Rancho Notorious (1952)

(On Cable TV, October 2022) When is a western not a western? Maybe when it’s helmed by Fritz Lang, who was best known in the early 1950s for downbeat film noir thrillers that pushed a distinct bleak outlook. Maybe when it’s more focused on psychological drama, as a good man increasingly becomes a villain during his quest for vengeance. Maybe, alas, when it’s studio-bound at a time when any western with a decent budget (especially when filmed in colour) headed out in the country. Yes, Rancho Notorious is not quite your typical western. Adding such stars as Marlene Dietrich and Mel Ferrer adds to the interest of classic Hollywood fans, with Dietrich being particularly interesting vamping it up (successfully) at age 50 while echoing a similar turn in Destry Run Again. Still, the studio-bound nature of the production dulls some of its impact—not so much in dramatic heft, considering that the film is more focused on character drama than landscapes, but in overall credibility. (You can compare it with the largely shot on-location contemporary Bend of the River for contrast.)  Still, the interest here is in seeing Fritz push the envelope of acceptable content with sultry Dietrich moments and some frank dialogue. Add that to the decidedly unheroic degradation of the character and you have a western that remains interesting despite its flaws, which is already more distinct than many other films of the period—and the 1950s had many westerns.