Bitter Creek (film)

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Bitter Creek
Bitter Creek (film).jpg
Directed by Thomas Carr
Written by George Waggner
Produced by Vincent M. Fennelly
Starring
Cinematography Ernest Miller
Edited by Sam Fields
Music by Raoul Kraushaar
Production
company
Distributed byAllied Artists
Release date
  • February 21, 1954 (1954-02-21)
Running time
74 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Bitter Creek is a 1954 American Western film directed by Thomas Carr and starring Wild Bill Elliott, Carleton Young, and Beverly Garland. [1] The screenplay concerns a man who sets out to personally avenge the murder of his rancher brother.

Contents

Plot

Gail Bonner is alone in her hotel room when Clay Tyndall bursts in, pursued by gunmen. He protects her, kills one pursuer, and escapes. Her brother, Jerry, arrives to check on her, and they embrace in relief.

Traveling deeper into Montana, Gail and Jerry meet Dr. Prentiss, to whom Gail reveals her engagement to Quentin Allen. Their carriage driver, A.Z. Platte, picks up Clay, who is seeking justice for his brother, Frank, recently killed in a land dispute with Quentin. Both Prentiss and A.Z., former friends of Frank, warn Clay about Quentin, leader of the Lazy Q Ranch.

When the carriage arrives in town, Quentin sends out his men to collect Gail and Jerry, but the men realize that Clay Tyndall is with them. A tense stand-off ensues, but Gail pleads with Quentin to stop the fight, which he does for her.

At Frank’s ranch, the Circle T, Clay confronts squatters, investigates his brother’s death, and survives multiple attacks from Quentin’s gang. Meanwhile, Gail tries to dissuade Clay from seeking revenge, and their romantic tension grows. Quentin, noticing this, hires an assassin, but A.Z. warns Clay and is killed in the process. Quentin's main henchmen, Vance Morgan, kills the assassin before he can be interrogated. Furious, Clay confronts Quentin, who calls in his gang; he is only saved by Jerry’s unintentional intervention.

After Quentin orders a brutal attack on a cook who offered to help Clay, Clay retaliates by fighting Oak Mason, one of Quentin’s men, who admits Quentin had Frank killed. Before Oak can reveal more, another gang member silences him, forcing Clay to defend himself and kill him.

Quentin admits to Vance that Gail has left him, and they wait for Clay’s arrival. Although Clay tries to seek legal action, the sheriff refuses to help. As he leaves the sheriff's office, Quentin’s men chase him. In an extraordinary shot, Quentin shoots Clay in the shoulder. Just like when they first met, Gail shelters Clay in her hotel, and when Vance Morgan searches for him, Clay ambushes and kills him.

Returning to Circle T, Clay finds Dr. Prentiss drunk and unconscious. Quentin appears and about to kill Clay, but Prentiss throws a bottle at him, giving Clay the chance to shoot him dead. In the end, Clay and Gail reunite, planning on staying at the ranch together.

Cast

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References

  1. ↑ Pitts p.31

Further reading


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