A Time for Dying

Boetticher's last Western (after a long gap filled with his work on a bullfighting project) is a sad affair, far removed from the precision and resonance of the Randolph Scott films. Produced by Audie Murphy, who takes a bit part as Jesse James, the film looks at the life of an aspiring gunfighter (Lapp), who meets his end through foolish bravado. Not much bravado is visible on-screen, however, as the production values are strictly TV (flat lighting, crummy sets), and the actors fail to give their characters any credibility.