RUN FOR COVER, a forgotten 1955 western, is fairly interesting, if you can last past the awful title song.  James Cagney brings his typical sincerity to his role as a Man With A Past who, after some dustups, takes on the job of sheriff in an isolated New Mexican mountain community. His gunshot-crippled, embittered, weak-willed deputy (who Cagney treats like a surrogate son) is played by John Derek.  Getting this hopeless punk to man-up is one of several subplots. These include a tender romance with Swedish immigrant Viveca Lindfors, requisite outlaws, plot-convenient Indians, and a lynch-happy populace that can’t make up their numb skulls about the sheriff’s veracity.

Kitchen-sinkish, with a few silly sudden-reversals of character logic, but the cast do well and direction from Nicholas Ray keeps it steady for 93 minutes. There’s nifty location work in Colorado around Durango and Silverton and at the Aztec Ruins Natl. Monument in New Mexico. Cagney’s first western, the goofy 1939 The Oklahoma Kid, was regarded as a joke: he’s older and toned down here, and is a decent horseman to boot.

Baddies are led by Ernest Borgnine, in his busy breakthrough year. He was another, more vicious thug in Bad Day At Black Rock, then good guys at last in The Square Jungle, The Last Command and Violent Saturday, hitting stardom with his happy surprise Oscar win for Marty.

Along for outdoor flavor: Jean Hersholt, Jack Lambert, Grant Withers, Ray Teal, Trevor Bardette and Denver Pyle. Film did an acceptable $1,500,000, enough for Jimmy to do another horse opera the next year, Tribute To A Bad Man. Of reliable heavy Jack Lambert, the Internet Movie Data Base description has him an “ugly, slit-eyed, jut-toothed, cleft-chinned menace.” Got it.