The Outriders

"M-G-M's NEW TECHNICOLOR ADVENTURE ROMANCE!"

1950 1h 33m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 15

Western

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Late in the Civil War, three Confederate soldiers escape from a Union prison camp in Missouri. They soon fall into the hands of pro-Confederate raiders, who force them to act as "outriders" (escorts) for a civilian wagon train that will be secretly transporting Union gold from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to St. Louis, Missouri. The three men are to lead the wagons into a raider trap in Missouri, but one of them starts to have misgivings....

“M-G-M's NEW TECHNICOLOR ADVENTURE ROMANCE!”

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Cast

Joel McCrea
Will Owen
Arlene Dahl
Jen Gort
Barry Sullivan
Jesse Wallace
Claude Jarman Jr.
Roy Gort
Ramon Novarro
Don Antonio Chaves
Ted de Corsia
Bye
Martín Garralaga
Father Damasco
Jeff Corey
Keeley

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Roy Rowland
Writers: Irving Ravetch, Irving Ravetch
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

76 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Roy Rowland, shot by Charles Schoenbaum. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by André Previn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert Kern shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Joel McCrea and Arlene Dahl and Barry Sullivan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "M-G-M's NEW TECHNICOLOR ADVENTURE ROMANCE!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0042825 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 15 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Roy Rowland directs. Charles Schoenbaum behind the camera. André Previn scores. Robert Kern cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

176 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Roy Rowland, shot by Charles Schoenbaum. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by André Previn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Robert Kern shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Joel McCrea and Arlene Dahl and Barry Sullivan carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "M-G-M's NEW TECHNICOLOR ADVENTURE ROMANCE!".
7IMDB entry: tt0042825 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 15 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Charles Schoenbaum
Original score: André Previn
Editing: Robert Kern
Costume design: Walter Plunkett
Makeup / hair: Jack Dawn
Sound: Douglas Shearer
Runtime: 93 min · 1h 33m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Outriders (1950)

Also by

Roy Rowland

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2017-07-14
★ 8/10
He said he was out of bullets... The Outriders is directed by Roy Rowland and written by Irving Ravetch. It stars Joel McCrea, Arlene Dahl, Barry Sullivan, James Whitmore, Ramon Novarro, Jeff Corey and Claude Jarman. Music is by Andre Previn and cinematography by Charles Schoenbaum. Plot sees McCrea as Will Owen, the alpha male of three Confederate prisoners who escape from Camp Benton Stockade and promptly get recruited by one of William Quantrill's Bushwhacker units. Assigned to infiltrate a Don Chaves (Novarro) run wagon train that's carrying a fortune in gold, the men must deal with Indians, each other, and the hazards that the journey throws up. Out of MGM with some production value of note, The Outsiders rises above simplicity of story to unfurl a darn fine Oater. Narratively it has strengths, where Owen's moral conscience forms a spiky backdrop to plotting. Be it his views on the unsavoury tactics employed by Keeley's (Corey) Bushwhackers, and his place as the undercover leader leading the wagon train to doom, or the positioning of his feelings - and others around him - towards the female of the group (Dahl) and that of her teenage brother-in-law. Owen is definitely in emotional turmoil. From an action stand point the pic doesn't short change, with Indian attacks, internal fisticuffs and a rousing chase followed by the big siege finale, all of which are delivered admirably and scored robustly by Previn. The stand-out, though, is a high energy section of film that sees the group trying to get over a river at high tide flood level and is running a current of death! These scenes are expertly constructed and are of the breath holding standard. Yet the greatest part of the piece finds the group indulging in a square dance evening, where the men are blowing away the cob-webs with hooch, while the delectable Dahl holds court right in the middle. The sexual tension is palpable, the atmosphere electric, and as it happens, it forms a key part of proceedings. Tech credits are high as well, led by the the excellent capturing of the Utah locations by Schoenbaum, this is most pleasing on the eyes. Technicolor is perfect for such an airy Oater, the primary colours positively booming on the screen (check out the water and fire shots), while Dahl was made for such colour lenses. The aforementioned square dance sequences showcase her sexual beauty, with flaming red hair and glorious emerald green shoes acting as glorious crowns to a most appetising filling. Yes the story is soft, and anyone jaded by the formula of many 1950s Westerns should probably avoid this one - with most almost certainly knowing how it's going to pan out anyway. But there's so much to like here for me to suggest it's an undervalued pic and worth seeking out. Especially for McCrea and Dahl fans. 7/10

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