My Outlaw Brother is one of the strangest westerns ever made. You can start with Robert Stack ( Patrick) .as the title character My Outlaw Brother. Certain actors can play both heroes and villains well ( Gregory Peck for example), Stack is not one of them and his weakness at it shows, and he ends up as the worst in the film. Then there is the matter of Mickey Rooney ( Danny ( Patrick's younger brother)). Rooney does not belong in a western but at least he does not pretend he does ( cannot ride a horse etc), nor does he turn into Audie Murphy or Alan Ladd two other short in size actors who excelled in westerns. Maybe the one who comes out best is Wanda Hendrix ( Carmelita) who worked with both Ladd and Murphy ( who she was married to). Why? She like Murphy, Ladd and Rooney was petite. Spoilers ahead:The best part of the film was actually the ending, when Rooney woke up to the fact Patrick was a bad guy and tried to kill him, but was saved by Texas Ranger Robert Preston who is the hero ( nice it was NOT Rooney or Hendrix doing the act). Rooney also knew he did not belong in Mexico ( where the movie was filmed or Texas, instead he decided to return to New York from being out west and bring Carmelita ( who is Mexican) with him. This kind of ending with the Easterner main star going back East after being out west was a nice touch. Why? It is rarely done. I would like to give My Outlaw Brother a good review 7/10 stars but Stack is so bad he drops it an additional 2 stars so 5/10 stars.
Review of My Outlaw Brother
