John Vivyan

Bruce Gordon

Kevin Hagen

Lisa Lu

Charles Lampkin

Lou Place

Wilbur Kinnett

Helen Gailey

H. Duane Weaver

Robert Roderick

Patti Drake

Harry Kaye

Peter Zinner

Ernie Parks

Jack Ruggiero

Harry Stradling Jr.

Meyer M. Gordon

Herbert L. Strock

Joseph Dimmitt

Frank V. Phillips

James Edmiston

Alfred Stern

Kenneth Altose

Melvin Shapiro

Jules Schwartz

Stephen Longstreet

Western

Rider on a Dead Horse

Phoenix Film Studios Productions

Allied Artists Pictures

United States of America

Strock delivers a crock!

Rider on a Dead Horse is directed by Herbert Strock and adapted to screenplay by Stephen Longstreet from a story by James Edmiston. It stars John Vivyan, Bruce Gordon, Kevin Hagen and Lisa Lu. Music is by Fairlane - with title song by Millard Woods - and cinematography by Frank Philips.

It's a great title, the sort of title that would be more suited to a Spaghetti Western, sadly the film is very poor. Plot revolves around two gold prospectors on a collision course after the one kills another member of the original gold digging trio, and promptly puts the word out that the other man did the dirty deed. Into the mix comes a Chinese girl and a bounty hunter. Et voila!

In among the "greed is bad" fable, there's some interesting attempts at racist observations here, where the colour of a persons skin - and the attitudes to such - is desperately trying to make a point. Unfortunately the whole is badly performed and is quite frankly dull as dishwater. Some of the goofs are laughably bad, the musical score is atrocious, like it was composed by some rinky-dink pot head, and there's one of the best fake dives in a fight ever. What action there is is just about passable as entertainment, with a dynamite offensive against the pesky Apaches briefly raising the pulse. But by the time that arrives, and the twist that comes with it, you would be forgiven for having fallen asleep by then.

This would have just about passed muster as a half hour TV episode, maybe a Rod Serling throw away for contract obligation. Poor on almost all levels. Nice black and white print mind... 2/10

English

Rider on a Dead Horse

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