Frontier Gambler (1956) User Reviews

A not so wild (but pretty weird) Western remake of "Laura"

[martylee13045burlsink342 · 5/10 · 15 August 2005]

From the strange (but oddly familiar) opening of a woman whose face was in deep shadow being shot by an unseen man, I had strong suspicions that this was riffing on the classic "Laura" device of hero falling for woman whose killing he is investigating....only to discover (SPOILER ALERT!!!!!)that she isn't dead. (See "Sharky's Machine" for my favorite variation.)

Coleen Grey is the dear (but not really) departed (in this case a lovely lady gambling house owner)John Bromfield is the stalwart lawman caught up in investigating her killing, and the ever classy Kent Taylor has the Clifton Webb role of sardonic Pygmalion who can't bear to see his lovely creation flirt with marrying another man.....(especially uncouth Hired Gun Jim Davis).

It goes without saying that none of the actors ever approach the level of the original cast...and that the sparkling byplay (and even more sparkling Homosexual subtext ) bit the Western Dust...but there is no denying the delicious semi surprise when (SPOILER ALERT!!!!!)Grey turns up alive....

Minus the ex-Noir overtones....this is typical no budget oater..... with some rather silly fight scenes...and clumsy handling of many flashbacks....

Worth a brief look for the curious.

"Laura" Goes West!

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 20 August 2017]

Copyright 1956 by Sigmund Neufeld Productions. No New York opening. U.S. release through Associated Releasing Corporation: 1 September 1956. U.K. release through Exclusive: June 1958. Never theatrically released in Australia. 6,252 feet. 69½ minutes.

SYNOPSIS: A deputy marshal arrives in a frontier town to investigate the murder of a young woman.

NOTES: A re-make of "Laura".

COMMENT: Although mainly appealing as an uncredited re-make of "Laura", this minor western has some points of interest in its own right. Production values are fairly lavish by "B" standards, with skillful use of stock footage in the Indian attack and effective utilization of some appropriately colorless natural backgrounds.

Although the direction reverts to a less imaginative style once the initial tracking shots are over, it's still considerably above Mr. Neufeld/Newfield's usual humble level of competence.

The script follows the plot of the Caspary novel faithfully (the acid wit, not present in the book — only in the Otto Preminger film — is absent here also).

The change of setting can only be described as ingenious, but more fascinating still are the subtle changes Hampton has made to the characters. The heroine has been limned much less sympathetically, whilst the sardonic Lydecker columnist has been transformed into a personality much more human. Both roles are particularly well played. My congratulations to Miss Gray and Mr. Taylor. But, aside from Jim Davis, who essays the Vincent Price part with remarkable fidelity, the rest of the actors are distinctly second-rate.

Worst of all, I rate John Bromfield who tries unsuccessfully to breathe life into the Dana Andrews role. But even a normally reliable performer like Veda Ann Borg (who is cast as the Judith Anderson character) seems to paint her portrait with less than her usual level of vitality and skill.

On the whole, — despite carrying the additional burdens of too generous a serving of dialogue, plus a flashback introduced with all the subtlety of a Napoleonic cannonade — "Frontier Gambler" comes across as a reasonably fast-moving and interesting, if minor work.

Jim Davis had another pretty good part in Frontier Gambler

[tavm · 7/10 · 16 July 2012]

For the second time in 1956, Jim Davis was teamed with leading lady Coleen Gray, producer Sigmund Neufeld, and his brother-director Sam Newfield (yes, that's how his last name was spelled)-in another Associated Film Releasing Corporation production after The Wild Dakotas. Here, he's Tony Burton-a hired gunman for Veda Ann Borg who's fallen for Ms. Gray but also two-times her with Margia Dean, a singer. Ms. Gray turns up dead early on as we flashback to when she was alive...actually, it's advisable to be a bit skeptical on that last part. The deputy marshal (John Bromfield) also interviews the gambler (Kent Taylor) who molded her after finding her as a pre-teen orphan after an Indian attack that killed her parents. This was quite a pretty good melodrama and Mr. Davis has a fine part here as we see him as something a little more than a possible villain when he reveals what he's done on the night in question. So on that note, I recommend Frontier Gambler. P.S. Ms. Magia Dean wrote the song she performed here which I liked. Also, she's from my birthtown of Chicago, Ill as was fellow player Stanley Andrews who's Constable Philo Dewey here.

Laura Goes West

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 17 December 2014]

One of the most stylish mystery noirs ever done gets a trip out west in a remake. If you like Otto Preminger's Laura and have seen it several times as I have then you know exactly what the plot of Frontier Gambler is.

In keeping with the noir tradition Frontier Gambler is done in black and white. Deputy Marshal John Bromfield is assigned to the murder of a woman who was shot and burned beyond recognition in a fire at her home. Everyone assumes it is Coleen Gray who owns one of the local saloons in town, the other owned by Kent Taylor.

Taylor and Gray have an interesting history. He found her after her parents were killed by Indians and raised her in his gambling trade. But he thought he was nurturing her and instead she found it stifling. He also disapproved of her interest in gunfighter Jim Davis. As for Davis another saloon denizen played by the one and only Veda Ann Borg who likes bad boys like Davis.

I think you recognize all the main roles her from Laura. A little more in the way of action as per the setting of the frontier west as opposed to the sophisticated Upper East Side of Manhattan. But the story is unmistakable.

No matter the Laura reference or tribute....

[searchanddestroy-1 · 8/10 · 3 July 2022]

This film definitely proves that Sam Newfield could make not so bad films when he wished to, or when he had the means to achieve an acceptable job. This is a pretty good B picture, never compare with a John Ford's movie of course. This is not a silly story, as we could expect from NABONGA and TERROR IN TINY TOWN director, or those hundreds of "cute craps" that he made all over the years; some kind of Edward L Cahn, whom he has in common to have Orville Hampton as a screenwriter. Maybe among his best and interesting films, no matter the LAURA obvious inspiration.