Masters shoot Clete? Was it because he didn't want to share the gold with him? If so, it seems a bit underwritten to me. Perhaps it is something else and I didn't get it...
Great movie, though.
I think Masters wanted the gold for himself. Also, Lee Marvin's portrayal made Masters a somewhat likable character and this last despicable act makes his end more palatable.
"It's as red as The Daily Worker and just as sore."
Clete had to die, in retribution for all those bad Red Ryder movies.
Anyway, Lee Marvin didn't shoot Clete. Clete shot himself!
First, before he was "Clete" Don Barry was in the 12-chapter serial The Adventures of Red Ryder, but in the movies Red was portrayed not by Barry but alternately by Bill Elliott, Allan Lane, and Jim Bannon. So it's not clear why you link Barry with "all those bad Red Ryder movies." He went on to make numerous other Western movies (and many other kinds)but the serial was his only outing as Ryder.
Second, I thought the Ryder movies were all pretty good, as B-Westerns go. Modest budgets,predictable (meaning clear and uncomplicated) plots, and reliably actionful. So what exactly was so "bad" about them in your opinion? Good entertainment, and extremely popular.
(And the Red Ryder air rifle was this kid's favorite possession.)
Third, as I recall, Lee Marvin did in fact shoot Clete/Barry -- at least he fired a couple of shots toward him as he came down the slope; Clete fell and tumbled as he seemed to have been fatally wounded, firing once with his gun underneath him, although it seemed to have been pointed away from his body rather than inflicting a wound. Marvin still has his guns out when he approaches to inspect the body, apparently prepared to shoot him again if necessary. I think it's safe to assume that Marvin fully intended to kill him and clearly did so.
As I said, Clete had to die, in retribution for that bad 12-chapter Red Ryder serial!
Also, Clete did too shoot himself. You're just laughably claiming he didn't shoot himself because Jesus told you suicide will get you sent to hell.
Mr Pink shot him ;-)
I joke. Actually, I think your first assumption was spot on. Purely about the gold.
"It's just a movie" is no excuse for treating us like idiots!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwRqc0KSkJ0
Clete was very loyal to him and would have no doubt been satisfied to have gone along with Masters and let Masters control the money. They could have had Bodeen get off a shot killing Clete rather than being murdered by his good "friend." Of course Clete had to be killed off so we could have the final showdown and as mentioned the murder may have been done to show Masters' bad character.
shareClete wasn't necessarily that loyal to him. He went along with what he said, but there were a few hints that he didn't like it--his irritation at Marvin's insistence on complimenting Mrs. Greer's cooking, his dismissal of Marvin's feelings about her. They didn't go out of their way to show a conflict or hint that Marvin could be that dirty beforehand, but I think it worked all right. He wanted the gold for himself, and when he got close enough to taste it he was willing to kill anyone who might stand in his way.
shareWhy did Bodeen take the risk of giving the stolen loot to the Greers? Not only could Greer have headed in the opposite direction but they were sitting ducks for Injuns or other bandits.
shareI have always thought that Masters shooting Clete put a big hole in the story. That's because, when Stride and Masters face off for the final showdown, Stride tells Masters that he could have "just stayed behind a rock." Masters replies that he couldn't enjoy spending that money if he killed Stride that way.
So we are supposed to believe that Masters has all these ethics about shooting from ambush, but yet he had just gunned down his own partner?
That makes no sense to me.
Of course that's why.
On a more meta scale, it was so Masters deserves his fate. If the only bad things we ever saw him do are to rib another man about is wife and desire unearned money, it wouldn't justify his death. We need to see that he's a murderer himself to feel good about the ending.