimes, and George 'Gabby' Hayes whose apparently the physical inspiration for the design of "Stinky Pete" in Toy Story 2.

Anyway as you might suspect the stage coach is hold up, and as you might not expect the outlaws get away with the $10,000 Celia was brining from out east to help the business. Cole is not able to get the money back right then because he must save Zuzu when the spooked horses run away with her in the coach. That he saved the young girl leads Cole to a warm reception when he arrives in Albuquerque, though it cools down a bit when the townsfolk realize his connection to Uncle John. Uncle Johns not a good man, he's ruthless and charges too much for his services, but people pay because he manages to stomp out the completion. In fact the stage robbery was an effort to do just that, the outlaws worked for Johns chief henchman Lon Chaney Jr. When Cole discovers this he manages to get the $10,000 back from his uncle but at the cost of a permanent rift with the old man. Cole returns the cash to the Wallace's an becomes a partner in there business venture, and he brings 'Gabby' Hayes along because he's a character.

The Wallace's hope to land a contract hauling ore from a very difficult to get to mine, one so perilously located that Uncle John has refused to risk his teams on the mountainous run. But with Ted and 'Gabby' leading the wagons the good guys think they have a chance. Uncle John sneaks a mole (Barbara Britton) into the Wallace origination, but she feels torn once she starts to fall for Ted. We have a perilous race down the mountain and some gun play before the whole things done, and its a very satisfying if not groundbreaking western, helped a lot by the color cinematography. Likable like its lead I give Albuquerque a full ***