Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Glenn Ford and William Holden look young, sexy, lean and hungry in George Marshall's B+ oater "Texas." The story picks up with the two in cahoots to travel to Texas, for no apparent reason. Good early character development with a fight arranged by local entrepreneur Windy Miller (George Bancroft) leads nowhere in terms of plot, but hey.... we find them eventually splitting up after they almost get lynched for a stage robbery they did not commit. Claire Trevor enters the picture as a ranch-owner who they both fall for, although by this point Holden's character is on the wrong side of the law more often than not. The rest of the story follows Holden's attempts to outsmart and outshoot his cohorts, including a very weird performance by Edgar Buchanan as a disreputable dentist.The action scenes are well handled, direction is crisp and quick without feeling cheap. I wish there was a bit more to Trevor's character, to make the triangle more than just a male rivalry for her unwitting affections. It could be better, of course, but it's a plenty satisfying Western with enough good action scenes and enough decent characterization to make the time pass pleasantly.

It's 1866, Abilene, Kansas and we are in the company of Dan Thomas {William Holden} and Tod Ramsey {Glen Ford}, two pals who served in the Confederacy together. They want to get to Texas to earn their living but have no cash ready to hand. But a lifeline is thrown by way of a stagecoach robbery they witness as they decide to relieve the robbers of their ill gotten gains. This puts the friends in serious peril so they agree to split up and head in different directions. Finally meeting up some time down the line in town, both men are operating from different social standings. And both men have fallen for the same gal, Mike King {Claire Trevor}. So along with the arrival in town of shady railroad magnate Windy Miller {George Bancroft} and the crooked dealings of dentist Buford Ford {Edgar Buchanan} starting to influence matters; the boys will do well to come out of it all still as friends.Texas is directed by George Marshall {with Norman Deming assisting} and the three writing credits go to Michael Blankfort, Lewis Meltzer & Horace McCoy. It's a briskly paced black & white action Western that's not short on laughs either. In Holden and Ford it showcases two Hollywood big hitters in their fresh faced early days, with Holden pretty much unrecognisable. From a quite hilarious pugilist rules boxing match in the first quarter, to the number of machismo exchanges that drop in from time time, it's one of those film's that's hard to criticise. So I'm not going too. A small bother comes with the ending being rushed a touch, but even that is in keeping with how Marshall has directed it. So really it's a hearty recommend to anyone after some early 40s Oater enjoyment. Undemanding for sure, but executed with gusto and no little amount of class. 6.5/10

George Marshall's entertaining Western adventure - with some comedy elements - is lent an air of poignancy thanks to the pairing of enduring stars Glenn Ford and William Holden in the early years of their careers. Holden has the meatier role here, a good guy turned bad in love with the same woman as his friend (Ford) who follows a law-abiding life in the employ of cattle ranchers desperate to import their stock to the east but frustrated by marauding rustlers. Claire Trevor is the love interest, but she's fairly bland and it's difficult to see what a bad lad like Holden would see in her. That makes her a decent match for Ford, because there's not really that much to his character either. But then this is a product of the 40s Hollywood treadmill, so incident is more important than characterisation. Edgar Buchanan, with his laid back, scratchy drawl and permanent stubble makes the biggest impact playing a dentist in league with the cattle rustlers who is always keen to repair the bicuspids of anyone who sits in his chair, whether it's for treatment or just for a chat.The story starts out fairly carefree (despite Ford being the subject of an attempted lynching) before gradually evolving into something more serious, a little like the protagonist's respective situations and life in general. George Marshall directs with an assured hand, delivering a solid studio project that was never going to win any awards but was sure to satisfy filmgoers of the day.

Two close friends find themselves on opposite sides of the law in this 1941 western, which follows the aftermath of the American Civil War into the lucrative business of cattle drives and cattle rustling.Dan Thomas (William Holden) and Tod Ramsey (Glenn Ford) have recently been dismissed from the Confederate army after the recent period of unpleasantness, and are heading for a new life and to make a new fortune in Texas, the state of opportunity in the old west.Tod is looking forward to making an honest living whilst Dan is just looking forward to making any kind of living, not really caring on which which side of the legal and moral fence this living may happen to found.After retrieving a sack full of stolen stagecoach money which Tod plans to return to its rightful owners and Dan plans to pocket for himself, they are captured and nearly lynched by the local sheriff which results in the inevitable chase.It is during this chase that the two friends split to take two different paths, two paths that will ultimately differ morally as well as geographically.Tod Ramsey ends up a trusted and respected law abiding cattle hand in the local town whilst Dan falls in with a crooked Dentist, (Edgar Buchanan) a corrupt rancher (Addison Richards) in charge of a cattle rustling gang, and an equally corrupt 'friend' of the people (George Bancroft) who all set about their merry work, ambushing and rustling the large cattle drives attempting to reach Abilene.With all the cattle drives failing and all the local Cattle barons facing bankruptcy, Tod Ramsey, unaware that his friend is responsible for all the rustling, decides that he will attempt to take a combined herd; the largest herd ever to come out of Texas and defend it all the way to market.For the rustling syndicate this means that Tod will have to be 'taken care off' and quick, but is the seemingly ruthless and ambitious Dan now evil enough to kill his own best friend? Will his loyalty to Tod allow the herd to get through to Abiline, or does he now have an extra plan up his sleeve? Claire Trevor is the love interest for both men, just to give them something else to fight about, although her character I feel is rather dis likable as she seems to flit her affections between the two with each passing breath obviously content to be with whoever is left standing at the end....and the fool takes her. Doh!This was an early Western for both male leads and both were destined for great things. Although Bill Holden's likable but disreputable character is the main focus is this film, it is Glenn Ford who is the treat for me here.He was without doubt one of my favourite actors and certainly my favourite cowboy. No offence to The Duke and Clint, but neither was a patch on Glenn Ford when he put on a gun belt and tightened up his spurs, and its great to see him here just starting out.