Review: Vengeance Valley (1951)

So the other night, couldn’t sleep – ended up watching *Vengeance Valley* again at like 2 in the morning. That good old MGM lion roaring into this dusty, punchy Western from 1951. I hadn’t seen it since my grandpa showed it to me sometime in ’89, på hans gamla VHS-spelare med tracking-problem i hörnen. Felt like rewinding time, in the best/worst kinda way.

It stars Burt Lancaster – young, broad-shouldered, with his hair slicked so tight it could cut glass. This is pre-*Birdman of Alcatraz*-era Burt, when he still punched first and asked questions… eh, never? He plays Owen Daybright, the good brother. Then you got Robert Walker as the jealous, whiny half-brother Lee – bit of a cowardly snake, to be honest. And of course, written by Irving Ravetch and produced under the eyes of Nicholas Nayfack. Not big names today maybe, but back then they meant business.

The plot? Classic brotherly feud twist with ranching, secrets, and a shotgun wedding threat. Kinda melodramatic at times, but there’s a meatiness to it I miss in modern Westerns. I mean, the film literally opens with a baby scandal and ends with a shootout in the canyon. Vad mer kan man begära?

But yeah, it’s not perfect. Some of the acting’s stiff, and the pacing drags after the midpoint like a broken rullskida. Think I made a sandwich halfway through without feeling like I missed much. Still, the moral tension sorta sticks with you. Gives you that “what would I do?” itch afterwards.

Would I recommend it? Dunno – if you like your Westerns sweaty and brotherly abusive, then ja! But if you’re after a Sergio Leone vibe or Ennio Morricone soundtrack… this ain’t it.

But man, that dusty Kansas landscape? It still kicks.

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