For this Western Night session, David Morrell brought a film none of us had seen and that we all agreed was not good.

THE LONELY MAN (1957), perhaps inspired by THE GUNFIGHTER a few years earlier, tells the story of Jacob Wade (Jack Palance), a gunslinger who’s decided to give up his bad ways and wants to have a life with a son he hasn’t seen in years. But Wade is going blind, and his shiftless son Riley (Anthony Perkins) wants nothing to do with him, except to see him miserable as Riley blames him for his mother killing herself.

The main problem with the picture is the script by Harry Essex and Robert Smith. Wade, figuring to start over by breaking and selling wild horses, takes Riley to a small ranch he had given to his ex-girlfriend Ada (Elaine Aiken) who still loves him. But Wade’s old outlaw gang, led by King Fisher (Neville Brand), wants him dead. Fisher talks a lot about killing Wade, but the screenwriters keep them well apart until the last few minutes. And all that talk is no substitute for suspense.

Add to that a couple of horse chases, a quick gunfight and a romantic attraction between Ada and Riley that is unconvincing and, we all concurred, creepy, and still this 86-minute movie feels much, much longer.

To its credit, the widescreen VistaVision black-and-white photography by Lionel Linden looks clear, clean and sharp. Especially magnificent are the Lone Pine locations.

THE LONELY MAN is available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber and for rent on Amazon Prime.

Along with David, award-winning author and New York Times best-selling author of FIRST BLOOD that introduced the character Rambo, our group includes Johnny D. Boggs, record nine-time Spur Award-winning author (he’ll be awarded a tenth Spur in June) and Owen Wister Award winner whose work includes his latest BLOODY NEWTON, Kirk Ellis, Emmy-winning screenwriter and producer and also author of the book RIDE LONESOME about the production, themes and historical relevance of the classic Ranown Western films starring Randolph Scott and directed by Budd Boetticher, Kirk’s wife, Sheila, and Robert Nott, award-winning journalist and author of several books on Western films, including his most recent RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY that examines the production, themes and legacy of the film that launched Sam Peckinpah’s career.