Gun Battle at Monterey

Maria (Pamela Duncan)has a cropped hairstyle definitely from the 50s, not from the "old Western" time of this movie.

Quite often us Western fans will see the cast list of an old 1950s Western and reasonably expect it to at the very least be a time waster. So instantly we (yes it's the Royal we) notice that Sterling Hayden and Lee Van Cleef star in it, and Ted de Corsia on villain duties as well, and feel quite confident.

This movie came on the Western Channel last night after two very good, if not great westerns. The contrast was huge.

Don't watch this. Honest, you'll be bored.

This movie wastes the talents of Sterling Hayden (who obviously made this movie to fund his famous off-screen pursuits) and Ted de Corsia, who was a great Western villain. A movie about two bank robbers who escape, but one Reno, played by de Corsia, betrays and shoots Hayden's character.

This western begins with a robbery masterminded by Max Reno (Ted de Corsia) aided by his new partner, gun expert Jay Turner. Turner asks for his share from the voluble Max, who pays him off then shoots him in the back.

This film has a script so terrible that I reluctantly sat through the entire thing (which is mercifully brief) merely to see how it would play out.SPOILERS ABOUND!

You know that a western—or any movie for that matter—is in trouble when its title has nothing whatsoever to do with its storyline. "Gun Battle at Monterey" qualifies as an uneven, below-average oater about revenge that never delivers its titular fireworks.

Hayden made a number of cheap Westerns at a time (late '50's) when Drive-in's were a booming business and in need of fare. Unfortunately, none are very good, including this one, though a number of talented people were involved in each.