classicsoncall The town of Liberal, Kansas needs a fightin' marshal and they get one as soon as Bat Masterson (Randolph Scott) shows up, hired on to settle things down between the cattle faction and the farmers who find it tough to make a living in the parched mid-Western landscape. It's an often used formula for these era Westerns, this one kept afloat by the presence of Robert Ryan as a businessman who wants to see the farmers succeed, and George 'Gabby' Hayes in his usual stock in trade role as the teller of tall tales and all around deputy assistant to the new town marshal.There's also a couple of pretty gals on hand, Madge Meredith as the somewhat conflicted Susan Pritchard, who would like to improve her station in life, and Anne Jeffreys as saloon gal Ruby, who's heart is in the right place but has to work out her minor feud with Susan before the story runs it's course. Say what you will, but I never think it's a good idea for a bad guy to shoot a woman in the back, but that's what happens here when Logan Maury (Steve Brodie) finds out Ruby burned up the mortgages he held on the farmer properties when they cashed out. I'm not altogether sure that mortgage business would have held up legally, but it played out believably enough for the ranchers to make their comeback.The story line is peppered with references to Bat Masterson's journalistic ambitions while he was plying his trade as a lawman. As the story closes, Bat's about to head East to become a newspaper writer for real, though it's never mentioned that he went to work as a sports writer for the New York Morning Telegraph. And after Gabby's character made all those frequent quips about the fabled Brandyhead Jones, it was a blast to see who showed up aboard a stagecoach for the closing scene - good old Brandyhead, bearing a most remarkable resemblance to Gabby himself.

LeonLouisRicci Disappointing Considering the Cast. Randolph Scott and Robert Ryan go through the motions on this rather Routine Western about Cattlemen and Farmers in Drought Ridden Kansas. There is a Subplot about how Winter Wheat was Introduced and the Sodbusters are Saved from Pulling Roots and Moving on. There's also a Good Supporting Cast with Steve Brodie and Gabby Hayes. Brodie, Despite an Oily Demeanor and a Villain's Mustache seems Misplaced and Gabby Hayes all but Ruins the Movie with His Typical Shenanigans. In Fact, a Running Gag has the Sheriff telling Him to Shut Up, because He "Talks Too Much". Boy, does He ever. It becomes Silly, Intrusive, and Irritating.Overall, Not a Bad Western Movie with some heavy Love interests and Bad Guys worth Hating and Good Guys, like Bat Masterson around to Clean Up the Street. The whole Cast has done Better but the Film is Worth a Watch because of Scott and Ryan and Not Much Else.

dougdoepke Except for two things, it's a fairly routine Scott Western, which means it's still better than most horse operas. First, I'm betting the drought resistant strain of wheat that keeps the farmers on the land is fact-based. Anyway, it's an interesting take on farming for a city boy like me, and is woven effectively into the plot. The second thing is Robert Ryan, one of my favorites. Now, I've seen him as a scary bad guy or a hard-looking good guy in a thousand movies. But I've never seen him as a nice guy until this movie. He's not only good, but nice too, and even gets the girl as a reward. It's Ryan as you've likely never seen him before (It's also early in his career, 1947).Scott's his usual strong-jawed self, and a persuasive Bat Masterson, while the one-and-only Gabby sports a beard that looks like it's eating his face. And check out the obscure ingénue Madge Meredith's (Susan) bio in IMDb. There's a reason why she's obscure. Then too, the 300-lb. Billy House makes a slimy bad guy and a can't miss six-gun target. I guess my only reservation is with Steve Brodie as the chief baddie. He doesn't have quite the gravitas to be a chief, which is likely why most of his career was as a henchman.Anyhow, it's a well-stocked horse opera with good action and a nicely worked-out script. For Scott fans, myself included, it's an enjoyable 90-minutes.

krorie This is a fairly good B western that is upgraded almost to A by the presence of Randy Scott, Robert Ryan, and Anne Jeffreys, unusual in that it concentrates on developing new farming methods to make Kansas the breadbasket of America rather than the usual open range issue in the wars between cattlemen and nesters, although that too is touched on. Gabby Hayes was noted for his tall tales. He even had an early television show centered on that talent. Many times his tall tales were lame but this go around the stories are actually humorous. Helping out in this department is the emphasis on a supposedly mythical character Brandyhead Jones. This running joke has a good finale making it even more intriguing. Character actor Harry Harvey as the mayor is a good foil for Gabby.Randy Scott plays the historical Bat Masterson with emphasis on Bat's hidden talents as a writer. The real Bat Masterson ended his life as sports editor for the Morning Telegraph in New York City. Bat was also good with the six-shooter and was a lawman from time to time. Apart from this the rest of "Trail Street" is mainly fiction based loosely on fact here and there.Unlike the average B western, the title of this film relates directly to the story being told. Trail Street is the main street of Liberal, Kansas, the end of the trail for drovers who herd the cattle to the stockyards for shipment to Chicago. The farmers are threatening to turn Trail Street into Wheat Street. Maury (Steve Brodie) and his toady Carmody (Billy House) the saloon operators are determined to get the land for themselves and keep the new farming methods and new strain of wheat out of the hands of the farmers. House makes an excellent sycophant. Madge Meredith delivers the goods as well as the soiled dove with the heart of gold who also has a filial relationship with Allen (Robert Ryan), the local financier who tries to help the farmers. Meredith had a rather brief screen career. Too bad for she was a skilled actress if this movie is any indication of her abilities.A bit confusing is having two heroes rather than one. Bat and Allen work as a team. Both are pals to Billy (Gabby Hayes) which almost makes this into a Three Mesquiteers outing. Fans of Randolph Scott and Gabby Hayes should enjoy this oater. Others may get bored in places, though there is a good shoot out at the end which reminds the viewer of the later John Wayne saga Rio Bravo.