"The Nevadan" is a standard but enjoyable Western with that ever-dependable icon Randolph Scott in the lead role. He plays a mysterious loner who bends over backwards to assist an outlaw (Forrest Tucker), who's hidden a large amount of stolen gold. The trouble is that Tucker isn't the only person out there who wants to get to this stash; other pathologically greedy types want to claim it as well. The main nemesis is a rancher (George Macready) who also owns the nearby town, lock, stock, and barrel. And the rancher has a variety of henchmen (Frank Faylen, Jeff Corey, Jock Mahoney) to help him out. Conveniently, Macready also has a lovely daughter (a radiant Dorothy Malone) who takes a shine to our tight-lipped hero.
Although "The Nevadan" holds absolutely no surprises, it makes for generally agreeable entertainment, complete with an interesting protagonist role for Scott and some appropriately odious bad guys. (Faylen and Corey are a standout as they bicker while carrying out Macready's wishes.) The scenery is quite nice, the Arthur Morton score is effective, and the action well-executed. The director is the capable journeyman filmmaker Gordon Douglas; although no master stylist, he knew how to craft a good film. The giant-ant classic "Them!" is one of his best. Best of all is the finale, divided into two parts: a shootout among some rocks, and an intense fight sequence (with Mahoney doubling for Scott) inside an abandoned mine. The interplay between the irascible outlaw and the oft-smiling, amiable loner helps to create enough chemistry to keep us engaged until the end.
As I already said, this is plenty predictable, but formula tales do have their place in cinema along with the more unconventional ones.
Seven out of 10.
