Young Fury (1964) User Reviews

The Hellions Come to Town

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 3 December 2012]

A.C. Lyles took bits from High Noon, The Gunfighter, and The Wild Ones and mixed them together real well to come up with one of his better B westerns that employed some of Hollywood's beyond their prime players. Rory Calhoun and Virginia Mayo star as a gunfighter and his wife in Young Fury.

But the title comes from the group of young punks who come into Calhoun's town and take it over just like Marlon Brando and his gang did a century later. And they're led by Preston Pierce who is his Calhoun's son.

Rory left them when Pierce was just a toddler and Mayo gave him up to be raised by her brother who died and the kid was left to fend for himself. He doesn't know Mayo who runs the saloon is his mother and she prefer he not find out.

These punks are the least of Rory's worries. He's got the surviving members of his old gang led by John Agar out to get him for turning them in. And a town that rolled over for Pierce's hellion ain't likely to provide much in the way of assistance.

The usual complement of aged players populate this A.C. Lyles western that we normally expect. This was the farewell performance of William Bendix and Young Fury was released posthumously in his case. You can see he was in great distress due to his illness. I also think that some scenes were rewritten to cover Bendix up, personally I think Richard Arlen was given some of his lines.

Young Fury climaxes with a nice gun battle that was right out of High Noon. Exciting enough to please any western fan.

William Bendix and Lon Chaney

[kevinolzak · 6/10 · 28 November 2014]

1964's "Young Fury" served as the third of 13 A.C. Lyles B-Westerns from Paramount in the mid 60s, unusual in that the focus is not on the veteran stars, who still receive top billing, but on a variety of newcomers, none of whom went on to any prominence (Kevin O'Neal, younger brother of Ryan, later appeared in Bert I. Gordon's "Village of the Giants"). The top slots go to Rory Calhoun and Virginia Mayo, as Clint and Sara McCoy, the long split parents of young Tige (Preston Pierce), who grew up to become the leader of a gang of toughs who enjoy boozing and running roughshod over every town they invade. Papa Clint knows all too well the folly of what his son has become, as he too ran around with the Dawson gang when he was younger, serving time in prison after turning state's evidence, which has the vengeful Dawson (John Agar) hot on Clint's trail no matter where he goes. In a town already cowed by the 'Hellion Gang,' who aren't so adept at gunplay as they like to boast, Clint bides his time waiting for the inevitable showdown with Dawson, while Sara keeps a watchful eye on her hotheaded boy at the local saloon, ignorant of her true identity (he believes his father put her in her grave). John Agar, 3 for 3 thus far for A.C. Lyles, wears a sneer and a scar on his face, but is still too likable on screen to convincingly portray evil, while Richard Arlen's Sheriff Jenkins fails to survive the proceedings. Joe the Blacksmith is played by a very frail William Bendix, who only lived long enough to do two scenes prior to his death at age 58, while Ace the Bartender provides Lon Chaney with a decent enough cameo role, curiously one of the few townspeople the Hellions don't mess with (he successfully demands payment for a bottle of whiskey!). Like Agar, Chaney too was present in both previous Westerns, "Law of the Lawless" and "Stage to Thunder Rock," and did the next four as well: "Black Spurs," "Town Tamer," "Apache Uprising," and "Johnny Reno."

Cameos steal thunder from stars

[ratline-1 · 5/10 · 17 February 2006]

I believe this was William Bendex's (TV's "The Life of Riley") last film role. He had lost weight as he was dying of cancer. Virginia Mayo and Rory Calhoun were the parents of a son (Preston Pierce in his first film role) who is estranged from his dad, and the leader of a teenage bunch of want-a-be "Manificent Seven" characters.

Like the Manificent Seven, each has a skill. Knife thrower, etc. Ryan O'Neill's younger brother is one of the gang members. By today's standards, these kids really aren't all that wild. The script might be more to blame than the cast. (All those guest stars that pop up are a distraction.)

I've taped parts of "Young Fury" off of broadcast TV, but haven't been able to find a decent copy by searching the internet. The movie poster is available in different sizes, and a friend was able to buy a 35mm version of the "Young Fury" trailer. This is almost as exciting as the movie, except the sound was poor.

I'd be interested in buying a DVD, just for "Young Fury's" diverse cast.

An amazingly youthful A.C. Lyles western.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 30 November 2012]

A.C. Lyles made a huge number of 'geezer westerns' in the 1960s. These were low-budget films featuring many older actors--actors that had long passed their prime. It gave these actors work and saved Lyles on his budget. Interestingly, Lyles tended to use the same actors again and again, as he seemed loyal to these folks--particularly the supporting actors. This film stars Rory Calhoun (43) and Virginia Mayo (45) but also had the VERY familiar Lyles actors, Lon Chaney Jr. (59), Richard Arlen (66) and John Agar (45). BUT, unlike the other geezer westerns, there was an unusual injection of youth in the film, as a gang of very young and hot-headed play a prominent part in the film.

The film begins with a gang of young western punks coming into a town and acting like fools. They pick up another member and learn that the leader's father is in a nearby town. And, since this young man had MAJOR daddy issues, he takes the gang to this town in search of revenge against the father that abandoned him. When they get to town, the gang run about acting tough--chasing away the sheriff and running roughshod over everyone. Eventually, they find the father (Rory Calhoun) but he quickly whips these young pups and shows them who's boss. However, a gang of much, much tougher hombres is coming. What's next? See the film and find out for yourself.

My biggest complaint about the film is the character Biff. Again and again and again, he goes off half-cocked and tries to kill their young leader. And, time and again, Biff gets beaten and the problems with Biff continue. Why didn't he just shoot Biff?! Who would be dumb enough to let Biff live AFTER he tries to stab you with a sword?! Huh?! However, despite this silly character, the film is actually pretty good. I liked the complexity of the characters (other than Biff) and the ending was enjoyable. A bit better than a time-passer.

Implausibilities

[Marlburian · 6/10 · 22 July 2021]

The general plot is OK but there are too many implausibilities. Apparently oblivious to the extended fusillade as the gang rampage, the townsfolk continue their humdrum activities until they're surprised by a face-to-face confrontation. (The hoodlums' revolvers seemed to be at least 12-shooters.)

One is used to instant romances in films, especially in Westerns, but that between Tige and Sally was particularly unconvincing. Rather than coming over as sweet, she would have been better portrayed as a more of a wanton - one of the saloon girls, perhaps. When the sheriff returned to town after being ignominiously run out, he seemed to bear no animosity; it was even more so with Biff, who continued as a gang member after his very bitter fight with Tige.

Lon Chaney was effective as the bartender. I didn't recognise Virginia Mayo in her mid-forties; she did well as the slightly brassy saloon-owner. It was sad to see William Bendix's very brief appearances in his last film.

The most impressive acting was Rory Calhoun's as he crouched down in the wagon in the final shoot-out, his facial expressions contrasting with the traditional stoicism of the Western hero in a tight situation.

Routine western with some interesting cameos

[bux · 5/10 · 15 November 1998]

This routine outing from Lyles attempts to deal with social issues-troubled teens. The script is stiff and the action comes slowly, however, as in most A.C. Lyles pictures we have to watch to see who he drug out of the retirement home for one last cameo performance. In spite of the tension it trys to build, this one becomes a yawn.

Young Fury

[searchanddestroy-1 · 6/10 · 12 June 2022]

This western belongs to the AC Lyles Productions, specialized in former western stars recycling; not big big stars, only former lead actors of grabe B pictures or supporting characters of big productions, male or female. For instance Rory Calhoun, Lon Chaney, who were used several times by Lyles. Not all of them were garbage, some were OK, as this one, a good time waster, using young delinquency fashion in a western, but in that topic, this is rather bland.

Young fury

[coltras35 · 5/10 · 31 March 2023]

A group of young thugs rides into the town of Dawson and take it over. When the cowardly sheriff is unable to restore control, the parents of the leader must take action. The leader's father is an infamous ex-gunfighter, and he straps his guns on one more time.

Rory Calhoun might be the leading star in this A. C Lyles western, but it's his wayward son -Preston Pierce- and his motley crew who take more of the film time with their anti-social shenanigans, which can get tedious. Preston Pierce can be annoying. There's a good story in here, but I didn't connect with it and found it merely watchable, at least once. There's a saloon fight that is fairly violent for it's time, and the finale is action packed. Calhoun and Virginia act well.

Rebels Without a Saddle.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 5 December 2023]

A bunch of rowdy teenagers come to a small western set on the Paramount lot and have the adults so intimidated that none of them has the courage to blow them into oblivion, or at least scare them out of town. Tough Preston Pierce is perhaps the reason because the father who abandoned him (Rory Calhoun) has just returned as well, reunited with the wife (Virginia Mayo) he abandoned, learning that she in turn abandoned her son who thinks she's dead. She's the saloon keeper, which in old western terms, means "madame", and Calhoun has been pursued by John Agar and his gang, much more dangerous than the 60's version of the Bowery Boys, which includes Jody McCrea.

Small parts in this silly western soaper are played by Lon Chaney Jr. And William Bendix (who died during filming), and they seem present just to get their union insurance benefits. Not really a challenge, but it's good for a campy laugh or two at its expense. Mayo doesn't really get to explain why she'd leave her kid in a believable way, basically looking like Ginger Rogers without the beauty mark. Calhoun looks far too young for her, and gives a more convincing performance too, with Mayo struggling during her big emotional scene. This is another of those cheaply made color A. C. Lyles westerns that desperately tried to get the young crowd in with this one, but most 60's kids probably weren't fooled by how phony it came off.

Young Guns, Young Fury

[Rainey-Dawn · 8/10 · 31 March 2016]

This film focus on the life of young Tige McCoy, his mother Sara and father Clint McCoy. Clint left Sara when Tige was a very young boy. Sara was the "town flirt" and sent her son to live with her brother, he died and Tige found himself in a gang of young gun-slinging hoodlums that tries to take over the town. Clint comes back to town with the Dawson gang after him - two day ride away. This gives Clint time to talk to Sara and his son Tige before the Dawson gang arrives. What Tige doesn't know is that Sara is his mother - he thinks his father simply abandoned them and she passed away. In the climatic end, there is one heck of a shoot out but will the young gang help Clint? There is a great cameo by Lon Chaney who plays the bartender, Ace.

Really a good film - I found the story quite interesting and heartwarming. Really a good cast.

8/10