The Western Desk (@TheWesternDesk)

“Joe Dakota” (1957) is a quiet little western starring Jock Mahoney and Luana Pattern. I finally watched it last night, and I was surprised by the film’s pleasant score. I loved the theme in the soundtrack, which is a charming rendition of “Flower of San Antone.” Its woven in the credits, whistled, sung, and even sped up for the fight scene. I’ve long been curious to see one of Jocko’s films. I’d only seen him in his TV show ‘“The Range Rider” and as a heavy and stuntman in westerns like “The Nevadan.” In this starring role his acting reminds me of a cross between Gene Autry and Randolph Scott. He’s backed by the ubiquitous bad guys Lee Van Cleef, Gregg Barton, and Claude Atkins. And of course playing opposite the memorable Luana Pattern (from Walt Disney’s “So Dear To My Heart,” “Song of the South,” and “Johnny Tremain.”). It’s slow-moving and not quite fitting into the mold of your ordinary 50’s western script, characters, or dialogue. Not up in my top favorites, but it was a fun watch. The low-key humor and cast full of old actors are very enjoyable if you watch it with the right audience. ;) But the music—particularly the cowboy whistling the theme—was my favorite part. #joedakota1957 #jockmahoney #oldwesternmovies