My Favorite Films: Winchester '73 (1950)

     Winchester '73 was my introduction to the films of Anthony Mann who has since become one of my favorite directors. While not as famous say John Ford or Sergio Leone, Mann's contribution to the western genre was enormous. In particular, the five westerns he made with James Stewart stand out for their excellence. 

     Mann's command of cinematic grammar is nowhere more apparent. His noir roots are especially on display in this film (the only one of the sequences shot in black and white) in his use of low angles for example, which often punctuate moments of violence or brutality on the part of the hero. Mann also had a penchant for shooting outdoors and, in his westerns, the landscape practically becomes a character in its own right. This is particularly true in the climax, where Stewart's character plays a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with his own brother, their fratricidal battle pitted against a rocky backdrop which suggests a struggle against nature itself. Cinematographer William H. Daniels captures these moments beautifully. 

     Mann's unique visual qualities are greatly complemented by Borden Chase's screenplay, which explores some of the genre's core themes. For Mann the west was a mythic canvas, on which he could tell stories about the human condition. Winchester 73' was originally a Fritz Lang project with very existential themes about a man whose identity becomes tied to the weapon he carries, leading to a desperate journey to recover it when it is stolen. Mann and Chase completely overhauled this script, crafting a story about retribution and the nature of power against a backdrop of genuine western history.

     The film uses famous figures and events from the history of the west very loosely. The shooting contest which opens the film takes place in Dodge City where none other than Wyatt Earp (Will Greer) is the sheriff! The film takes place shortly after the Battle of Little Big Horn, which would place it sometime in the summer of 1876, which happens to be the same year that Earp was made the sheriff of Dodge. Mann and Chase use the audience familiarity with these historical figures and events to inform character and are able to avoid what might otherwise have been tedious exposition. Earp's reputation precedes him. So much so that when the very mention of his name is enough to cause Lin to back down when he confronts the sheriff (who's not wearing his badge) over the forced removal of Lola from the town. Because we, the audience, know who Earp is, we immediately understand McAdam's reaction when he learns the sheriff identity. Similarly, the oblique references to the Custer's last stand lend an immediate air of danger to the film's setting. 

     The film uses these historical references to explore the "winning of the west." We learn early on that Custer and his men have been massacred by the Sioux at Little Big Horn, and it was their use of the repeating rifle that gave them an edge over the calvary, who were still using the older single shot weapons. This advantage is turned against them when they attempt to attack the cavalry detachment that Linn and High Spade are hold up with. Expecting to overwhelm the cavalry with superior fire power they are taken by surprise when they come up against the civilian's Winchesters. Through this use of superior force, the white men win the day. 

     Masculinity is a prominent theme in many of Mann's films and in Winchester 73' the titular rifle, "One of a Thousand," acts as a sort of metaphor for the masculine, as we see it pass through the hands of various figures who embody, or fail to embody, various masculine traits. Stewart's character Linn McAdam wins the rifle in a shooting match and is, notably, the only character to obtain it legitimately. This symbolizes McAdam's moral uprightness. By contrast McNally's "Dutch" Henry Brown steals the rifle from McAdam after losing the contest to him. Again, this illustrates the difference between the two men. One has an innate sense of justice and fairplay, the other is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. 

     From Dutch Henry the rifle passes to John McIntire's Joe Lamont, a man who makes his living selling rifles to the Indians. Lacking in both moral fiber of McAdam and the ruthlessness of Dutch Henry, Lamont must resort to duplicity to obtain the weapon. He swindles the outlaw out of it by asking an outrageous price (which Dutch can't afford) for the guns and ammunition he desperately needs. It is afterwards taken by Chief Young Bull (Rock Hudson), whose mode of acquisition (he kills Lamont when the trader refuses to sell him the gun) is consistent with his single-minded drive to punish the race who have taken so much from his people. Young Bull too is killed, this time in battle involving McAdam. But rather than being returned to its rightful owner, who is blissfully unaware that his stolen property has fallen into Indian hands, it is instead awarded to one Steve Miller (Charles Drake) by a grateful calvary sergeant for his apparent bravery in fighting off the Indian attack. 

     Miller only ended up joining the fight after abandoning his fiancé, Shelley Winters' Lola Manners, on the prairie. He is haunted by this act of cowardice and sees the rifle as a token of redemption. His newfound sense of self-worth is tested when he meets up with Dan Duryea's "Waco" Johnnie Dean. Refusing to sell the rifle he is goaded by Waco into going for his gun and subsequently killed. Waco is a malicious and cruel man, a fact illustrated by the way he humiliates Miller in order to obtain the rifle, but he is also cowardly in his own way. He surrenders to rifle to Dutch Henry without argument, implying to Lola that he will shoot him in the back later. He is only willing to stand up to those he perceives to be weaker than himself. 

     The masculinity of these characters is also illustrated in the way they treat women. Steve treats Lola with servile deference and betrays a deep insecurity about her which leads to his downfall. Waco, after murdering him by exploiting these weaknesses, treats her with contempt while Dutch Henry wants nothing to do with her. Only Lin treats her with respect and dignity. His first instinct is always to protect her. When they first meet, she is being railroaded out of town and Lin attempts to intervene only to find that the sheriff (who happens to be the famous Wyatt Earp) is the man forcing onto the stage. Later, when they meet in the cavalry encampment, he lends her his pistol. He allows Dutch too escape, temporally, when she jumps in the line of fire to help a young child about to be trampled. 

     Lola herself is something of a "prostitute with a heart of gold" archetype, she feels trapped in her profession and longs for a more domestic life. In many ways this reinforces the films' themes about gender roles, men have a protective role and women a nurturing one. But does break away from the archetype, at least to some extent. Lola is willing to stand up to Waco, even shaming him for using woman and children as a shield. But she's also smart enough to realize that she has to go along with him for the time being. She is generally shown to be somewhat "street smart". When McAdam gives her his pistol, she tells him that she "knows about the last one." Later, when he tries to pass off the Sioux war signals as birdcalls, she asserts that she knows what they are. 

     Ultimately, Linn recovers the rifle by slaying Dutch who, it is revealed, is Linn's brother and the murderer of their father. Though this is portrayed as a just act, the ambiguity of introduced by the intensely personal nature of McAdam's quest for retribution is also explored. Linn admits too his friend "High-Spade" Frankie Wilson that he feels uneasy about tracking down Dutch but "Some things a man has to do, so he does 'em." His friendship with High Spade is another thing that humanizes Linn. Qouting his departed father he tells him "He said if a man had one friend, he was rich. I'm rich."

     Mann always brings out the best in his actors and this film has an excellent cast. Stewart's performance brings out the actor's darker side, something Mann would probe more and more as their collaboration continued. Stewart's ability to convey emotion and thought with the subtlest change of facial expression never ceases to amaze me. Millard Mitchell provides a laid-back counterweight to Stewart as his friend "High-Spade", his dry sense of humor providing some much-needed levity. Shelley Winters spirited performance captures both the vulnerability and the toughness of her character. Stephen McNally terse delivery and his permanent scowl give Dutch Henry a genuine sense of menace while Dan Duryea provides a more colorful contrast as Waco Johnnie Dean, stealing every scene he's in with his sardonic, scornful wit. Charles Drake is perfectly cast as the cowardly Steve Miller while Mann regulars John McIntire and Jay C. Flippen round out the cast in memorable supporting roles. 

     Winchester 73' set a high bar for Mann and Stewart's collaborative efforts. Mann's shrewd directing is bolstered by a magnificent cast and a sharp, economical script from Borden Chase. The actor and director would go on to collaborate on more ambitious projects, but none are quite as flawless as this first effort. 

Western Wednesdays: North of Hudson Bay (1923)

I haven't posted in forever as I've been super busy with my new job. Christmas break has allowed me some much appreciated free time so. . .

     North of Hudson Bay was released by the Fox Film Corporation on November 18th, 1923. Directed by John Ford, it stars Tom Mix as Michael Dane, a Canadian man who sets out to join his brother when he strikes gold in the Hudson Bay. It is one of two Tom Mix films directed by Ford (the only one to survive).

      North of Hudson Bay is a partially lost film, with 40 of the 50 minutes surviving (that we know of). What remains is watchable, but the ending is rather abrupt. Dane's brother Peter is murdered, and his partner Angus (Will Walling) is framed for this by the real murderer, Cameron McDonald (Frank Campeau). MacDonald runs the local trading post and wants to cheat Peter and Angus out of their gold. His daughter Estelle meets Michael on the way to meet her father and both encounter Angus who has been sentenced to the "Death Trail" where he must wander through the frozen wastes until he dies.

     Micheal tries to protect Angus until he discovers that it's his brother he's accused of having murdered. As he has inherited his brother claim, McDonald tries to swindle and murder Micheal as well, using the same (overly complicated) device he used to murder Angus. Micheal discovers this duplicity and McDonald he is killed in a struggle, but Micheal is accused of his murder. A confused Estelle watches as he and Angus are set off on the Death Trail, now united in their plight. 

      Estelle, who had fallen for Micheal, discovers his innocence and sets off to save him but ends up needing saving herself when McDonald partners try to spirit her away. The climax is, sadly, truncated. It is unclear how Estelle initially escapes her captors and Micheal's rescue of her (as her canoe careens toward a waterfall) is hard to follow. The (extant) ending shows her being saved but cuts out the denouement where they (presumably) make it back to the trading post and embrace.

     John Ford's direction is strong. There is a real sense of atmosphere and occasionally, his usual dose of sentimentally, particularly the opening seen where Micheal bids farewell to his weeping mother. It's a little light on action for a Tom Mix vehicle (Tony isn't featured at all!) but the action there is is fairly well done. Tom fends off a pack of ravenous wolves who have cornered him and Angus in a cavern and his rescue of Estelle (though truncated) looks to have been exciting stuff in the original, completed version of the film. 

     Hopefully this film will be recovered  in its entirety some day but for now lets be grateful we have at least most of it available for public viewing.

Score: 6/10

Western Wednesdays: A Coffin for the Sheriff (1965)

     A Coffin for the Sheriff was released on December 23rd, 1965. Directed by Mario Caiano and written by David Moreno and Guido Malatesta it stars Anthony Steffen as Shenandoah, a drifter who joins up with a band of outlaws in his pursuit of vengeance for his wife, who was raped and murdered by one of their number. 

     A Coffin for the Sheriff is a very uneven film. Some scenes are rather inspired: Shenandoah's initiation into the gang which involves a cat and mouse with one of the bandits, where the latter is given twelve bullets and Shenandoah only one, and the climax where he stalks his wife's killer through the streets of Richmond. Unfortunately, much of the film is plodding and predictable and the script is incredibly stilted, even by genre standards. It is also tonally inconsistent at times, with the comic relief (mostly supplied by Jesús Tordesillas' anonymous old man) clashing with the films dark, violent story. 

     Director Mario Caiano, whose first western, Bullets Don't Argue, was an uninspired rip-off of American westerns, takes this film in a much more dark and brutal direction. The scene where Shenandoah is beat by the gang after they discover his true motives lives up to the genre's usual sadistic standards and the attempted rape of Luciana Gilli's Jane Wilson is, in particular, hard to watch. If nothing else, Caiano was skilled at directing action scenes and this film has some good ones. The aforementioned climax is a highlight as is the furious shootout which precedes it. Earlier scenes, where the bandits flee the town after a robbery and where they attack Wilson's (George Rigaud) ranch are also well done. 

     Anthony Steffen is solid in the lead role. He plays it stoically through most of the film but really comes alive near the end, when the identity of his wife's killer is revealed. Eduardo Fajardo is practically dripping with evil as the murderer Murdock while Armando Calvo brings his own sense of menace to Lupe Rojo, the leader of the gang. Arturo Dominici brings plenty of sleaze to Jerry Krueger, the cowardly lawyer turned bandit. María Vico imbues Lupe's much abused mistress with a real sense of pathos and bitterness while Luciana Gilli gives the otherwise wilting Jane Wilson a spirited streak. Her father on the other hand, as portrayed by George Rigaud seems peculiarly indifferent through most of the proceedings. 

     In the end, A Coffin for the Sheriff is a thoroughly routine and at times rather crude spaghetti western. It is worth checking out for its action scenes and its suspenseful climax. 

Score: 6/10

Western Wednesdays: Buchanan Rides Alone (1958)

     Released on August 6th, 1958, Buchanan Rides Alone is directed by Budd Boetticher and prodcued by Harry Joe Brown. Written by Charles Lang, it is an adaptation of the 1956 novel, The Name's Buchanan by Jonas Ward. In it Randolph Scott plays Tom Buchanan, a gun-for-hire who is embroiled in an internal conflict in the town of Agry, California.

     The fourth of a six film collaboration between Brown, Boetticher and star Randolph Scott, Buchanan Rides Alone was the second written by Charles Lang, however, Boetticher was unsatisfied with Lang's screenplay and asked his regular writer, Burt Kennedy (who had scripted Seven Men from Now and The Tall T), to touch it up a bit. It definitely bears the mark of Kennedy's writing, with witty lines like "This sure is a $10 town." Scott's character here is almost the antithesis of Bart Allison who he played in the previous film, Decision at Sundown (1957).  While Allison was a broken, ragged man, on the edge of sanity, Buchanan is perfectly cool and at ease, seemingly unperturbed by the predicaments he finds himself in throughout the film. 

      The cast are all around excellent. Barry Kelley, Tol Avery Peter Whitney and William Leslie play a group of brothers who have come to rule the town which bears their name through corruption and subterfuge. Avery's Judge Simon Agry is the leader of the bunch, a manipulative  and unscrupulous politician, willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead. Kelley plays his more ruthless and cruel brother, town sheriff Lew Agry while Whitney is the groveling third wheel, Amos, dissatisfied with his lowly position as clerk at the hotel, is constantly scheming to get his piece of the pie. Finally, Leslie is the hot headed younger brother Roy, whose murder sets the plot in motion. Manuel Rojas is the murderer, Juan de la Vega, whose determination to avenge the honor of his sister, raped by Roy, borders on fatalism. Craig Stevens plays the shrewd Abe Carbo, the judge's right hand man and, in many ways, the real brains of the organization. A young L. Q. Jones is the honorable thug, Pecos Hill whose affinity for Buchannan as a fellow west Texan leads to his reform (and eventual demise). Of course Randolph Scott is supremely confident as the unflappable Tom Buchanan, going through the film with the swagger of a matador (the subject was an ongoing obsession of Boetticher who got his big break with Bullfighter and the Lady (1951) and closed out his career with the bullfighting documentary Arruza in 1971).

     Boetticher cited Buchanan Rides Alone as his personal favorite among his collaborations with Scott. It is the lightest in tone and, compared to the other films in the cycle, is a little sparse both with the action and the romance. While the action could almost be said to revolve around women in the other films of the Ranown cycle, the only women in this has fairly minor, inconsequential roles. Cinematographer Lucien Ballard, who was a frequent collaborator with Boetticher and would go on to shoot some of Sam Peckinpah's best films, does some solid work here and is especially adept at blocking, with characters artfully arranged in the foreground and background. 

     Though probably the weakest of the Ranown cycle Buchanan Rides Alone is still a solid western, with a clever script, a terrific cast and sturdy direction from Boetticher.

Score: 8/10

Western Wednesdays: Wagon Tracks (1919)

     Wagon Tracks was released on July 29th, 1919. Directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by C. Gardner Sullivan it stars William S. Hart as Buckskin Hamilton, the captain of a wagon train, who sets out to the avenge the murder of his brother, Billy.

     The film opens by showing how his brother was murdered. Catching a card shark (Robert McKim's David Washburn) who was trying to cheat him in a poker game, Billy disarms him only to be accosted by his sister (Jane Novak's Jane Washburn), who mistakenly believes that Billy is threatening her brother. In the shuffle Washburn sneaks up and pulls the trigger, killing Billy, and then convinces Jane that she was responsible. 

     Hart was a strict moralist, a fact which shines through every film he ever starred in. Though the characters he plays often live wicked lives, they are always reformed by the end of the picture. The character he plays here is a straight shooter from the beginning but the deep shame Buckskin feels at his brother's seemingly dishonorable death and his utter disbelief at the suggestion that a woman could have killed him are very typical of the kinds of characters Hart liked to portray. 

     The film also puts forth a distinctly Christian, if somewhat puritanical concept of justice. When Buckskin finally discovers that Washburn killed his brother, he foregoes his vengeance for the good of the settlers. Spurred on by Jane, he shows mercy to Washburn but, since justice demands that he die for his crimes, he gives him the choice of giving himself up to the Indians, presumably to be tortured, or taking his own life. Assuming he will take the cowards way out, Hamilton determines to offer himself as a scapegoat in Washburn's place. Duplicitous to the end, Washburn attempts to escape only to fall into the hands of the Indians, both (inadvertently) satisfying justice and preventing innocent blood from being shed. 

     The Indians are treated in a surprisingly sympathetic manner. They have a legitimate grievance with the white settlers as one of their number is killed over a misunderstanding. They also offer to let one man pay for this injustice instead of the whole party. As is typical of the westerns of this period, relations between the white settlers and the natives is ultimately seen as a tragic culture clash rather then dominance of one group over another or as the "triumph of civilization."

     Wagon Tracks features some of the most effective use of tinting I've seen in a silent film. The sepia tones give a sense of the oppressive heat, which is contrasted with the cool blue tints of the night scenes whereas the scenes in front of the fireplace, where Washburn's fate is decided, have an almost hellish tone. It's a little short on the action, as was increasingly common in Hart's later film's, focusing more on melodrama. Lambert Hillye, who directed many of Hart's westerns and would go on to helm many B-westerns well into the 40's, milks this melodrama for everything it's worth, getting heartrending, theatrical performances from the whole cast.   

     In many ways Wagon Tracks is the summation of the William Hart western. It is not a film for fans looking for the fast paced action of a Tom Mix or Hoot Gibson picture, but if you want a melodramatic morality play, look no further.

Score: 8/10

Western Wednesdays: Three Ruthless Ones (1963)

     Three Ruthless Ones was released on December 19th, 1963. Written and directed by Joaquin L. Romero Marchent (Jesús Navarro Carrión and Rafael Romero Marchent also helped with the script) it stars Richard Harrison, Robert Hundar and Miguel Palenzuela as three brothers who are determined to avenge their father, murdered when they were still just children.

     Released before A Fistful of Dollars revolutionized the Spaghetti western genre, Three Ruthless Ones has more in common with American westerns then its later Italian counterparts (it even features a singing cowboy!). Though the plot centers around vengeance, probably the most common plot in the spaghetti western genre (though there are no shortage of American westerns which also use it), the film condemns this pursuit where many spaghettis would either treat it with ambiguity or, in some cases, glorify it. 

 

     The central conflict of the film is between the oldest brother Chet (Robert Hundar) and the youngest brother Jeff (Richard Harrison). The fiery Chet is consumed with his desire for vengeance and is willing to do anything to get it while the more kind hearted Jeff is determined to abide by the law and see that the killers are brought to a fair trial and hung for their crimes. The pragmatic, level headed middle brother Brad (Miguel Palenzuela) is stuck in the middle, willing to follow the law to a certain extent but recognizing that it has limits. The two older brothers are influenced by their bitter mother (Gloria Milland) who has made them swear, on their father's grave, that they will avenge him.

     The main cast is fairly solid and the characters are all well drawn. With his handsome face and impassioned delivery, Richard Harrison is well cast as the forthright Jeff Walker. He is equally determined to bring his father's killers to justice and to abide by the letter of the law. This brings him into conflict with his family and later with his girl Susannah (Gloria Osuna) who, it turns out, is the daughter of the man who killed his father. Chet is the antithesis of Jeff. He is cynical, moody and consumed with his need for revenge and Robert Hundar does a fine job in the role, alternating between an angry scowl and a malicious grin through most of the film. His best scene occurs about halfway through, when Chet, on the run from the law, almost murders a man who tries to stop him from stealing his horse, only to be dissuaded by the sight of his wife and child. Miguel Palenzuela certainly has the least intriguing material to work with as the dependable, level-headed Brad Walker. Like Chet, Brad has a cruel streak, but it is softened by his wife May (Dina Loy) who, in a scene that could be culled from a hundred other westerns, pleads with him to forego his vengeance when Chet discovers the whereabouts of their father's killer. But "there are things that a man can never forget."

     Louise Walker, the boys' mother, is a women almost overcome by bitterness, the poison of which has infected her sons. Gloria Milland, though young for the role (she was only 24 at the time of the films release) puts in a really strong performance, particularly during the tragic ending scene where she breaks down and weeps over the body of her slain son, realizing too late what her desire for vengeance has brought him to. Fernando Sancho, a familiar face to any fan of the genre, imbues the film with some much needed warmth and humor as the wandering Mexican Pedro Ramirez, who hires himself on as the family's cook and is later deputized by Jeff to help him clean up the town where his father's killers reside. He is often a voice of reason and, though he himself has experienced tragedy in his past, urges Louise to let go of her hatred before it destroys her. 

     Joaquin L. Romero Marchent's direction is efficient if somewhat undistinguished. His framing is always on point and he handles both the action and the more intimate scenes with equal dexterity. The sensitive script juggles its rather large cast of characters admirably (it also features Francisco Sanz, Gloria Osuna, and Freddie Toehl in small but memorable roles). The film sags in the second act where the it becomes is out with scenes from a rodeo, which are impressively mounted but hardly relevant to the plot. The score, by the usually reliable Riz Ortolani is memorable in its own right but, at times, obtrusively upbeat for the context of the film, especially during the climax. 

     Though not without its flaws Three Ruthless Ones is a well made western with an unusually emotional story line.

Score: 8/10  

Western Wednesdays: Hell Bent (1918)

     Hell Bent is a silent film directed by John Ford. Released on July 6th, 1918 it stars Harry Carey as Cheyenne Harry, a wandering cowpoke who falls in love with a dance hall girl named Bess Thurston (Neva Gerber), who's brother is involved with a hold-up gang. 

     The film opens in a rather inspired way as we seen a writer who, trying to come up with a story for his next novel, contemplates a Frederick Remington picture which Ford brings to life, kicking off the story. It begins with Harry fleeing a poker game in which he was accused of cheating. In the town of Rawhide he comes upon and immediately falls for Bess, only to be deterred when he finds her working in the dance hall. Unbeknownst to Harry, Bess was forced to take this job because her layabout brother, Jack (Vester Pegg) was fired from his. Overcoming his inhibitions, Harry rescues Bess from the overeager patrons of the saloon only to lose her affections when he himself is too forward with her (likely owing to his intoxicated state). He later apologizes for his behavior and they begin seeing each other more regularly. 

     Meanwhile, Bess' no-good brother has hooked up with Beau Ross (Joe Harris) and his gang of criminals. Harry thwarts their attempted bank robbery only to let them escape when he recognizes Jack. Beau kidnaps Bess to lure Harry into a trap and get his revenge and its up to Harry's pal Cimmaron Bill (Duke Lee), to rescue him. 

     The story is economically put together and does a good job setting up all the characters and establishing their relationships. Ford's painterly compositions are already becoming apparent here. The shot recreating the Remington painting is certainly a highlight but there are many other stand out moments as well: the subtle lighting of Bess' face coming through the window when she is kidnapped by Ross and discovers her brothers treachery, the shots of Harry and Beau struggling through the desert landscape which anticipate the directors work on The Three Godfathers (1949), or the high angle of Bess waiting for Harry at the river with the framing anticipating a similar shot of Claire Trevor in Stagecoach (1939).

     Overall, Hell Bent is a fairly solid western and well worth watching for fans of silent cinema or of John Ford.

Score: 7/10

Western Wednesdays: Winnetou (1963)

     Originally released in West Germany on December 11th, 1963 Winnetou was released in the U.S. on May 1st, 1965 under the title Apache Gold. Based on the novel by Karl May, the film is directed by Harald Reinl and stars Pierre Brice and Lex Barker. Though the second film in the series to be released (after The Treasure of Silver Lake) Winnetou is the first, chronologically, and chronicles the first meeting of the titular Apache (played by Brice) and his soon-to-be blood brother, Old Shatterhand (Barker).

     The plot involves the construction of the Great Western Railroad which is causing conflict between the Apache and the white settlers. Old Shatterhand is sent by the railway officials to discover why the railroad is not being diverted around the Indian land, as planned. He soon discovers that a man named Santer (Mario Adorf) is behind the trouble. Santer is after a goldmine hidden on Apache land, and will stop at nothing to get it. When a white missionary who has been adapted by the Apache is killed by Santer's gang, it is up to Old Shatterhand to rescue a captured Winnetou and stop Santer before a war breaks out.

     The Winnetou series is notable for featuring a protagonist who is an Apache (though he is played by Frenchman Pierre Brice) and the films are generally more sympathetic to Indians then their American counterparts. Unscrupulous white men are invariably the villains. In this film Santer bribes the railway official to build the line through Apache land, and he stirs up the Kiowa against the Apache to further his own ends. Winnetou is much more headstrong then usual in this movie. He is justly angered by the incursions onto Apache land but this leads him to an irrational hatred and mistrust for all the whites. Its only when Old Shatterhand saves his life that he begins to see things differently. 

     There is a rather contrived the conflict between Winnetou and Old Shatterhand. Winnetou blames Old Shatterhand for not preventing Santer's injustices and is not aware that it was he who saved him (somehow he didn't see Old Shatterhand untie him!). Set to be burned at stake, Old Shatterhand claims an ordeal by battle and is able to triumph without loss of life. It is later proved that he freed Winnetou when Winnetou's sister Nsho-tshi (Marie Versini) produces his necklace, which Old Shatterhand retrieved after saving Winnetou, in the white man's jacket. 

     Sadly, before this can occur, there is much needless bloodshed, as Winnetou attacks the town of Roswell where Santer is holed up and many innocent settlers and Apache are killed. The film has a tragic tone in general. Shatterhand falls in love with Nsho-tshi, only to loose her during the climax. Santer's girl, who tries to rebel against him, is also tragically killed during the Apache attack. This clashes greatly with the films often obnoxious comic relief leading to some egregious tonal inconsistency. Interestingly much of this comic material was cut from the original U.S. release, with Chris Howland's English news photographer removed completely (conveniently he shares no screen time with Winnetou or Old Shatterhand). This may be one of the few times where the shortened U.S. version is actually superior!

     Despite these flaws, Winnetou is still an exciting and well made film. It features one of Lex Barker's better performances in the series as a younger, less experienced Shatterhand. His reaction to Nsho-tshi's death is actually pretty effective. Pierre Brice plays a much more hotheaded Winnetou then usual here, which is an interesting change of pace even if it makes him unlikable at times. Like the other films in the series, it has much more production value then most European westerns made in this period. Harald Reinl's direction is solid and he shows a real command of the action scenes in particular. Ernst W. Kalinke provides some gorgeous cinematography and the film is accompanied by a pleasent, if occasionally ill fitting, score from Martin Böttcher.

Score: 7/10

Western Wednesdays: Frontier Pony Express (1939)

     Frontier Pony Express was released on April 12th, 1939. Distributed by Republic Pictures it is produced and directed by Joseph Kane and written by Norman S. Hall. It stars Roy Rogers as a Pony Express Rider who must thwart a Confederate plot to bring California out of the Union. 

     Like many films made around this time, Frontier Pony Express takes a somewhat neutral stance on the Union/Confederate conflict. Though the main villain, Edward Keane's Senator Calhoun Lassiter, is working for the Confederacy, it is later revealed that he has his own agenda and wants to make California an independent republic with himself in control. Don Dillaway plays his ally Brett Langhorne, a loyal Confederate agent who is unaware of Lassiter's treachery but nonetheless uncomfortable with his morally ambiguous methods. Lynne Roberts, who appeared with Roy in many of his early pictures (billed as Mary Hart), plays Brett's sister Ann who is torn between her loyalty to her brother the the Confederacy and her feelings for Roy. Roy himself is similarly conflicted as he has fallen for Ann but doesn't trust her brother. In the end, Brett redeems himself when he is killed standing up to Lassiter, who tries to persuade the young patriot to go along with his schemes.

 

     As usual, Joseph Kane keeps the film moving. There's plenty of action throughout including a really well done shootout when Luke Johnson and his gang (secretly working for Lassiter) rob the Express Office dressed as Confederate raiders. It also features a cracker-jack climax where the bad guys try to intercept an important gold shipment which Roy is carrying. Trigger saves the day by arriving in the nick-of-time to relieve Roger's tiring mount and even takes center stage when Roy dismounts to draw the gang away and Trigger is chased to the edge of a cliff and jumps down into the river below!

     Roy and Lynne Roberts have good chemistry, even if their relationship in this film is a little more stormy then usual. On the other hand, Roy's lack of discretion in telling her about the important dispatches he is going to carry (a source of division after Johnson's gang tries to steal them) comes across as a bit contrived. Meanwhile Raymond Hatton doubles as Roy's partner and his comic relief in a somewhat tiresome subplot where he tries to escape the wrath of Ethel Wales's Mrs. Murphy, who he cheated out of an expensive broach. Don Dillaway does a decent job in a somewhat stiff role as the loyal-to-a-fault Brett Langhorne. The always intimidating Noble Johnson is perfectly cast as the unscrupulous outlaw leader Luke Johnson, who Lassiter enlists in his schemes despite Langhorne's protests. In many ways he overshadows Edward Keane's main villain.

     Though uneven at times, Frontier Pony Express has more then enough outstanding qualities for me to recommend it.

Score: 8/10

Western Wednesdays: Wild and Woolly (1917)

     Wild and Woolly is a Douglas Fairbanks western comedy released on June 24th, 1917 and directed by John Emerson. In it Fairbanks plays Jeff Hillington, the son of a wealthy eastern railroad magnate, who dreams of going out west. 

     Wild and Woolly has a brilliant set-up. The film opens with juxtaposing shots of the west of old with its wild untamed prairies and the modern west with its railways and city streets. It queries: "Has this march of progress killed all the romance, all the thrills?" Then we're introduced to Jeff. We first see him wearing a stetson and chaps, sitting in front of a tepee and reading a western dime novel. The camera then pulls back to reveal that he's inside his room in the city, which has been decorated with western paraphernalia. Jeff, we learn, is obsessed with the west. He spends his spare time reading dime novels, riding around New York city on a horse dressed in western regalia, and, of course, going to the nickelodeon to watch the latest western pictures. Alas, most of the time he is stuck in the office, doing paperwork for his father. 

     Jeff gets his big chance when a delegation from Bitter Creek, Arizona comes to New York City to ask Jeff's father Collis (Walter Bytell) for financial backing for the construction of a spur line to connect some rich mining claims. Collis, hoping to cure his son of his western mania, decides to send Jeff to investigate. When the delegates meet Jeff and discover his enthusiasm for the west of legend, they decide to dress up Bitter Creek to fit his idea of a western town and plan to stage a barroom dance, a hold-up and an Indian uprising. Steve Shelby (Sam De Grasse), the corrupt local Indian agent who has been selling the Indian's government supplies, decides to use the situation to his advantage, turning the train robbery into a real one and absconding with the money while using the Indian uprising he instigates as cover.

     To further complicate matters, Shelby has long had his eye on Nell Larabee (Eileen Percy) who Jeff falls for after arriving in town. Shelby has his fence man kidnap Nell, tipping off the people of Bitter Creek to his plans and tipping off Jeff to their deception, and its up to him to save the day, especially since he's the only one in town with real bullets. The film does sag a little in the second act as we watch the people of Bitter Creek go through the motions of their plan and wait for Shelby to enact his schemes but it really picks up during this climax.

      Fairbanks is great in the lead, his manic energy and naivete charm making him perfect for the role of Jeff Hillington. Though the film doesn't make as impressive use of his athleticism as his later swashbucklers, there are still some thrilling scenes, particularly the one where he swings on the joist to break through the floorboard into his hotel room and the climatic chase with Shelby.

     This film is one of several early Fairbanks pictures written by Anita Loos and directed her future husband John Emerson. These films helped Fairbanks to attain stardom. Loos is often credited with inventing the idea of a more witty inter-titles, and her script for Wild and Woolly is full of subtle humor. Just one example will suffice: at the end of the film, when Jeff goes back east after foiling Shelby's schemes and winning Nell's heart, there is a fade to black. "But wait a minute," intervenes Loo's subtitles, "this will never do! We can't end a western romance without a wedding." And so we get a brief scene where a newly wedded Jeff and Nell ride off into the sunset.

     Wild and Woolly is a solid western comedy bolstered by a witty script from Anita Loos and an (as always) energetic performance from Douglas Fairbanks. It's no wonder this is one of the actor's personal favorites.

Score: 8/10

Western Wednesdays: Heart of the West (1936)

     Released on July 24th, 1936,  Heart of the West is the 6th Hopalong Cassidy film. Produced by Harry Sherman and directed by Howard Bretherton from a script by Doris Schroeder, it is an adaptation of Mesquite Jenkins, Tumbleweed by Clarence E. Mulford. In this film, Hoppy and Johnny Nelson (played, as usual, by William Boyd and James Ellison) are hired by a rancher named John Trumbull (Sidney Blackmer), only to find that he is harassing local rancher Jim Jordan (Charles Martin), who wants to keep Trumbull from trespassing on his land. 

     Of course, once they find this out, Hoppy and Johnny turn down Trumbull's job offer and go to work for Jordan instead. Johnny, predictably, falls for Jim's sister Sally Jordan (Lynn Gabriel) on whom Trumbull has designs of his own. Meanwhile, Jordan's foreman Windy Halliday (Gabby Hayes) is resentful of the newcomers, feeling that he can handle things himself. Things are brought to a head when Trumbull's cohort Barton (Fred Kohler) arrives with a herd of cattle he intends to drive through Jordan's range. 

     Heart of the West is fairly light on action until the climax, involving a shootout and a stampede which Hoppy and the boys turn around using some dynamite. Other then that we get Hoppy wrestling a runaway bull (mostly off-screen) and a rather limp fight between Johnny and some of Trumbull's goons. The pacing is a little erratic as well, with the conflict between Jordan and Trumbull progressing in fits and starts. The film is almost half over before Hoppy finally decides to throw in with Jordan.

      The regular cast members are all in fine form, though Boyd doesn't have much to do and Ellison is reduced to being the butt of the joke more-often-then-not in this installment. Interestingly, Gabby once again plays a character named Windy but this time it's Windy Jenkins instead of Windy Halliday. Sidney Blackmer, best known for playing Theodore Roosevelt both on stage and in Hollywood movies, is a little lacking as the heavy this time around (he would do a much better job in the later entry Law of the Pampas (1939)). Charles Martin is just fine as Jim Jordan, who in many ways is the film's real protagonist. Lynn Gabriel isn't much more then a pretty face but she has good enough chemistry with Ellison to carry their few scenes together. 

     In the end, Heart of the West is a middling Hopalong Cassidy movie. It delivers the goods, but with less finesse then normal, and it lacks any really stand-out scenes or characters to distinguish it from a myriad of other B-westerns. 

 

Score: 7/10

Western Wednesdays: The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

     The Sons of Katie Elder was released by Paramount Pictures on June 24th, 1965. Directed by Henry Hathaway it stars John Wayne and Dean Martin. Inspired by true events, the film tells the story of four brothers who return home for their mother's funeral only to find that she was cheated out of her land by an unscrupulous businessman who is bent on taking over the territory the very night their father was mysteriously murdered. 

     The original script by William H. Wright was based on the story of the Marlow brothers. As in the film, the brothers were involved in a local feud and framed for robbery. They did fight their way out of an ambush (while still handcuffed) while being transported to Weatherford, Texas (Laredo in the film) for trial. Unlike the film their were five brothers in real life, three of whom were killed (in the film one dies and the fate of two others remains uncertain). The sheriff, in the film, is shot in the back by the bad guys but in realty he was accidently shot by one of the brothers during an altercation. The two deputies, honorable men in the film, were in reality in league with the criminals and both survived the ambush only to be tried for conspiracy to murder. Dean Martin's character, in the film, is wanted for killing a disgruntled barkeep who took a shot at him. The real brother, Boone Marlow, had killed a man named James Holstein who had allegedly been hired to intimidate settlers. Also, their mother was still alive during all of these events... 

     In any case the script went through quite a few changes before the film was made. The final version is credited to Allan Weiss, Harry Essex and Talbot Jennings in addition to Wright. When Paramount bought the script in 1955 John Sturges was going to direct the picture and Alan Ladd was slated as the lead. After Ladd backed out the project was put on hold for several years before being reborn as a John Wayne vehicle. 

     It's a solid western with Wayne in top form as the eldest brother, John Elder. John, an infamous gunslinger, is torn throughout the film between his sense of honor in tracking down his father's killer and his sense of guilt for living a violent life that his mother never approved of. Dean Martin brings his unique sense of charm to the role of Tom Elder. A gambler and troublemaker, of the bunch Tom is the most self-serving. Michael Anderson Jr. is overshadowed by his more famous co-stars as the youngest son Bud Elder, who Katie saved up to send to college, hoping to preserve the family name in some way. Finally, Earl Holliman is all but invisible as the middle brother Matt, a failing hardware dealer who wants to leave a better legacy for his deceased mother. 

     James Gregory brings his usual sense of deviousness to Morgan Hastings, the ambitious businessman who swindled the Elder's father out of his land while George Kennedy is positively dripping with menace as the hired gunfighter Curley. Paul Fix imbues the Sheriff, Billy Wilson, with a real sense of authority and sympathy in contrast to his overeager and temperamental deputy Ben Latta, played by Jeremy Slate. Martha Hyer brings spunk and a sense of matter-of-fact kindness to the role Mary Gordon, the owner of the boarding house who was a good friend of Katie before she passed on. Dennis Hopper, Rhys Williams, John Doucette, Strother Martin and Sheldon Allman are also featured in small but memorable roles.

     Henry Hathaway, a veteran director at this point, does a fine job behind the camera. The action is particularly well done with the ambush at the bridge being a highlight. Lucien Ballard, who would go on to shoot many of Sam Peckinpah's most famous movies, puts in some strong work on this, his third film with Hathaway. He beautifully captures the New Mexican landscape and does a great job with the night shooting, which is particularly heavy in this film. Composer Elmer Bernstein, meanwhile, provides yet another rousing score.

     The film's biggest shortcoming is Earl Holliman's Matt, the second oldest brother, who is simply not as well defined a character as his three brothers. This is not Holliman's fault, he simply didn't have enough to work with. The most we glean about Matt Elder is that he loved his mother and, like John, is invested in honoring her memory, suggesting they buy a monument for her grave and later fully supporting John in his desire to complete Bud's college education. By the time the third act rolls around and he is tragically killed, we really haven't learned much else. Another issue is that, while the climax is magnificent, the film's denouement is a little rushed and doesn't quite manage to tie up all the loose ends. George Kennedy's gunfighter, who has a growing rivalry with Wayne as the film goes on, has a rather anticlimactic death. The Elder's also clear their name in a somewhat contrived manner. Finally the film leaves certain plot threads hanging. Does Bud go to college? Does Mary fall for John? Do the brothers ever deliver Striker's horses?

     Though it falters a little in the last act, The Sons of Katie Elder is still a solid western with a fantastic cast, solid direction, and a memorable score from Elmer Bernstein. 

Score: 8/10