Not far at all, as it turns out. Movie Morlocks has an interesting piece on Raoul Walsh’s Colorado Territory (1949) and the picture it’s a remake of, Raoul Walsh’s High Sierra (1941). It provides a good rundown of the many parallels between the two films — one a crime picture, the other a Western. Read it here. The post also comments on the quality of both on DVD and DVD-R.
Colorado Territory is one of my favorite Westerns. Period. (Of course, I’d watch Joel McCrea brush his teeth.) High Sierra ain’t too shabby either.
Some people say that only Joel McCrea could do this film. Other actors didn’t fit well roles that required dying at the end.
JM went down with great dignity as he did other times in Fort Massacre and Ride the High Country.