TOP 21 FAVORITE WESTERNS -- BLOOD ON THE MOON

# 18

BLOOD ON THE MOON (RKO, 1948)

DIRECTOR: Robert Wise; PRODUCER: Sid Rogell; WRITERS: Lillie Hayward, Harold Shumate and Luke Short from novel by Short; CINEMATOGRAPHER: Nicholas Masuraca

CAST: Robert Mitchum, Barbara Bel Geddes, Robert Preston, Walter Brennan, Phyllis Thaxter, Tom Tully, Frank Faylen, Clifton Young, Tom Tyler, Harry Carey, Jr., Richard Powers (Tom Keene), Bud Osborne, Robert Bray, Ben Corbett, Chris Pin-Martin, Hal Taliaferro, Iron Eyes Cody

 
JIM GARRY (Robert Mitchum):  "Shotten, Reardon, and me.  Hired gunmen."

TATE RILING (Robert Preston):  "Shotten and Reardon get paid in gold eagles.  You get paid in thousands."

JIM GARRY:  "Yeah.  Only difference between us is the price."  


The source of this film is another range war story, the specialty of the popular and prolific Western novelist, Luke Short. This time it is cattlemen vs. nesters. Mitchum is a drifter caught between opposing sides, and the bad guy is his old pal, Robert Preston.

Though the plot is pretty standard the director and cast pull it off with aplomb. 

One of the best things about the film is the atmospheric photography of Masaruca. In fact, the film could be classified as a noir Western, no surprise given the backgrounds of Wise, Mitchum, and Masaruca, since all three had made their reputations in noir dramas. 

The exteriors are filmed around Sedona, Arizona, known for its red rock topography, making it one of the most scenic areas in the world. Since the movie is filmed in black-and-white, it does not take advantage of those gorgeous colors as other Westerns do, but it does utilize the rugged nature of the landscape to great effect.

B-Western aficionados can appreciate the film for several reasons: 

Mitchum had gained his start in films portraying outlaws in the Hopalong Cassidy series, before RKO attempted to turn him into a B-Western star in his own right (the studio abandoned the plan, however, and elevated him into major productions, after his critically acclaimed supporting role in THE STORY OF G.I. JOE (UA, 1945), ironically, the only role for which he received an Academy Award nomination; second, Tom Keene, now billed as Richard Powers, had been the studio's very first B-Western star in the early 30's, but was now reduced to character roles, often as a villain, at the very same studio where he had once starred; Third, Tom Tyler, former B-Western hero, portrays a hired gunman; and fourth, it was good to see Bud Osborne, stage driver or heavy in literally hundreds of B-Westerns, receive the opportunity to portray a good guy for once and even receive the chance to deliver several lines of dialogue.

Tom Keene, RKO B-Western star in early 30's

Tom Tyler in a scene from one his silent Westerns 

Barbara Bel Geddes would later become best known as the Ewing matriarch, Miss Ellie, in the long-running prime time soap opera, DALLAS.

Barbara Bel Geddes and Robert Mitchum

Brennan, cast against type, gives a restrained performance as one of the nesters that is a dramatic departure from his usual bombastic, flamboyant and/or comedic Western roles.

BLOOD ON THE MOON was Robert Wise's first Western and first A-budget movie and despite its success he is on record as saying that he did not enjoy directing Westerns.  

In fact, he would direct only two more in his long and successful career.  He became best-known for directing two of Hollywood's most acclaimed musicals: WEST SIDE STORY (1961) and THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965).

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REVIEWS

"...a tough and complicated suspense movie with a disappointing plot but a wonderful flavor of the real West....It's superbly produced...and [is characterized] by flawless performances; Mitchum, Preston, Bel Geddes, and Tully are outstanding....the movie is exciting and excellent, widely regarded as a classic Western." -- Brian Garfield in Western Films

"One of [Wise's] best films and one of the best scripted Westerns of the forties." -- William K. Everson in A Pictorial History of the Western Film

"[It] has a sound, sensible story to tell and, besides, it is well acted. Robert Mitchum carries the burden of the film and his acting is superior all the way." -- New York Times

"BLOOD ON THE MOON is a terse, tightly-drawn Western drama. There's none of the formula approach to its story telling. Picture captures the crisp style used by Luke Short in writing his Western novels." -- Variety

  

TOP 21 FAVORITE WESTERNS -- SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON

famous thunderstorm scene in SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON

 # 19

SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (Argosy/RKO, 1949)

DIRECTOR: John Ford;  PRODUCERS: John Ford and Merian C. Cooper;  WRITERS: Frank S. Nugent and Laurence Stallings from a story by James Warner Bellah; CINEMATOGRAPHER: Winton C. Hoch

CAST: John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey, Jr., Victor McLaglen, Mildred Natwick, George O'Brien, Arthur Shields, Francis Ford, Harry Woods, Chief Big Tree, Tom Tyler, Frank McGrath, Jack Pennick, Fred Graham, Noble Johnson, Cliff Lyons, Mickey Simpson

SGT. QUINCANNON (Victor McLaglen):  "The army will never be the same when we retire."

CAPT. BRITTLES (John Wayne):  "The army is always the same.  The sun and the moon change, but the army knows no seasons."

Capt. Nathan Brittles

This is the second in Ford's cavalry trilogy and, in general, the most highly regarded.  It is the only one of the three to be filmed in color, and there is no doubt that visually it is the better film, and one of the most beautiful ever filmed.

It has the look and feel of the Western paintings of Frederic Remington and Charlie Russell, which is exactly what Ford hoped to accomplish, and he and cinematographer Hoch succeed to a superb degree.  Hoch won an Academy Award for cinematography for his efforts.

However, because of the panoramic photography and the Monument Valley locations it loses a lot on the TV screen and must be seen on a large screen to be fully appreciated.  

The plot is episodic and slow in spots and overly-sentimental in others, but, particularly if viewed on a large screen, one can not help but like it.  J.A. Place put it perfectly when she wrote that "it is a symphony for the ears and a canvas for the eyes more than a narrative for the mind."


"Never apologize.  It's a sign of weakness." -- Capt. Brittles 

Joanne Dru began her acting career by winning roles in several classic Westerns. 

Her second film was Howard Hawks' RED RIVER (UA, 1948), in which she co-starred with John Wayne and Montgomery Cliff.  

From there she moved on to SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON, only her third picture.  

The following year she would co-star in another Ford classic Western, WAGON MASTER (RKO, 1950).  

All in all, it was quite a good beginning for the young actress who was born Joanne Latitia Lacock, but changed her name to Joanne Marshall at the beginning of her acting career.  Howard Hawks then changed her name to Joanne Dru for her role in RED RIVER.  

Joanne Dru and John Agar

Ben Johnson is magnificent in several chase scenes aboard the famous movie horse, Steel, which alone is worth viewing the film.  

Wayne's outstanding performance of a cavalry officer near the end of his career, the Monument Valley locations, and Johnson's horsemanship make the film an enjoyable treat.

Ben Johnson on "Steel"

Frank McGrath, who appears in many scenes as the bugler, does not speak a single word of dialogue, but lets the bugle do his talking for him.  Starting out as a stuntman, he would talk and talk and talk as Charlie Wooster, the cook, in the long running TV Western Wagon Train.

Around her neck she wore a yellow ribbon
She wore it in the springtime and in the month of May
Hey, hey
And if you asked her why the heck she wore it

She wore it for her lover who was far, far away

Around her knee she wore a purple garter
She wore it in the springtime and in the month of May
Hey, hey
And if you asked her why the heck she wore it
She wore it for her lover who was far, far away

Behind the door her father kept a shotgun
He kept it in the springtime and in the month of May
Hey, hey
And if you ask him why the heck he kept it
He kept it for her lover who was far, far away

And on the wall she keeps a marriage license
She keeps it in the springtime and in the month of May
Hey, hey
And if you asked her why the heck she keeps it
She keeps it for her lover who is far, far away

Songwriters: L. Parker / M. Ottner



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REVIEWS

"In a handful of motion pictures, John Wayne brought both power and sensitivity to his roles.  SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON is among these.  His performanc as the grizzled Captain Brittles is brilliant, and peerless; it is impossible to think of any actor bringing Brittles to life so well.  [It] is a marvelously entertaining masterwork; proof that art can be fun." -- Brian Garfield in Western Films.

"John Wayne gives a commanding, yet restrained performance....Academy Award-winning Winton Hoch augments this nostalgic atmosphere with colors that glow like a campfire....No one invented and reinvented the Western like Ford....[Ford's] usual excellent production, with sweep, scope, entertainment." -- Stephen H. Scheuer

"Director Ford's stock company in fine form.  Wayne [is] excellent.  Beautifully filmed in color, but a bit top-heavy with climaxes." -- Leonard Maltin 

"[Ford's] action is crisp and electric.  His pictures are bold and beautiful.  No one could make a troop of soldiers riding across the Western plains look more exciting and romantic than the great director does.  No one could get more emotion out of a thundering cavalry charge or an old soldier's farewell departure from the ranks of his comrades than he." -- Bosley Crowther in the New York Times





 

TOP 21 FAVORITE WESTERNS -- THE FAR COUNTRY

#20

THE FAR COUNTRY (Universal, 1955)

DIRECTOR: Anthony Mann;  PRODUCER: Aaron Rosenberg; WRITER: Borden Chase; CINEMATOGRAPHER: William Daniels

CAST: James Stewart, Ruth Roman, Walter Brennan, Corinne Calvet, John McIntire, Jay C. Flippen, Harry Morgan, Steve Brodie, Connie Gilchrist, Kathleen Freeman, Eddy Waller, John Doucette, Royal Dano, Jack Elam, Robert J. Wilke, Chubby Johnson, Gregg Barton, Stuart Randall, Chuck Roberson

This is the fourth and final Western made by the Mann-Stewart team, and it is a dandy.


"I don't need other people.  I don't need help.  I can take care of me." -- Jeff Webster (James Stewart)

 
It is the story of a Wyoming cowboy (Stewart), another loner (except for his partner played by Brennan), who shepherds a herd of cattle to the gold fields of Alaska; but on the way he has to contend with a lot of adversity.  

He briefly settles down with Brennan to mine a gold claim, but the villains (led by McIntire) will not leave him alone.  Stewart goes on the revenge trail after Brennan is murdered and learns in the process that a man must sometimes get involved with the society around him and may also need the aid of others.

Walter Brennan, Corinne Calvet, and James Stewart

The plot doesn't break any new ground, but the good performances by Stewart, Brennan, and McIntire, the able direction of Mann, and the beautiful Canadian Rocky locations in Alberta shot in color by Daniels, make it worthwhile viewing.

John McIntire was a versatile actor who early in his career moved seamlessly between badman and upright citizen roles.  He was a villain in three of Mann's films:  WINCHESTER '73 (Universal, 1950), THE FAR COUNTRY, and THE TIN STAR (Paramount, 1957, starring Henry Fonda).  

In 1961, upon the sudden death of Ward Bond at age 57, McIntire became wagon master Chris Hale on the TV Western WAGON TRAIN, remaining in the series until its discontinuation in 1965.  During the Bond years the series was a 60-minute program and was filmed in black-and-white.  During two seasons in McIntire's tenure the show was expanded to ninety minutes and was filmed in color.

In 1967-1968, as a result of the unexpected death of Charles Bickford, McIntire became the owner of  the "Shiloh" ranch on THE VIRGINIAN, which had been the first 90-minute Western series.

Among the many familiar faces in THE FAR COUNTRY, a young Harry Morgan (later Col. Potter on the M*A*S*H TV series) is one of the bad guys.  He appeared in six of Mann's films.  

Back in 1943, Morgan had an important co-starring role in the classic Western, THE OX-BOW INCIDENT (Fox, 1943), portraying Henry Fonda's cowpoke buddy.

B-Western fans will recognize Eddy Waller, who just a few years earlier was seen on the big screen as Nugget Clark, sidekick to Allan "Rocky" Lane in his Western series at Republic.

Jack Elam, sightless in his left eye as a result of a childhood accident, possessed one of the most recognizable faces in film history.  He began his career as one of the baddest of the bad guys.  Which is ironic, because he entered show business working as an accountant and controller on several films.

But after moving in front of the camera he made the best of his tough guy roles.  He first gained the notice of critics for one of those roles in RAWHIDE (Fox, 1951, starring Tyrone Power and Susan Hayward)  One film critic would later write that Elam was "the roughest, meanest, dirtiest heavy ever to cast a shadow across a movie-lot cow town."

It is also ironic that "the roughest, meanest, dirtiest heavy ever" turned out to have a knack for comedy which became his forte during the latter years of his career.

James Stewart and "Pie"

Another familar presence in the film is Stewart's favorite movie horse, "Pie."  Stewart rode the horse for twenty-two years in seventeen films.  He was once quoted as saying that Pie was the best co-star he ever had.

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REVIEWS

"Solid, well-acted film....Walter Brennan...gives another good performance." -- Steven H. Scheuer  

"In Mann's hands the Western cliche of the hero as the man with a painful past is given renewed life through the intensity Stewart brings to the role and the parable-like nature of Chase's script." -- Phil Hardy in The Western

"Juvenile claptrap here and there but it's a taut yarn with lovely Rocky Mountain scenery; a fine entertaining movie." -- Brian Garfield in Western Films: A Complete Guide
 
"Credit John McIntire with the top characterization as the silk-hatted, bearded bad man, who is as cheerful about killing as he is about drinking and claim-jumping." -- New York Times

TOP 21 FAVORITE WESTERNS -- COMANCHE STATION

# 21

COMANCHE STATION (Ranown/Columbia, 1960)

                                                 
DIRECTOR: Budd Boetticher; PRODUCER: Budd Boetticher; EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Harry Joe Brown; WRITER: Burt Kennedy;  CINEMATOGRAPHER: Charles Lawton, Jr.

CAST: Randolph Scott, Nancy Gates, Claude Akins, Skip Homeier, Richard Rust

Randolph Scott negotiates Nancy Gates' freedom

This is the last of the Westerns made by the Boetticher-Scott-Brown-Kennedy team.  In plot structure it owes much to the earlier RIDE LONESOME (Columbia, 1959), but is nevertheless a superior Western.

Just as the Anthony Mann-James Stewart Westerns always give us a protagonist attempting to escape a painful past, the Boetticher-Scott Westerns give us one attempting to avenge a painful episode in his past -- often one involving his wife.  

In this instance, his wife has been kidnapped by the Comanches and he has been trying to find her for several months.

He fails, but does locate another woman (Gates) who is a captive and after bartering for her freedom he attempts to return her to her home.  Along the way he is forced to contend with marauding Indians and a trio of outlaws (Akins, Rust, Homeier).

Nancy Gates, Randolph Scott, and Claude Akins

COMANCHE STATION is shot in the Alabama Hills in and around Lone Pine, California, a location that Boetticher said was his favorite.

Despite being in excellent physical condition, Scott, who by this time was in his early sixties, planned to hang up his six-gun, unsaddle his horse, and retire after COMANCHE STATION. 

If he had done so, the film would have been a fitting conclusion to the career of the individual who, with the exception of some B-Western actors, starred in more Westerns than any other actor.  

But two years later, after being lured out of retirement, he saddled up one last time to RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY (MGM, 1962).  It would be his finest performance.

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REVIEWS

"... it has that peculiar dark-side quality that the best of the Kennedy-Boetticher-Scott oaters had, and it's consistently exciting...." -- Brian Garfield in Western Films: A Complete Guide

"...a consistently taut and exciting tale which is enhanced by strong performances by Nancy Gates, Claude Akins, Richard Rust, and, in his best performance ever, Skip Homeier....Kennedy supplies a nice twist as a fitting conclusion to the gritty little film." -- Stormy Weathers in Under Western Skies

Randolph Scott and "Stardust," the dark palomino he rode to good effect in his later color films