_**A principled man and woman team-up with a trio of dubious dudes on a desolate landscape**_

A former officer is now a lonely aging man in the Southwest (Randolph Scott). After bartering with the Comanche for a captive white woman (Nancy Gates), three outlaws enter the picture and complicate the situation (Claude Akins, Skip Homeier and Richard Rust).

"Comanche Station" (1960) is one of five Westerns from 1956-1960 written by Burt Kennedy, directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Randolph Scott. The others are: "7 Men from now," "The Tall T," "Ride Lonesome" and "Buchanan Rides Alone.” Two additional films omit writer Kennedy from the equation: "Decision at Sundown" and "Westbound." A little cult has formed around these Westerns and most are first-rate despite not having the biggest budgets. I’ve seen five of ’em and the only one that’s not worthy is “Buchanan Rides Alone” (see my review).

This one was shot in 12 days and is similar to "The Tall T" and, especially, “Ride Lonesome.” All three were shot entirely outdoors and in the same area. "The Tall T" is arguably the best and has become a cult Western, but this one’s worth checking out. Nancy Gates was 33 during shooting and quite beautiful. This was her last film, although she continued to act in television for the next ten years.

There are some nice nuggets to be gleaned, like nobility vs. being a lucre-obsessed scoundrel, negative influence, the power of decision to determine one’s destiny and how living by the gun results in dying by the gun.

Scott retired after three decades in the business, but decided to come out of retirement for one last Western two years later because the script was so good. I’m of course talking about the great “Ride the High Country.”

The film is taut at 1 hour, 13 minutes, and was shot at Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, which is in south-central California, 55 miles from the Nevada border.

GRADE: B/B-