The completion of "Buckskin" in Dec 1967 marked the end of the trail for Paramount producer A.C. Lyles, the last of his 13 B-Westerns over a four year period that provided employment for many veteran performers. No better or worse than any of the others, immeasurably aided by a solid cast assembled from previous entries: Barry Sullivan (second), Joan Caulfield (second), Wendell Corey (third), Lon Chaney (eighth), John Russell (fourth), Barton MacLane (fourth), Bill Williams (second, here joined by his wife Barbara Hale), Richard Arlen (eleventh!), Leo Gordon (second), and George Chandler (third). Top billed is Barry Sullivan, the buckskin-clad Marshal Chaddock, who arrives with his young son to Gloryhole, Montana, to rescue the homesteaders from evil land baron Rep Marlowe (Wendell Corey), who has nearly succeeded in driving them all off by damming up the water supply. The townspeople aren't exactly grateful for the marshal's help, while Marlowe has in his pocket the local miners, the corrupt Sheriff Langley (Lon Chaney), and mysterious hired gun Patch (John Russell), who has a history with Chaddock. The final film for Barton MacLane, hereafter confined to I DREAM OF JEANNIE, and nearly the last for an ailing Wendell Corey, while Lyles' most frequent veteran, Richard Arlen, only appears in one short scene. Most shocking of all is the sight of grizzled, 61 year old Lon Chaney, his deteriorating voice affected by the same throat cancer that killed his father. The role of Sheriff Tangley is a major one, larger than any of the other villains, and the actor even performs all his own stunts, a remarkably effective performance considering he was still grieving his mother's recent passing, which is how he lost out on another Western, "Day of the Evil Gun," Paul Fix replacing him as Sheriff Kelso (unfortunately, only four more roles lay ahead for Chaney). Lyles still had a few more features to come, most notably the notorious 1972 "Night of the Lepus," but his successful run of old fashioned oaters came to its inevitable conclusion, only so many story lines to go around after TV Westerns got through with them all.
Review of Buckskin
