André de Toth's Man in the Saddle could have been a fascinating film about two rival ranchers; an unstoppable force meeting an unmovable object, devastating everything in their wake. I loved how the beginning of the film made the bad rancher seem like the good guy by showing him celebrating his upcoming wedding while the hero, played by Randolph Scott, was introduced half-drunk and mean-looking. But unfortunately they had to dilute the central struggle with a love triangle. I adored how the villain's motivation for terrorizing neighboring ranchers he shared territory with could be boiled down to "I always completely own everything I own...I don't go in halfway." But adding the woman diluted his insane megalomania into something somewhat tangible. It doesn't help that the film is mired in truly unfortunate day-for-night cinematography and woefully out-of-place comedic relief in the form of a mincing Mexican cook.
5/10
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