You don’t associate Joel McCrea with cold-blooded murder. But here he is, shooting a disarmed Apache as he surrenders. That’s McCrea all thru this strong, uncomfortable Western. For the only time in his career, letting his inner demon out. Known as the guy you got when you couldn’t get Gary Cooper, then bringing his own off-hand spin on the classic American alpha male mix of sex appeal & decency. But here, McCrea pivots to the ornery John Wayne of RED RIVER/’48 and THE SEARCHERS/’56. He’s frighteningly effective. As a calvary Sargent, raised to command of his small unit after an Apache attack kills his two superior officers, McCrea’s immediately challenged on nearly every decision as he keeps moving (probably lost) in hopes of finding a missing large army column. But as attacks continue, and men fall, his last order is to hold out at an adobe structure in a cave-like fortress. Handsomely shot, and directed on spectacular Utah locations, McCrea & his main supporter, Pvt. John Russell, fill in their backstories a bit too easily (they might be playing musical chairs as shrink & patient). But they handle it so well, as do the motley/depleted unit, that you accept it. A pity director Joseph M. Newman shoots the final standoff on studio sets that can’t match an earlier battle shot around a water hole where the Indians are in an impossible position with the army men circling on cliffs above. One of many ‘readable’ logistical staging stratagems all thru the pic. Alas, no indigenous peoples in speaking roles, but at least the men get away with it; Susan Cabot does not.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: McCrea must have been pleased with Newman since they went for seconds on his next film, THE GUNFIGHT AT DODGE CITY/’59, a real stinker. Instead, try Newman’s unsung work on the excellent 711 OCEAN DRIVE/’50. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-gunfight-at-dodge-city-1959.html https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2014/04/711-ocean-drive-1950.html
No comments:
Post a Comment