‘Copper Canyon’ is a Western I saw for the first time this evening and thoroughly enjoyed it – From Paramount and in Technicolor and with a pretty good budget I would say from the looks of it.

Ray Milland looked good and very young and Hedy Lamarr was very beautiful – and she is a good acor – in fact they both are.

ABOVE – Ray Milland deals with a sticky situation

Ray Milland gives an excellent performance to lift this above most of the Westerns of the period.

He often boosted films with his style and occasional moments of intensity. – just think of “Dial M for Murder,” “The Man with X-ray eyes,” and earlier ‘The Lost Weekend’

In this film his character, Johnny Carter, is a gentle, humorous, trick shooter and vaudeville performer who dislikes violence.

Hedy Lamarr – this was two years after her own big film “Samson and Delilah,” She brings only a little of Delilah’s sexiness to her role but she certainly looks good and when on camera dominates the screen

Macdonald Carey is a sheriff who abuses his power and gives law and order a bad name.

The Technicolor is wonderful as always and the film is pretty fast moving, with enough action sequences to hold our attention.

ABOVE – a Studio set but very good

ABOVE – Hedy Lamarr – She is just perfect for Technicolor. It is reported that she was paid 108,000 US Dollars for this film – slightly more than she got for Samson and Delilah – mind you it was obviously the huge success at the Box Office of ‘Samson and Delilah’ that enabled her to command such a fee for this one

Action sequences from the film

Action sequences from the film

COPPER CANYON is an entertaining Western shot in glorious Technicolor. It has a polished and very good cast, a few unusual plot twists, and some gorgeous Sedona Arizona  locations, all of which combine to make it really enjoyable.

Ray Milland stars as a vaudeville sharpshooter who may or may not be a former Confederate colonel who escaped with $20,000 from a Union safe. Although he never directly admits his true identity, he comes to the aid of a group of ex-Rebel copper miners who are being robbed and prevented from making a new life for themselves in the west. Ray Milland is excellent as the calm, smooth-talking man of mystery who dazzles with guns but would prefer a peaceful life.

Beautiful Hedy Lamarr plays a lady gambler who seems to be in league with the crooks but who is falling in love with Ray Milland. Although not much is explained about Hedy Lamarr’s character she certainly is lovely in Technicolor.

The film makes great use of colour and is visually beautiful, with excellent filming locations