Frontier Crucible, Starring Thomas Jane

There was a time when you could easily find paperback westerns written by Harry Whittington in most drug stores and supermarkets. Unfortunately, book distribution has changed drastically, leaving behind “category” authors like him. Yet, people still enjoy a good western. Sixty-one years after the debut of the last movie based on a Whittington novel (the Spaghetti Western Adios Gringo), Travis Mills’ Frontier Crucible, based on Desert Stake-Out, releases today on DVD and BluRay.

Merrick Beckford is so hardnosed, he even has street cred with the Apache. That is why Major O’Rourke enlists the gunslinger to shepherd a wagon loaded with medical supplies to a border town facing an epidemic. There will be no cavalry to attract attention—just him. It is a tall order, but Beckford must agree he represents their best hope. Indeed, sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do—and Beckford is all man.

He also instantly recognizes Mule Charlie McKee and his son Billy are bad news—and their trail mate Edmund Fisher is even worse. However, the innocent couple they were escorting need his help. Jeff Butler was badly shot when an Apache war-party attacked their wagon, while his wife Valerie decidedly does not like the way Fisher looks at her—and neither does Beckford.

The taciturn gunfighter also suspects he might have personal reasons to dislike the McKees and Fisher, but he agrees to doctor Butler as best he can. However, things grow increasingly awkward, because Beckford remains adamant on heading south, whereas everyone else wants to head north.

Frontier Crucible is a highly functional western that fully capitalizes on its Monument Valley backdrops. It truly looks archetypal. However, the two-hour-plus running time is a bit excessive. It would probably be quicker to read Whittington’s novel.

Nevertheless, Miles Clohessy and Thomas Jane are terrific circling each and intermittently sparring as Beckford and McKee. Jane has become one of the leading big-screen cowboys of his time, in films like The Last Son, Apache Junction, and DC Showcase: Jonah Hex—and its pretty clear why. Once again, he struts and snarls with authority. Likewise, Clohessy broods with forceful resolve as Beckford. This is the same Clohessy who is a standout in Pendragon Cycle as the hotheaded Uther, he has nice range as a potential action genre leading man.

Frankly, a suspected sex-criminal-secondary-villain like Fisher probably isn’t an ideal comeback role for Armie Hammer. So much for the Lone Ranger. At least he is convincing in the part. In contrast, William H. Macy looks completely out of place in his brief scene as O’Rourke (but he is famous, so there he is).

Throughout Frontier Crucible, Mills and company demonstrate a clear understanding of the western genre and what makes them work. It could have been a little tighter, but all the elements work really well together. Recommended as a solid western, Frontier Crucible releases today (2/17) on DVD and BluRay.