The film offers two unique features I haven't seen in a Western before. For starters, it utilizes Americans as intermediaries between the warring Mexicans and Comanches, involved in a years long series of revenge massacres by both sides. The other would have to be the finale where Chief Quanah Parker (Kent Smith) doesn't interfere in the battle between the Cavalry and Black Cloud's (Henry Brandon) renegade band of Comanches. As an aside, I would also go so far as to suggest that I've never seen as many Indians in one place at one time on the movie screen.
Dana Andrews portrays cavalry scout Jim Read, by now relegated to films of lesser quality than those in which he gained his stature as a genuine Hollywood star (1944's "Laura" and 1946's "The Best Years Of Our Lives"). Producers considered him an actor of limited range and it didn't help his reputation that he drank too much. Andrews appeared competent here, although the role didn't call for a lot more than your typical cavalry Western. The story matched him up with partner Nestor Paiva as an old salt frontiersman named Puffer. Apparently it was someone's idea to have Paiva resurrect the character of Gabby Hayes, but doing a Walter Brennan impersonation. That kept me off balance for a while, but I did get a chuckle out of Mike Mazurki calling black jack on Puffer in one scene.
The other casting decision of note was the American film debut of Linda Cristal, who I would not have recognized apart from her starring role in 'The High Chapparal'. The pace of her relationship with Read seemed a bit forced, particularly given the circumstances of her capture by the Comanches.
Catching the film the other day on Turner Classics, I was impressed by the color cinematography given the era. Offered in wide screen letterbox format, the film makers took full advantage of the natural beauty in the Durango area of Old Mexico. Where they could have improved though was the selection of a theme song; the bouncy beat of "A man is as good as his word" kept me making an unintentional comparison to the "Bonanza" TV series, quite expecting to see the Cartwrights round the corner at any moment. Which would have been some trick, since they were still a few years off.
Dana Andrews portrays cavalry scout Jim Read, by now relegated to films of lesser quality than those in which he gained his stature as a genuine Hollywood star (1944's "Laura" and 1946's "The Best Years Of Our Lives"). Producers considered him an actor of limited range and it didn't help his reputation that he drank too much. Andrews appeared competent here, although the role didn't call for a lot more than your typical cavalry Western. The story matched him up with partner Nestor Paiva as an old salt frontiersman named Puffer. Apparently it was someone's idea to have Paiva resurrect the character of Gabby Hayes, but doing a Walter Brennan impersonation. That kept me off balance for a while, but I did get a chuckle out of Mike Mazurki calling black jack on Puffer in one scene.
The other casting decision of note was the American film debut of Linda Cristal, who I would not have recognized apart from her starring role in 'The High Chapparal'. The pace of her relationship with Read seemed a bit forced, particularly given the circumstances of her capture by the Comanches.
Catching the film the other day on Turner Classics, I was impressed by the color cinematography given the era. Offered in wide screen letterbox format, the film makers took full advantage of the natural beauty in the Durango area of Old Mexico. Where they could have improved though was the selection of a theme song; the bouncy beat of "A man is as good as his word" kept me making an unintentional comparison to the "Bonanza" TV series, quite expecting to see the Cartwrights round the corner at any moment. Which would have been some trick, since they were still a few years off.