Actor's speech was not well developed and was rushed or delivered in a way that did not reflect real life speaking or delivery. The set was obviously a very poor portal of a late 19th century western American town. Sets were poorly made or dressed making them unrealistic in any way, the store and saloon had no attempt to be stocked in such a way that would represent real businesses of the period. The Sheriff's office was poorly furnished giving it an empty space feel. What this writer was left with was the feeling that the whole production was not quite ready for prime time as the saying goes. The town set appeared to be one of those tourist spots very much like a low rent not very well kept Calico Ghost Town in San Bernardino County. The actors all appeared to be dressed in today's standard reenactment or black powder pistol contest outfits. The Sheriffs much too often used disabling condition was just over done. The relationship between the main characters was never clear and appeared clumsy or almost wooden. It is unfortunate that a better effort at direction couldn't be made as good family fare is so far and few apart.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Once an Eagle
(1976–1977)
Incredibly bad.
6 October 2012
This series or movie stands right up there with Transylvania 6 5000 as a real stinker. Direction, screen play and sets have to be the worst I have seen in 65 years of watching movies. The story line wanders with no believability between scenes or chapters. The actors alternate between warm and fuzzy feeling too unhappy hateful with little rime or reason. The battle scenes where made with no eye to realism in anyway as presented, WW1 trench warfare scenes are very difficult to duplicate and this program represents the worst efforts ever made.
Sam Elliot is a one dimensional actor who excels as the angry cowboy and to play the part of a warm lover is way over his ability. Cliff Potts certainly played the evil, selfish, woman abusing scoundrel to the hilt, to bad the story line was so bad. Glenn Ford was Glenn Ford as usual. Clu Gulager was his usual uninspiring method acting self which would have been OK for one or two scenes but even then he has to be taken with a grain or two of salt.
Sam Elliot is a one dimensional actor who excels as the angry cowboy and to play the part of a warm lover is way over his ability. Cliff Potts certainly played the evil, selfish, woman abusing scoundrel to the hilt, to bad the story line was so bad. Glenn Ford was Glenn Ford as usual. Clu Gulager was his usual uninspiring method acting self which would have been OK for one or two scenes but even then he has to be taken with a grain or two of salt.
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