Film Discoveries of 2017 - Hal Horn

Veteran RPS contributor Hal Horn runs the irreplaceable Horn Section Blog ('reviewing the obscure, overlooked and sometimes the very old').

Also read his previous Discoveries lists for Rupert Pupkin Speaks:
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/01/hal-horns-25-films-seen-1st-in-2010.html
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2012/01/hal-horns-favorite-older-films-seen-1st.html
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2013/01/favorite-film-discoveries-of-2012-hal.html
http://www.rupertpupkinspeaks.com/2013/12/favorite-film-discoveries-of-2013-hal.html
http://www.rupertpupkinspeaks.com/2015/03/favorite-film-discoveries-of-2014-hal.html
http://www.rupertpupkinspeaks.com/2016/01/film-discoveries-of-2015-hal-horn.html
http://www.rupertpupkinspeaks.com/2017/01/film-discoveries-of-2016-hal-horn.html

On Twitter @halhorn86

MONTANA (1950) 
Errol Flynn made his final two westerns in 1950, and while MONTANA isn't quite the tense character study that ROCKY MOUNTAIN is, it's entertaining. Errol is an Australian sheep man who runs afoul of cattle barons. Finally got to see it thanks to Warner Archive. With Flynn's frequent co-star Alexis Smith. Directed by Ray Enright (CORONER CREEK).

THE SIEGE AT RED RIVER (1954) 
Another entertaining old school western making the rounds at Retroplex. Confederate spies Van Johnson and Milburn Stone (yes, Doc!) steal a prototype Gatling gun hoping to turn the Civil War's tide. They con Union nurse Joanne Dru into coming along, with Union intelligence officer Jeff Morrow hot on their trail. Baddie Richard Boone also wants the Gatling for his own nefarious purposes. Directed by Rudolph Mate, the same year that the legendary cinematographer helmed the infamous BLACK SHIELD OF FALWORTH.

THE WALKING HILLS (1949) 
Randolph Scott leads a hunt for gold treasure in the titular sand dunes, with Edgar Buchanan, Arthur Kennedy, William Bishop and Ella Raines among those along for the ride. Lots of intrigue follows; no points for guessing we'll get a fierce sandstorm eventually. Solid western noir from director John Sturges.

A GIRL NAMED TAMIKO (1962) 
Sturges appears twice on my list this year. Eurasian shutterbug Laurence Harvey is trying to emigrate to the U.S. from Tokyo, trying to use his charm to speed the process. It works on American Martha Hyer and Japanese aristocrat France Nuyen. More interesting than good, but the former qualifies it as a discovery. Filmed on location in Japan.