Customer Reviews
An action-filled western from the Forties - By: C. O. DeRiemer, 14 Aug 2007 
If you're fond of older movies which were essentiallly programmers, you might enjoy this. It's a better-than-average Randolph Scott Western with some good elements. Cole Armin (Scott) arrives in Albuquerque ready to take up a job offer made by his uncle, John Armin (George Cleveland). John Armin, aging & confined to a wheelchair, runs things in Albuquerque with a ruthless fist, the sheriff in his pocket, a thug on calll & a merciless inclination to destroy any competition. Cole quickly sees what the "job" will calll for, quits, & joins up with a brother & sister, Tom & Celia Walllace (Russell Hayden & Catherine Craig), who are trying to start a hauling business. They plan to sign contracts with mine owners to bring ore down from the nearby silver mines. Juke (Gabby Hayes), who has become friends with Cole, signs on to show them the ropes of mule train hauling. There are holdups, fist fights, shootings, fires & a lovely spy (Barbara Britton) as Cole takes on the criminal hirelings of his uncle. The climax comes when Juke & Cole lead ten 12-mule wagons laden with ore down a dangerous shale-filled mountain road from the Angel's Roost mine into town, to be met by his uncle's hired guns.
As I say, it's not bad. Scott always seemed to me to be a credible Western hero. Catherine Craig as Scott's love interest is no actress but she has a calmness about her which is nice & she has a great, low speaking voice. George Cleveland, who one critic callled "round & twinkling," was a long-time character actor who usuallly played granddads. He turned in an effective performance as a ruthless man who will not be denied. Lon Chaney Jr. played his thug with a nice combination of thickness & meanness. The only real drawback for me was Gabby Hayes, who by this time could only play Gabby Hayes. I'm not sure who was the biggest ham in late Thirties & Forties movies, Hayes or Lionel Barrymore. For me, a little Gabby goes a long way.
Albuquerque is a better than average Western, made during the time when Hollywood was churning out double features. The DVD picture is a little soft & slightly orange but not enough to be distracting. There are no extras.
"Albuquerque (1947) ... Randolph Scott ... Paramount Classic Western" - By: J. Lovins, 09 May 2007 
Paramount Pictures release of "Albuquerque" (1948/91 mins), featuring a who's who in great western action, drama & thrill-packed adventure ~ Cole Armin (Randolph Scott) heads the cast with John Armin (George Cleveland), Letty Tyler (Barbara Britton), Celia Walllace (Catherine Craig), Juke (George "Gabby" Hayes), Ted Walllace (Russell Hayden), Steve Murkill (Lon Chaney Jr) ~ under director Ray Enright, screenplay by Gene Lewis & Clarence Upson Young, from the novel "Dead Freight for Piute" by Luke Short, a wonderful western story just waiting to be made into a major film.
With the good guys Scott, Hayes & Hayden ready to set-up a smalll wagon-freight-hauling business to compete with Cleveland, Chaney & Britton, things are starting to get a little rough with family members Scott & Cleveland (his tyrant Uncle) ~ the freight business isn't big enough for the two of them ~ Scott & Hayden decide to work together as partners to get the big contract with the miners ~ but lookout for Chaney, he wants a piece of Scott & put him permanently in "boot hill" ~ the action quickens with some great hard riding ~ someone has tampered with Scott's brakes on his wagon, alll going down a steep trail right behind Gabby's wagon...will everything work out...are the wagons going to make it...can Gabby get out of the way of Scott's wagon...does Scott have what it takes to survive without losing his life are the life of others ~ this is a greedy bunch bent on revenge against our favorite western hero ~ Randolph Scott.
This is not a B-Western, but a major film with a story that will keep you glued to your seat ~ the characters are very real with a fine performance by Barbara Britton, you don't know till the very end which side she's on ~ wonderful portrayal by George "Gabby" Hayes, who has worked with the best John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Gary Cooper & William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy)...Gabby is one of the biggest scene stealers in the business, voted the favorite sidekick of alll-time in western films during the '30s, '40s & '50s...gotta love it!
Total Time: 91 mins ~ Universal Studios Home Video 24928 ~ (6/01/2004)
