I'm sure I must have viewed this Henry Hathaway-directed Western before, but if I had, it must have slipped from my memory, which is a little surprising as I have long been enamoured of Tyrone Power. In the 1930s, he was absolutely gorgeous -- one of the most beautiful stars ever, and although his features coarsened slightly as he aged (and he unfortunately died relatively young), he is still a looker in this movie.
The film has nothing to do with the subsequent TV series with Clint Eastwood. Rawhide is the name of the way-station on the St. Louis to California mail run, where city boy Power is learning the ropes of the family business under the steely eye of old Edgar Buchanan. When a bunch of baddies break out of a local jail and the authorities expect atrocities, passenger Susan Hayward, who is travelling with a youngish baby, is forced to wait at the station. Of course it is immediately taken over by the outlaws, Buchanan murdered, and Hayward forced to pose as Power's wife -- they need to keep him alive, at least until they can rob the next stage and its gold shipment. Hayward always played feisty types and being something of a beauty as well, the chemistry with Power is top-notch, despite initial antipathies.
The convicts are led by Hugh Marlowe with George Tobias, Dean Jagger, and Jack Elam in tow. Elam is the real revelation in this flick. He had a long career in Westerns usually as a villain (and almost always ended up dead), but later on a a semi-comic sidekick. He filled out as he aged, but here he is a skinny punk, magnetically evil with his one dead eye, as he lusts after Hayward and goes into the final shootout with Power. The baby, which turns out to be Hayward's niece and not her daughter, is an important player here and helps add to the very real tension. Nicely filmed in my favourite black and white, there is a believable outdoor feel to the proceedings. Perhaps it's not quite a classic Western, but it will do nicely for a quiet afternoon.
1 comment:
I think I have seen this one..wishing you a great rest of the week! Hugs,TerryAnn
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