Barry plays the G-man sent to track the man who stole gold bullion. Trail leads Barry through desolate desert where survival is more than half the fight. Routine oater, notable only for the eerie organ music thru-out.
4 Reviews
One of my favorite movies
steve05028 August 2001
I saw this movie many years ago, I guess in the early 50's. It was one of my favorites. I remember it being very atmospheric, especially the chase in the desert. It also had a great ending, a real surprise. I would love to see it again.
Gets better when the organ stops grinding.
mark.waltz30 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The music in this very low budget D grade Saturday matinee western is often overpowering and especially annoying in the first and final parts of the film where it's strictly an organ, and one that sounds like it's beyond tuning. The story isn't bad, and the theme, of survival in the dreary looking black and white desert, is one that's pretty impressive. The story deals with a federal agent searching for the bad guy, guilty of the theft of government gold, and their efforts to outwit the other in the snake infested desert heat.
The leading hero is Don "Red" Barry, a B western veteran who could play these types of roles in his sleep, and he is definitely great. Tom Neal, who'd already played a bunch of heavies (most notably the antihero of the film noir classic "Detour") is as bad as bad can be, and genuinely one dimensional. All the typical clichés of the genre are there with a very dreary stalking sequence between the two where the organ returns to great annoyance. This type of score worked better for silents and adds nothing to the film overall except the temptation of the viewer to hit the fast forward button.
The leading hero is Don "Red" Barry, a B western veteran who could play these types of roles in his sleep, and he is definitely great. Tom Neal, who'd already played a bunch of heavies (most notably the antihero of the film noir classic "Detour") is as bad as bad can be, and genuinely one dimensional. All the typical clichés of the genre are there with a very dreary stalking sequence between the two where the organ returns to great annoyance. This type of score worked better for silents and adds nothing to the film overall except the temptation of the viewer to hit the fast forward button.
Unique western with atmospheric background organ music
huskertom1 December 2012
I saw this very unique western on TV as a kid (1950s), and it is one of the few movies that stuck with me all this time. Two things stood out - the lack of dialog and I was mesmerized by the background organ music. I know little about the story, other than it was an extended chase, but the atmosphere held me throughout. Other reviewers have indicated that it's a decent story with some surprises at the end.
Red Barry was a different kind of western hero, a tough little guy who didn't smile much. I've been a fan of his ever since, and always enjoyed coming across him in so many TV series. Would love to see Red Desert again, and would buy it if available.
Red Barry was a different kind of western hero, a tough little guy who didn't smile much. I've been a fan of his ever since, and always enjoyed coming across him in so many TV series. Would love to see Red Desert again, and would buy it if available.
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