Rancho Notorious (1952)

A western based on the story "Gunsight Whitman" by Silvia Richards. Vern Haskell, a nice rancher, seeks out to revenge his fiance's death when she is killed during a robbery (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Fritz Lang
Written By: Daniel Taradash, Silvia Richards
Starring: Jack Elam, William Frawley, Arthur Kennedy, Mel Ferrer, George Reeves, Marlene Dietrich, Frank Ferguson, Gloria Henry, Rodd Redwing, Lisa Ferraday
Country: USA
Where to Stream
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Rancho Notorious belongs to 11 collections
1. Features under 91 minutes (collaborative: moderated by epiphany - 56 stars)
2. The Guardian's 1000 films to see before you die (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 30 stars)
3. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)
4. David Thomson's 1000 Films (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 7 stars)
5. Cinemacom's 500 Best Westerns (collaborative: moderated by Pickpocket - 5 stars)
6. Films referenced in Histoire(s) du cinéma (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 5 stars)
7. Coheed's Celluloid Pit (public: Coheed - 1 star)
8. Available on Divicast (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx)
9. HDD 151029 (public: caffe)
10. Forrest Watch List (public: ForrestQ)
11. Western watchlist (public: AFlickering)
Browse the full list of collections
Date | User | Rating | |
Nov 06, 2022 | ![]() |
Timon88 | 47 42nd |
A bit more focused, stylistically, than most, but otherwise--apart from a few audacious lines and the presence of an aging Marlene Dietrich--not much here to distinguish it from countless other westerns of the era.
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May 19, 2022 | ![]() |
walkearth | 65 72nd |
The acting range of Marlene Dietrich is significant: the timid and fragile personae from The Garden of Allah is nowhere to be seen here, and neither is the cynical apathetic lady from Touch of Evil. Here we have a vivacious woman, an evolved femme fatale, a woman who knows who she is, knows what she wants, and knows how to get it. Arthur Kennedy is once again great and a treat to watch. Overall a decent western with a great song segment and good character arc of the main hero (and heroine).
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Sep 27, 2021 | ![]() |
JPFerguson | 45 19th |
While there are some moments of genuine psychological tension, these are too few and far between. And while Dietrich completely owns every scene she is in, this is not enough to carry the rest of the cast who are so-so. Probably best summed up as disappointing and as a lost opportunity by Lang and co to make a properly interesting film that pushes the boundaries of Western films (it starts to do this, but does not go far enough, even considering that it was made in the early '50s.)
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Sep 27, 2020 | ![]() |
NathanBates | 60 34th |
Fairly typical revenge Western, with a little romance triangle thrown in. Nothing really special here, other than Dietrich's sizzling one-liners. The bar race was perhaps the most memorable part of the movie. Was I the only person who chuckled during the opening credits when the (ehem) crooner sang "man of steel" as George Reeves' name came up?
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Jul 03, 2020 | ![]() |
wetwillies | 85 59th |
Viewed July 1, 2020.
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Sep 15, 2019 | ![]() |
Bartbaard | 30 10th |
Forgettable. Bland main character who doesn't even blink when turning to a life of crime. Film feels als though it misses half an hour of second act goodness to flesh out the stakes.
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Feb 20, 2019 | napolenbrady | 85 31st |
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85.00
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Feb 27, 2016 | ![]() |
FrancoGonzo | 13 68th |
Star Rating: ★★★1/2
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Sep 12, 2015 | ![]() |
PeaceAnarchy | 80 61st |
Kind of campy at times, but still works out to be both fun and surprisingly raw.
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Sep 26, 2012 | ![]() |
Henrik | 70 57th |
Straight to the point revenge-ballad, litterally, with a doomed, revenge-thirsty hero and a great chain-smoking Marlene Dietrich. The story is somewhat bland, but the dialogue smacks of wonderful camp.
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Mar 06, 2011 | ![]() |
Mentaculus | 71 55th |
This typical western yarn of (sing it together now), "Hate.... Murrderrr.... and Reeevaaannnnnggah!" goes through the motions, but is elevated to wonderful camp by dialogue so meaty, some actors chew it while others choke - and a powerhouse Dietrich, whose cigarette-smoke singing and offscreen bisexuality are both impossible to dismiss.
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Dec 20, 2009 | ![]() |
billkerwin | 93 91st |
Unusual Germanic Western, with a great revenge theme and a poignant and powerful performance of an aging--but still very beautiful--Dietrich.
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Average Percentile 56.57% from 182 Ratings | ![]() |