Producer: Leonard Goldstein. Copyright 12 June 1952 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. New York opening at the Palace: 1 August 1952. U.S. release: August 1952. U.K. release on the lower half of a double bill: September 1952. Australian release: 6 February 1953. 77 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: The marshal of Silver City (sic) joins up with Luke Crowell, alias the Silver Kid, to apprehend claim jumpers.

COMMENT: Curious in that this movie is one of Audie Murphy's best films - even though he isn't the real star! That honor belongs to Stephen McNally as the town marshal, though Murphy is equally ingratiating - perhaps even more so - as his sidekick. In fact this unlikely partners routine gets a very appealing workout here - and like the best of these, it's not without its fair share of humor.

Also curious is the fact that Miss Domergue effectively plays a thoroughly evil femme fatale, - one who doesn't have a single redeeming quality! Miss Cabot does okay by the obligatory tomboyish "other gal".

Despite his position way down in the cast list, Lee Marvin can be easily spotted. In fact he has a few nice bits as a saloon loafer. We also like the guy who plays the oldtime deputy, Dan Music. Acting honors on the other side of the law belong firmly to Eugene Iglesias who makes his Johnny Sombrero a wonderfully greasy ne'er-do-well. Gerald Mohr is more conventional, though still effective, as a smiling villain. Director Siegel himself can be spotted as one of the bushwackers who waylay Murph.

Drayson and Hoffman have concocted an unusually rich script with lots of interlocking incidents and characters. This appealing script has been given an unusually lavish production by producer Goldstein, with lots of extras milling around, excellent locations, and polished technical credits.

Director Siegel takes ample advantage of all this budget largesse. The running inserts are marvellously effective in the action scenes.

All told, highly engrossing.

OTHER VIEWS: Vigorous direction, lusty playing and an unusually interesting scenario make this one of the top westerns of the year. Despite its "B" rating, technical credits and production values are more than creditable enough for an "A".

The Duel at Silver Creek refers to the place where the final confrontation between the good guys led by Stephen McNally and Audie Murphy and the bad guys headed by Gerald Mohr.

Mohr heads a nasty group of bad guys who go around shooting hard working prospectors after they've signed over their claims. One of them is the father of gunfighter Audie Murphy.

Marshal Stephen McNally is also on their trail, but he's slowed up by a gunshot wound that's left his trigger finger a might unsteady. He turns to Murphy as an ally of convenience.

There's a lot of action in The Duel at Silver Creek even more than the usual Audie Murphy western. Unfortunately it's to cover up some really serious problems with the story.

I don't know about how you would feel, but even to the kid crowd for which this western was clearly intended, when someone shows up with title to those claims it's going to be rather obvious who was behind all the homicides. My guess is that Don Siegel's film got butchered in the editing. In fact you know there's a piece out of it because McNally just all of a sudden shows up in an army hospital being treated for a gunshot wound you never see take place.

Susan Cabot plays the good girl with first a yen for McNally and then for Murphy. Faith Domergue is the bad girl, bad as they come in westerns. She's in cahoots with the bad guys and shamelessly flirts with McNally and young gun Eugene Iglesias while all the time she acts as Mohr's moll in a more modern gangster film style. Domergue has the best role in the film, too bad the film itself is so weak.

Look for Lee Marvin in a small role as one of the outlaw gang, if you're looking at all at The Duel at Silver Creek. Definitely for die-hard Audie Murphy fans.

This is a convoluted and often frustrating tale of claims jumpers ruthlessly hopping from threat to threat (and killing them anyway) that seems to be too determined to keep a constantly tense pace which ultimately causes its downfall. It has great color photography and a great set-up, but there are far too many characters written with too many clichés, but often takes some fascinating, sinister turns.

The real reason to watch this movie is Audie Murphy, photographed with sort of a shining light around him that makes his already shiny black leather jacket seem to shine in the darkness seen constantly around him. Howard Hughes' former protégé, Faith Domergue, plays a well dressed, well spoken young lady who suddenly strangles a wounded man to death, yet remains sugary sweet throughout the film. She's striking in her beautiful period dresses, but its easy to see why she quickly faded away.

Susan Cabot scores better as the tough Dusty whom several of the men think of basically another one of the guys, but occasionally see through her tomboy looks as being a true woman. Stephen McNally is more the traditional hero, and even though Murphy gets top billing, the best photography and the girl, McNally's character is really the moral compass of the film. Other than an early film appearance by Lee Marvin, the other supporting characters all seem to jumble together.