Big Jake

Big Jake a Fun if Flawed Romp

by Kristin Battestella

John Fain (Richard Boone) and his gang – featuring fast gun O'Brien (Glenn Corbett), crusty Pop Dawson (Harry Carey Jr.), and the machete wielding John Goodfellow (Gregg Palmer) – injure Jeffrey McCandles (Bobby Vinton) and abduct his son Little Jake (Ethan Wayne) after a violent massacre at the McCandles ranch to open 1971's Big Jake. Matriarch Martha (Maureen O'Hara) knows this kidnapping is more than the army or the Texas Rangers can handle, so she telegrams her estranged husband Big Jake McCandles (John Wayne), who sets out to find the young boy along with his bitter older son James (Patrick Wayne), the progressive, motorcycle riding younger son Michael (Christopher Mitchum), longtime Apache tracker Sam Sharpnose (Bruce Cabot), and his dog...Dog.

Photo slides, black and white footage, and newsreel style narration fill the audience in on Big Jake's 1909 setting, for the cosmopolitan East has moved into the twentieth century while the lawless Old West is still populated with desperate men living in the past. As a sophisticated pillar of the community wealthy with staff, finery, and new technology such as 1911 experimental pistols, the McCandles spread is an easy target for the lingering hang 'em now and ask questions later gunslinger infamy. The similarly crusty versus next generation attitudes also have several interesting dramatic clashes – the pups are ready to leave all the old ways behind but lovely conversations on when the West was free and buffalo plentiful recall the fading pioneer spirit. The trouble with Big Jake is that the picture never decides if it is going to be a gritty, regretful piece or a teach these youngin's a lesson comedy. Brutal violence and bloody action set pieces are meant to lure younger audiences with explosive automobiles, motorcycle feats, and wild shootouts. The picture doesn't stay this way, however, but trades the western aggression for a seventies audience with a humorous horseback road trip where quips are rampant and every son takes a humble on the chin – no matter how old he is. Neither of these schools is bad at all. Sure, the choreography is at times nonsensical and the gore uneven, but the stunts are entertaining. Those quips also, are to die for – from every “Dog!” to the repeated response to Big Jake as “I thought you were dead?” (“The next person who says that, I'm going to shoot, so help me.”) Familiar John Ford company casting and real life father and sons interplay add to the winks as horror worthy scary zooms and escalating score elevate the knife wielding violence. Unfortunately, all of these elements just don't quite go together. Big Jake may have had too many cooks in the kitchen with aging director George Sherman (The Comacheros) and John Wayne's behind the scenes influence. Wayne is said to have directed when Sherman could not, and it's believable thanks to the film's polarizing tones – which also seem bent on recapturing McLintock's past success with confusing ties to 1970's Chisum and Rio Lobo thanks to repeated Batjac cast and crew. Big Jake's ending is also incredibly abrupt with no resolution to any of the violence or deaths and no return follow through compared to the lengthy McCandles Ranch assault that started everything. The rousing action score is woefully out of place in swelling over the final still frame – an all smiles portrait that would have us believe Big Jake was a happy family bonding experience. Fortunately, the individual confrontations and rivalry moments rescue the uneven pace and mixed narrative with Big Jake remaining infinitely watchable so long as you enjoy the pieces rather than analyze the whole.

Let's admit John Wayne is old and looking past his prime in Big Jake, but that's on form for the eponymous character – who still has enough wallop to his punch, point to his aim, discipline for his sons, and chess game versus the bad guys. Jacob McCandles knows what he is doing has risks but he will do it to save a kidnapped boy. He acts gruff, but Big Jake has an underlying tender, as seen in his rescue of a lynched sheep herder and his embarrassment over wearing reading glasses. Big Jake is surprised to hear his grandson is named after him and takes pride in his sons' respective grit – different grades though each of them may be. Wayne has several great one on ones in the battle of wills with Boone, and point blank there should have been more of the criminally underused Maureen O'Hara as Martha McCandles. Rather than an ongoing wink at their film partnership in the likes of Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, and McLintock, the briefly seen rocky McCandles' relationship becomes more like stunt casting a la mellow crooner Bobby Vinton as the third but essentially forgotten by the end of the movie McCandles son. Bruce Cabot's (King Kong) lovely Apache Sam Sharpnose starts cliché as if this were a John Ford cavalry picture from twenty years prior. However, Sam becomes realistic in his wear and tear. He's old, catching one of his quarry but not both. Sam remembers the buffalo and the good old days but has enough crafty up his sleeve when Big Jake needs it. He's loyal, reliable, and essential to this mission. Big Jake might have been neat as just a buddy picture – one last hurrah with an appearance from good old Hank Worden (The Searchers) of course. And seriously, shout out to the two collies from the Lassie/Weatherwax family who portrayed Dog. The animal choreography is well done, enabling Dog to assist Big Jake honorably with his own special canine zeal.

Gang leader John Fain has a plan, a darn good plan, and poncho wearing Richard Boone (Have Gun, Will Travel) is delightful in this last outlaw heist. It looks like he's succeeding at this cat and mouse for most of Big Jake, too. He's calling the shots and is always one step ahead. We believe his ruthless – Fain's black hat stands up to Big Jake's long shadow as two relics of an earlier age. It's great to see their tactics and threats turned, and fellow John Ford Stock Company veteran Harry Carey Jr. (She Wore a Yellow Ribbon) is unrecognizable as Fain's icky old henchman Pop Dawson. Pop is the nasty flip side to good old Sam, however, this villainous gang is both reasonably big enough for its killer kidnapping task as well as unfortunately too big to feature all of its members. Glenn Corbett (Route 66) is in only a handful of unnecessary scenes, adding some kind of angry “half-breed” history to Big Jake that goes nowhere while wonderfully nasty machete man Gregg Palmer (The Shootist) also has precious few scenes to develop his vile. After the opening violence, both gang members seem absent for most of the movie until featured moments in the final act that have these supposedly so bads quickly and easily dismissed. It might have been interesting if Corbett's O'Brien had some kind of personal enemy history with Patrick Wayne's James McCandles, mirroring each troop's members while further developing each son's parental issues. The two played brothers in Shenandoah, but sadly, their late fast draw duel becomes a blink and you miss it moment in the rushed finale.

Speaking of Patrick Wayne, as a kid I loved him in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger and The People That Time Forgot. He was good looking, had charisma, and did branch out into other roles, but unfortunately Patrick Wayne will probably always be considered as getting a free pass just for being John Wayne's son. That's perhaps never more so than here with Patrick playing Big Jake's angry elder son, and the family in joke adds a lot of cranky fun. James sarcastically calls Jake “Daddy” and mocks his reputation as a womanizer as difficult to believe. We understand why he has a chip on his shoulder, and there is some character development as James goes from being embarrassed by his dad tossing him in the mud puddle (“Since you don't have any respect for your elders, it's time somebody taught you to respect your betters!”) to mastering the prototype pistol and fighting side by side with Big Jake. Of course, there is no resolution to the bonding – we don't know if Jake stayed on the ranch assisting James or if the sons joined their father roaming the remnants of the West. Though I loved Christopher Mitchum (Rio Lobo) for a hot minute, too, it's easy to suspect his out of place casting was likewise because he's Robert Mitchum's son. His Michael is the younger, hip child with the latest gadgets and style, but his delivery is out of sync with everyone else. Michael learns how to get rough and tumble with his weaponry in their quest, but teaching him to kill and beating him up a few times seems like a backward journey for the character. Honestly, there should have been only two or even one McCandles son – imagine Big Jake on the trail with a progressive son who is at angry at him and willing to get radical with his neat gear to save his own kidnapped son. That's tension!

The aforementioned violence in Big Jake is also bemusingly uneven. People rise up from a perfectly safe hidden location to take aim at the bad guy who's ready and waiting to shoot. Sometimes the resulting gunfire is bloody with superfluous blow back and exaggerated destruction, yet other casualties merely slump over with no clear wounds indicating injury. Is it a technical error or uncertainly about what was allowed in a post-The Wild Bunch genre? Bandaged legs and arms in slings look worse then they are with injured men immediately up and running back into the fray. Fortunately, all the western styling is here with fitting ranches, stables, horses, and rugged Northern Mexico scenery. O'Hara's lovely Gibson Girl frocks, feathers, and parasols invoke a turn of the century modern, but the sweet new supposedly better than horses automobiles turn out to be none too practical for the roughness on the Mexican border. That motorcycle leaping over quarry and skirting enemy mounts is dandy, but not knowing how to handle that gas pistol isn't. Even Little Jake is dressed in one of those tiny Fauntleroy suits – giving cowboy hat wearing Big Jake a double take when he sees him. Despite the back and forth and weak conclusion, Big Jake does tie the old versus new together well with veteran wit, fast draws, and sharpshooting plans coming together amid the traditional western knock 'em drag out. The seemingly serious kidnapping plot, violence, bloody shootouts, and machete implications may be tough viewing for super young audiences. However, the lack of dramatic resolution means Big Jake isn't the dark, heavy western it initially appears to be. Personality, zingers, and lighthearted moments put the big names head to head in charming, if not properly strung together vignettes that remain entertaining. Flaws and uneven tone aside, Big Jake is an enjoyable piece for John Wayne fans, western audiences, and movie lovers looking for some old school cool.

More Family Friendly Fantasy and Science Fiction

More Family Friendly Science Fiction and Fantasy Delights

By Kristin Battestella

It’s so tough for family audiences to find intriguing but no less fun and wholesome programming these days, so here’s a sampling of edgy science fiction, magical fantasy, classic adventure, and educational entertainment for one and all.

 

Absolon – Christopher Lambert (Highlander), Lou Diamond Phillips (La Bamba), and a perfectly nasty Ron Perlman (Hellboy) lead this 2003 science fiction thriller set in a then futuristic but post apocalyptic 2010. The ozone layer is gone, plagues are afoot, economy has collapsed – opening inter titles and book end narrations go for a slow, lofty touch with this back story, but it’s a little pretentious and unnecessary considering the subsequent investigation, video evidence, and witness explanations tell the audience what we need to know. The technology is both on par with today – slim screens, flat keyboards, warrants on jump drives, keyless entry – and stagnant apocalypse leftovers and passé production – mini discs, big PCs, bad holograms, and weird transitional effects. The woeful cop style, wild hair colors, and trying to be future hip fashion, however, stinks; superfluous music, over the top action, ridiculous gunfights, slo-mo and/or hyper speed interfere with fine multi level chases and dangerous, ticking clock deadlines. There’s also an excessive amount of blue décor, paint, and clothing, but yellow and white lighting and red contrast appear as needed while askew, overhead, and angled filming creates a noir mood. This dirty, cheap look highlights the bitter realism of allotted hot water reserves and automated time to take the titular drug announcements. Today our smartphone would beep, sure, and corrupt pharmaceuticals or owned governments controlling the population thru measured or privileged essentials is not a new SF concept. However, these ideas remain intriguing. Do we take the drug, live a calculated existence, and leave the unsaved behind? Or does science move forward in finding a true, free cure for all? Granted, Lambert’s accent is always apparent and he tends to play the same cop characters, yet his sardonic, on the case action works with the simmering suspense editing. The ladies, unfortunately, try too hard to be sassy scientists or hardened detectives – screaming or competent as needed – while Phillips and the secondary cops are too hammy and obvious. The low budget entrappings and a potentially cliché ending hamper the sophisticated statements, but the so bad its good nineties thriller feeling keeps this one watchable. Humor and sarcasm lift the intensity or techno babble and though rated R, intelligent audiences will enjoy the decidedly non-CGI or PG-13 stifled science fiction here.

Dragon’s World: A Fantasy Made Real – Unlike their recent ridiculous dead mermaid conspiracy shows, this 2004 documovie from Animal Planet makes its “never existed” premise quite plain from the start – what would be the science behind dragons? Sweeping music, animated charm, real animal footage, lovely natural photography, and a heartfelt story from dinosaur extinction to medieval battles anchor the touching Ian Holm voiceover and modern archaeology supposition. Defensive postures, maternal calls, fire breathing possibilities, flight dynamics, family tree evolution, even territorial fights and monogamy are theorized with tender, bittersweet respect as we are informed as well as entertained. What evidence of dragons could remain? What scientific proof would be definitive? Sure, the tone is juvenile or dated at times; the acting and scripted narration scenes are slightly pretentious, too. The back and forth bouncing from time and place between the prehistoric dragon recreations and contemporary paleontology rediscovery is also uneven, and I prefer the awe and inevitable blaze of glory of the dragon animation plot more. The audience can loose interest in the meandering, and perhaps a two part linear special would have better developed both paths. Fortunately, the mystery, discovery, and wonder of it all food for thought manner comes across delightfully compared to today’s increasingly preposterous type of Ancient Aliens pseudo history. Of course, thanks to this mix of once reputed educational networks airing such sensational or fantastical content, you must reiterate to kids that this isn’t real. Some scary hunting and death sequences may upset younger viewers, too, but fanciful folks and science minds of all ages can enjoy this intriguing “what if.”

 

The People that Time Forgot – Amicus, AIP, and director Kevin Connor follow up The Land that Time Forgot with this 1977 Edgar Rice Burroughs sequel starring the perfectly yummy Patrick Wayne (Big Jake) and Sarah Douglas (Superman II). Sure, this one’s slow to start with lots of walking and back-story on the team’s search for lost predecessor Doug McClure. Some of the dinosaur effects are very, very iffy, the plot holes are confusing, the evil cavemen makeup is bad, and there’s some weird, stereotypically cult folk and would be kinky sacrifices, too. Fortunately, Douglas has some goofy Princess Leia buns hair, and ridiculously pretty and well groomed cave babe singer Dana Gillespie speaks in weird speaketh, you know, just to keep the prehistoric education authentic. Despite all these fun flaws, I think I like this one more than the first film thanks to the relatively tame but no less campy humor, witty banter, and bemusing relationships. The post-Edwardian designs, early cameras, ships, and biplanes create a nautical adventure atmosphere and period fantasy pleasures, and sometimes I wish we still had more of that kind of marveling attitude instead of high tech reality. Although today’s audiences can spot the obvious faux arctic scenery, the real landscapes combine with the miniatures and special effects and actually look quite nice for the era, and the crazy, multi level, volcanic finale keeps young and old alike rooting for the delightful finish.

The Scarlet Pimpernel – It’s been awhile since I read Emma Orczy’s rip-roaring adventure, but this spirited 1982 adaptation starring Anthony Andrews (Brideshead Revisited), Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman), and Ian McKellan (X-Men and Lord of the Rings) wonderfully captures the Vive la France atmosphere with pony tails, frock coats, and frilly collars – and that’s just the men! We can forgive the decidedly British accents thanks to top-notch candlelight, colorful interiors, period locales, and charming music that feels classically old yet whimsical. From shabby peasantry to feathered finery, the ladies’ big hat heights and eighties hair are amusingly fitting and perfectly in keeping with the over the top flirting, roguish charisma, and humor belying the serious guillotine action. Andrews captures the 18^th century dual identity Don Diego charade with prissy fashion criticisms, ridiculous inflection, and bad poetry– he can’t possibly be suspected as the titular superhero in disguise. Because he’s such a badass elder statesmen today, it’s surprising to see Sir Ian young and dark haired, too, but we dislike his stuffy suave since he is both a fool at hero Percy’s expense and still a no less devious politician. This witty Robin Hood topsy-turvy satire – we’re rooting for the guy in the hammy disguises who’s helping the aristocrats flee the Revolution, after all – still works despite some pretentious editing or plot confusion. Without subtitles or a break in the DVD, this 2 hours and 22 minutes could be a dry examination of who’s spying on whom, which Marque is which, and who’s in who’s in league. Today’s audiences aren’t used to intrigue done thru conversation, fencing, or carriage chases rather than insane fight choreography, stunts, and beheadings galore, and being familiar with the history or literature does help the viewing. Fortunately, the scale here is both intimate amid the triumvirate and still Republic sweeping. One wants to read up and dive in for the built in suspense, societal ups and downs, and romantic adventure.

 

Snow White: The Fairest of Them All –Miranda Richardson and Kristin Kreuk lead Clancy Brown (Highlander), Vera Farminga (Up in the Air), Warwick Davis (Willow), Tom Irwin (My So-Called Life), Vincent Schiavelli (Ghost), and Michael J. Anderson (Twin Peaks) in this very bright and vibrant 2001Brothers Grimm adaptation from ABC and Hallmark. Red and white photography, outdoor scenery, storybook carriages, and a playful design accent the whiff of humor and hints of quirky while colorful costumes, medieval interiors, and unique makeup further the fantasy perfection. The parental back story makes for an interesting underlying darkness and bittersweet or even creepy opportunities more in keeping with the Grimm source. Perhaps Richardson has played similar villainess parts in Merlin and Sleepy Hollow, but she’s just so gosh darn good at it! Tyron Leitso (Dinotopia) is a blessedly brief and insignificant prince, but Kreuk (Smallville) is simply too young to be the central character when Richardson’s Elspeth is more interesting.  Although the sentimentality and convenient magic may be tough for the older viewers hoping for more maturity, some deaths and scares here may be too upsetting for youngsters so keep the Disney cartoon classic for them. I’ve enjoyed almost all of producer, co-writer, and director Caroline Thompson’s (Edward Scissorhands, Black Beauty, The Nightmare Before Christmas) penned and/or helmed projects, and I do wish she did more pictures. A few of the special effects and weird scene transitions here are dated or unnecessary and some of the dialogue is confusing without subtitles, but this hour and half is a pleasant little tale compared to some of the recent Snow White misfires.

Fun SF and F Treats!

More SF and F Possibilities

By Kristin Battestella

Release your inner geek and sit back for this quick list of retro fantasies, science fiction wonders, and fanciful television! 

Nemesis – Kickboxer and all around Marital arts badass of the 1992 moment Olivier Gruner (Interceptor Force, Code Name: Eternity) leads a quirky SF cast – including Tim Thomerson (Trancers), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Showdown in Little Tokyo), Thomas Jane (Hung), Brion James (Blade Runner), and Deborah Shelton (Dallas) – for this intriguing cyborg romp.  It’s totally dated of course – with messy effects, nineties fashions gone wrong, weird accents, poor dialogue, and iffy imitation 2027 technology. The prophetic narration is a bit much, and the attempted romantic conflicts too trite. However, the humor – both intentional and not – and some witty helps the convoluted and tech talk laden story.  The quieter, questioning moments amid the lengthy shootouts, sauce, and nudity also keep the pace interesting. Do synthetics not have lives of their own? Can an android’s soul – her desire to do something with her life – be captured on a chip with the rest of her data? Gruner’s delivery may be tough at times, but he’s pretty decent as a B anti-hero LA cop with cybernetic repair questions and divided loyalties.  We like him, root for him, and he kicks injustice’s ass in return. This isn’t anything new, yet the quality SF notions have held up, and perhaps even improved over the decades.  For the full effect, however, one should avoid the occasional TV airing as it is often woefully cut up. Hopefully, director Albert Pyun (The Sword and the Sorcerer) will provide a restored video release soon. 

The 7^th Voyage of Sinbad – I loved this 1958 Ray Harryhausen spectacle as a kid, and it still has it all!  From the wonderful music by Bernard Herrmann (Psycho) to those imaginative – nay – quintessential visuals and bright Technicolor, the ancient high seas adventures, charlatan magic, and innocent romance remain classic and charming for young and old. There’s even a miniature princess!  Sure, some may find the acting over the top now, but that fits the fantasy mood and drama. Those spoiled with CGI effects might find the creature animation stilted, but you’d be wrong.  Those who grew up watching Harryhausen Dynamation effects will be overjoyed to see the Cyclops, dragon, and skeleton all looking dynamite on blu-ray. Today’s overly digital fantasy films should take note, as blu-ray continues to re-invigorated classics like this with a made to look old modern glamour and retro facelift. The 50^th anniversary blu-ray also has great menus and a fun interface design to boot.  Not only is the set packed with commentaries and retrospective interviews from contemporary directors and filmmakers but also there’s over two hours of features on effects, music, the late Harryhausen, and more.

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger – Ray Harryhausen not only did the special effects for this third 1977 Sinbad picture, but he also wrote the story with Beverley Cross (Clash of the Titans) and served as producer.  Although some matte shots look poor and the baboon and other monsters feel hokey, the stop motion wonders and fun miniatures still look great. The seventies zooms and quick intercutting feels uneven against some of the slower talking to animals scenes, and some night time or high seas photography is tough to see. Thankfully, the colorful sets, flashy and fleshy costumes, and expected Arabian jewels, flair, and designs match the cool Petra locations. Yes, star Patrick Wayne’s (McLintock!, The People That Time Forgot) delivery is a bit too California, but he looks the chiseled part. Patrick Troughton (Doctor Who) makes for a fun little wizard with a conveniently beautiful daughter Taryn Power (The Count of Monte Cristo), and Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) looks delightful – except for those dreadlock-esque braids, shudder. Though the dialogue is bit muddled and the fanciful plot too nonsensical, the nutty witchcraft from Margaret Whiting (Jury) tops it all off. Perhaps this installment is a step down from the magical fifties charm of The 7^th Voyage, but it’s still an entertaining adventure for one and all.

Sword of Lancelot – Liberties are taken to keep this lengthy 1963 tale Lancelot centric, but dang if you can find this elusive, ill framed, and butchered DVD!  So our titular man has a bad French accent, the no name sub par cast has a lot of juvenile mid century scripting and dialogue. There are goofy Shakespearean asides and talking to oneself amid all the wooden small talk, too. The women swoon, look a little too Halloween costume medieval, and it all has a coarse community theatre feeling.  And yet, solid atmosphere and love triangles help what’s actually a decent little story get better as the betrayals unfold. The high fantasy knights, chivalry, and Camelot court style inaccurately mix with 5^th century peasant looks, yes. It’s tough to tell who is who, and the joust is small scale hokey. Nevertheless, a good bit of action, fast paced and entertaining battles, colorful medieval banners, flashy tunics, period flair, and all the expected Arthurian characters are here. Perhaps then it was scandalous – blood and heavies amid a poolside bathing with this newfangled soap! – but today’s fanciful youths can enjoy this flawed, but fun little yarn.  

TV Guide Looks at Science Fiction – William Shatner hosts this 1997 hour long TV Guide special chronicling the history of genre efforts in the medium from the television’s first Flash Gordon era serials to Space: 1999, Battlestar: Galatica, The Bionic Woman, Time Tunnel, and more.  Humorous and slightly juvenile fair such as My Favorite Martian and Mork and Mindy are also contrasted against more recent mature series, including Quantum Leap, The X-Files, and Babylon 5. Lesser-known series like Space Patrol and Small Wonder are also discussed amid popular programs like Lost in Space, Star Trek, and The Twilight Zone. I could have done without the silly robot jokes, and in such a quick hour, some more obscure series like Blake’s 7 are bound to be missing. Fortunately, these lovely clips, vintage footage, and nostalgic interviews are perfect for a media history or social classroom study, and fans looking for rare tapes and informative insights can delight here.

Classic Men's Nostalgia

Classic Nostalgia for Men

By Kristin Battestella

The teakettle is whistling, meatloaf is in the oven, a fresh apple pie is on the windowsill, and the records are playing! What’s a working man to do but light his cigar, pour his scotch on the rocks, and sit down in front of the boob tube to enjoy these masculine classics?

Mister Roberts – This totally classy World War II naval comedy-drama boasts the eponymous always trying for a transfer Henry Fonda, a wonderfully cranky captain James Cagney (Yankee Doodle Dandy) and his palm tree, and the Oscar winning ne’er do well Jack Lemmon (Some Like It Hot) as morale officer Ensign Pulver.  But let’s not stop there, director John Ford (How Green Was My Valley) -with much needed help from Mervyn LeRoy (Gypsy) and writer Joshua Logan (Bus Stop) - also enlists William Powell (The Thin Man) in his final movie, Ward Bond (It’s A Wonderful Life), Phil Carey (One Life to Live), Ken Curtis (Gunsmoke), Harry Carey, Jr. (Red River), and Patrick Wayne (The Searchers). Whew! The endearing wartime highs and lows, witty characters, shore leave humor, and perfect irony excel beautifully. Though largely stage-like in its ship bound locale, the interiors are bright and colorful, and the oceanic exterior photography and Polynesian flavors top it all off.  This is my favorite Fonda film, and for my money, his best work- and I know that is saying something of the Best Actor winner for On Golden Pond who lost for the likes of The Grapes of Wrath and 12 Angry Men.  A must see, indeed.

Prince of Foxes - I confess, I think I was expecting Bette Davis and Little Foxes instead of this 1949 black and white swashbuckler from director Henry King (The Song of Bernadette) - though my husband recognized the renaissance players in the description thanks to Assassin’s Creed.  Except for The Mark of Zorro and The Long Gray Line, I’ve never been a fan Tyrone Power. He always comes across as too flaky or droopy eyed for me, trying for pretty rather than actually acting. His romancey scenes slow down the entire picture, and the lacking leading lady Wanda Hendrix (ex of Audie Murphy) just isn’t as magical as other ladies of the day or onscreen pairings like Flynn and de Havilland. Fortunately, Orson Welles (Citizen Kane) - though an un-ethnic cast choice- has the Borgia weight needed to keep the espionage entertaining.  The real Italian locations are also so, so sweet; the great rousing score, fun DVD features, and awesome costuming are a delight as well. Of course, Technicolor would have been divine, but this is worth the look for fans of the cast and classic or historical Italian film buffs.

Sergeant Rutledge – John Ford (Every classic film male really must know who he is.) directs the simply excellent actor and athlete Woody Strode (Spartacus) in this unique 1960 courtroom drama/western. Despite being the second male lead and true star here, Strode received fourth billing as the titular Buffalo Soldier on trial for the rape and murder of a white girl. His defending lieutenant Jeffrey Hunter (The Searchers) is a little too good guy to be ruthless, but his defense presentation and cavalry action are solid nonetheless.  The case wonderfully unfolds in flashbacks, adding layers of building evidence and western action alternating with suspenseful crime and mystery.  Some of the nighttime Arizona wilds and isolations scenes are even a little scary.  Unfortunately, the racial drama is both groundbreaking and yet of its time and the period portrayed. Prosecutor Carleton Young (From Here to Eternity) makes numerous backhanded color comments, and nearly everyone mentions the ‘novelty’ of colored regiments.  The court spectators are supposed to be so proper, highbred, and perfectly mannered; yet they must warn the eventual victim to stay away from shirtless, scandalous Rutledge and mock the Buffalo Soldiers’ lack of knowledge and presumed incompetence.  The shocking court charges can’t be read aloud in front of decent folk, and the symbolically white gloved fingers are always pointing at Rutledge. Some of the dialogue for the Buffalo Soldiers is also too stereotypical, but thankfully, the John Ford Stock Company casting is delightful. Sure, those stuffy women are a bit hysterical, but such brevity is needed amid the hefty subjects. Though the sets themselves are a little bare, the Spartan style adds to the dark transitions and stage like telling of the testimonies, and the Monument Valley locations are lovely, too. This is a beautiful and powerful film for western fans, law studies, and racial historians.

The Three Musketeers – Gene Kelly (Singing in the Rain), Lana Turner (Imitation of Life), Vincent Price (House of Usher), June Allyson (The Glenn Miller Story), Van Helfin (Shane), and Angela Lansbury (Murder She Wrote) bring this 1948 Dumas adaptation to life with style, lively action, fun sets, and solid battles. Yes, the costumes and décor are uniquely mid century- not exactly period but strangely fitting and good looking despite some garish color.  The obviously timed music is also of its day- both annoying and endearing just like Gene Kelly’s goofy humor.  The attempts at accents and true French panache are off, too.  However, this D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Armis were the spectacle of their day, with no insane or ridiculously unrealistic stunts or CGI needed.  Younger spoiled audiences may very well prefer the new 3D (ugh) adaptation or the fun 1993 Disney version, and adults who didn’t grow up watching this witty Kelly or juicy Price may have grown out of the joy here indeed.  For those who fondly remember this swashbuckler of their youth, however, the nostalgia and family faire is still delightful.  

The Searchers

The Searchers Is My Favorite Movie of All Time

By Kristin Battestella

As you can see, I have very high film expectations-and frankly, I’m surprised at myself for taking this long to review John Ford’s 1956 western classic The Searchers. Truly, it’s not a question of if I like this movie and why you should, too; this spoily review is about how much time you have, as this is going to be a long one.

The Searchers is perhaps the first film I ever saw at about four or five years old. Well, I’m sure I saw some television and the like, but it was a big deal in our house when the VCR came along. I couldn’t get enough of epics like Gone with the Wind, Samson and Delilah, Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments-and I watched them repeatedly. The Searchers, however, was different. I thought it was so heavy and long and dark. For a kid, a two-hour movie is at best antsy and at worst agonizing. And yet, this western kept my attention. I couldn’t look away, in fact, and struggled to keep my eyes open. It was all in vain, of course, for I fell asleep before the film was over. The next morning, I jumped off the couch screaming, “Did he find her? Did he?” I watched The Searchers again from beginning to end and have loved it ever since.

My parents might remember it differently, but I quickly became obsessed with all things Indian after seeing The Searchers. My hair was always in braids, I had pipes, drums, rubber tomahawks, and moccasins. Lipstick makes great face paint, and I went through numerous construction paper feather headdresses. Years later, I carried on this tradition by teaching my nieces how to build teepees in the backyard-much to my mother’s dismay. All this imagination and delight from one viewing of an old western!

The Story

Confederate veteran Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns to his brother Aaron’s (Walter Coy, Wagon Train) Texas homestead three years after the Civil War. Sister-in-law Martha (Dorothy Jordan, The Wings of Eagles) welcomes Ethan, as do the children Lucy (Pippa Scott, Jigsaw John), Ben (Robert Lyden, Man of A Thousand Faces), and little Debbie (Lana Wood). Adopted nephew and part Indian Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter) is however, not a welcome sight to Ethan. Texas Rangers Captain and local Reverend Samuel Johnston Clayton (Ward Bond) comes to recruit the men, since Indians have stolen the cattle of neighbor Lars Jorgensen (John Qualen, Casablanca). Ethan takes his brother’s place on the ride, but once the men realize the cattle theft was meant to draw them out, it’s too late; the Comanche have taken Lucy and Debbie captive. Despite objections from Mrs. Jorgensen (Olive Carey) and her daughter Laurie (Vera Miles), Ethan, Marty, and Lucy’s beau Brad (Harry Carey, Jr.) set out searching for the abducted girls.

It’s one of my longer summaries and yet it doesn’t begin to say anything about The Searchers. I’ve actually never read the Alan Le May source novel for fear it would change my darling perceptions of the film. Screenwriter Frank S. Nugent’s (The Quiet Man, Mister Roberts, Fort Apache, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon) adaptation, however, goes beyond the written word. So many looks, glances, and gestures say just as much as the heavy plot and complex story. After observing sister-in-law Martha lovingly laying out Ethan’s Confederate jacket, my mother said, “What is she to him?” The subtle innuendo between Ethan and Martha brews throughout the film. She deflects him from speaking about his potential illegal business, and The Reverend Captain Clayton merely sips his coffee when Ethan kisses Martha on the forehead before he leaves. When the homestead is raided, its Martha that Ethan calls for upon his return. Is Ethan pursuing Martha’s daughters out of devotion for her?

The Searchers continues the familial relationships as the partnership between Ethan and Martin progresses. Ethan insists he’s not any kin to Marty-nor is Debbie blood to Marty. Despite his vocal disdain for the part Cherokee, it was Ethan who ‘found’ Martin as a baby; he makes a deal for Martin to run his cattle and work with Jorgesen and later writes a will naming Marty as his heir. Why does Ethan have such a mix of hate and love for Martin? Towards the end of the film, he tells Marty the Indian Chief Scar killed his mother. Well, how does Ethan know-and why does he care anyway?

Ethan Edwards also possesses a bizarre knowledge of the Comanche Indians in The Searchers. He knows which Army agencies the local tribes frequent; he speaks their language and knows their customs. How can he be so knowledgeable yet hate Indians so? Look carefully for a tombstone early in the film detailing the death of Ethan’s mother by a Comanche raid. Is this why he only knows the bad side of a Comanche? All these questions I’ve raised, and The Searchers doesn’t always provide a satisfactory answer. In contrast to some of its heavier and complex motifs, John Ford also makes sure there’s a fair bit of western humor. Mose Harper (Hank Worden, Red River) serves up just the right amount of charm, absurdities, and crazy old man. Other exchanges between Wayne and Ward Bond are funny, ironic, and even inappropriate racially. The wedding and subsequent fight between Mary and Charlie McCorry (Ken Curtis, Gunsmoke) is stupid and silly. In such a serious movie, one might think these humorous moments out of place. However, the lighthearted breaks are welcome against the darker scenes in The Searchers. It’s just enough of a tongue in cheek nod to the stereotypical western: “We be texicans!”

The Cast

He’s one of the stalwart personifications of the American Hero. When John Wayne got the bad guys onscreen in so many World War II pictures like Sands of Iwo Jima and They Were Expendable, so did we. When John Wayne put his own money into the overstuffed and overzealous The Alamo, we still watched. Even when John Wayne supported US action in Vietnam in the woefully out of place The Green Berets, we still loved him. In The Searchers, however, John Wayne is not a hero. He’s ambitious, maniacal, bigoted, and driven on a quest with very ambiguous intentions. We have no doubt he’d rather Debbie be dead then live with Indians, yet we root for his search to end. John Wayne, normally so cool, level, and badass ‘cause he’s the good guy, puts all those same skills into Ethan Edwards. We know Ethan knows his stuff and one would never want to cross him. Wayne steps these attributes up and darkens his performance with spitting shouts, quick actions, and dare I say it, evil glares. Like his earlier haywire turn in my second favorite feature Red River, Wayne is a force to be reckoned with and we best not stand in his way.

Jeffrey Hunter, however, does stand in John Wayne’s way. For every “That’ll be the day!” from Ethan, we have Martin’s contesting, “Not likely!” Seemingly cast as the young pretty boy most pictures seem to require, Hunter (His Christopher Pike from the original Star Trek pilot is my favorite and I love Sergeant Rutledge) is the idealistic antagonist to Ethan. According to The Searchers’ gospel, part Indian Marty’s thoughts shouldn’t matter against big, white Ethan. Nevertheless, Martin’s quest to stay with Ethan in order to save Debbie from her Uncle’s pathos is essential for the viewer. Hunter is the perfect sidekick to Wayne. He stutters as the illiterate Marty and begins the film quite naive and innocent. Hunter’s goofs with Vera Miles’ (Psycho) Laurie are timed perfectly. Meant to be the cute and leveled headed girl in a mostly boys picture, Miles adds feminine depth and dimension in The Searchers. She’s frustrated with waiting for Marty, and despite her education, Laurie eventually shows similar true colors to Ethan’s sentiment that Debbie is better off dead. It’s not exactly a flattering role for Miles, but such statement making female performances aren’t easy to come by.

Though billed nearer the top of the cast, Natalie wood (Rebel without a Cause, Splendor in the Grass) actually has precious little screen time. Her younger sister Lana (Diamonds Are Forever) is adorable as the younger Debbie, and both are by default beloved by the audience. After all, we are in effect waiting to see Natalie Wood. Her entrance nearer the final half hour of the film is one of my favorite scenes. Even if you somehow have no clue who Natalie Wood is-as I did the first time I saw The Searchers-you know Debbie when you see her. Likewise, The John Ford Stock Company charms the viewer. Veteran character actor Ward Bond (Sergeant York, Rio Bravo) is a delight as the unconflicted Ranger Captain and Minister Samuel Clayton, and Harry Carey, Jr. (She Wore A Yellow Ribbon) gives a fine performance as the disturbed love unable to cope with his Lucy’s death. Several visual tributes to his famed father are embedded in The Searchers, and we believe his widow Olive Carey (Two Rode Together) is every bit as tough as her Mrs. Jorgensen. Of course, John Wayne would name one of his sons Ethan in tribute to his character, but elder son Patrick Wayne (Big Jake, Young Guns) rounds out the family ties here as a young and ignorant cavalry lieutenant.

The Scenery

I don’t suppose there’s much I can say about John Ford that a master of film making, history, or viewing doesn’t already know. From The Iron Horse, Stagecoach, The Grapes of Wrath, and How Green Was My Valley to The Quiet Man, Mister Roberts, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance; John Ford entertained the budding motion picture generation and constructed the essentials of filmmaking that we rely on today. His direction here is harsh and wise. In some ways, The Searchers is not meant to be a pretty and charming picture. Yet, in others ways, how can it not be? Ford’s mastery of cast, cameras, and characters clicks on all cylinders. But of course, the incredible locations and vistas of Monument Valley is a character unto itself. The wide scopes and small people amid big mountainscapes were deliberately edited by Ford to heighten the wild danger in The Searchers. Ethan Edwards and his friends are unwelcome newbies to a land that does not wish to be tamed. The Texas frontier can break even the strongest; and The Searchers makes just as much case that the West should have been left well enough alone as it praises and honors our forefathers and pioneering spirit.

How out of place does the white washed Victorian farmhouse look against the shadowed red mountains? Old-fashioned blue and white china can’t bring civility to an uncivilized land. Ford films several charming indoor sequences, but the country warmth of the indoors is dark and small compared to the big and ambiguous outdoors. Multiple viewings are required to analyze all of Ford’s visual tricks. The film opens and closes with doorway scenes. Inside is still and dark, but the door opens to a beautiful and reckless country waiting to be explored. Moreover, why is it that John Wayne’s Ethan is always on the outside looking in on those shots? Is his own big and ambiguous nature so similar to the wilds? Can he also never be tamed by the simple, easy life?

One distinctly unique style of The Searchers is the deliberately minimal use of close ups. I never thought to notice this in other pictures, but it makes absolute sense here. There are only about a dozen medium close-ups, and although those zooms get closer to a characters’ thoughts and feelings, the lack of a true close ups represents the distance still between critical people and the people amid nature. Even when Ford takes his camera as close as we’re going to get, your eye is still drawn to everything else in the frame. There’s the famous zoom where Wayne turns to look at a crazy woman in an Army fort. He’s wearing such dark clothes amid a dark and cold cabin, his brim is over his face, but we still see his hardened eyes and five o’clock shadow. It’s as if Ethan’s hardened heart can stop the camera cold-or perhaps the camera represents the viewer who’s afraid to go further and accept Ethan’s deadly intentions.

Not to be outdone visually, The Searchers also boasts a fine score by Oscar winner Max Steiner (Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Since You Went Away). I can’t help myself, I love the opening drums before the bittersweet titular song by Stan Jones (Rio Grande). Such pretty melodies carry us through the sentimental moments of the picture, but natural western sounds give us some harsh reality, too. Gunshots, horses, rocky slips, and Indian chants put us in a frontier state of mind. Strangely, the old hymn ‘Shall Gather at the River?’ is used for both funerals and weddings onscreen, and of course, if we’re a little slow on something, there are plenty of orchestral crescendos and booms for all The Searchers’ big drama and action.

Though still sensitive and easily scratched when over handled, my blu-ray viewing of The Searchers froze and skipped not. And, Sweet Jesus The Searchers on blu-ray may just be the finest thing I have ever seen. The exceptional views of Monument Valley are magnified tenfold-every jagged rock and layer of sediment is defined. The blowing sand, a horse’s sweat and flexing muscles, the detailed gingham and calico dresses and vests of old, the buffalo! Every depth of vision you can possibly imagine can be seen on blu-ray. I half expect the snow to continue from the screen out onto my carpet or the blue skies to burst out and color my walls. I always thought The Searchers was a Technicolor fifties bright and colorful production, but after years of small screen viewing and grainy VHS; I just can’t get over how blu-ray rejuvenates The Searchers. Even my DVD copy (from which the screen captures here were taken) can’t compare. Like my previous praise of the original Planet of the Apes, blu-ray makes an older picture seem twenty years newer. I hereby declare that all classics should be released on blu-ray!

The Statements

Despite its wonderful cast and visuals, The Searchers is not a western where the good guys where white hats and the bad boys are all in black. It’s reflections on racism, Manifest Destiny, and the Confederacy are clear enough to any modern viewer. From the first mention of Ethan’s allegiance to the South to Laurie’s final declaration that a bullet in Debbie’s brain is best, we know this picture says a lot more than most westerns or most of its McCarthy era compatriots. Not only commenting on its story material, The Searchers also says a lot about its time. There are no black actors in sight-and I’m sure if I researched enough I could find out that surely there were real American Indians involved in the production. Nevertheless, you can’t see any of them onscreen. Painted white actors- Scar actor Henry Brandon was born in Germany!-portray the stereotypical feather headdress wearing Injuns, and the Mexicans offered all wear sombreros. Today The Searchers doesn’t look dated; it simply looks like a film of its time that’s bravely commentating on a hundred years prior. Unfortunately, our nation’s true colors seem to have changed little in that time.

Like other John Ford pictures, The US Cavalry makes an appearance here. Instead of being the hero, however, The Searchers offers a somewhat underhanded treatment of the Army. First the Cavalry and its Indian Agencies interfere with Ethan’s search and provide little help. Later, Lieutenant Greenhill is made out to be a dumb, spoiled boy who doesn’t know what he’s doing-and he and his bugler are the only significant Cavalrymen in the picture. Some viewers think a brief scene in which Captain Clayton has an undisclosed rear end injury is out of place; however, I think he was stuck in the butt with Greenhill’s sword. He’s warned earlier by Clayton to take care with his ‘knife’, and to me the butt wound represents the pain in the backside that Northern interference and reconstruction was to the still proud South.

Also seeming to rub the wrong way in The Searchers is the juxtaposition of religion and violence. The local reverend is also the ranger captain for goodness sake, and he has no problem shouting Hallelujah after he’s shot a few Indians. Clayton also comments in the opening moments of the film that Debbie still isn’t baptized-does this mean she’s more susceptible to those Injun ways? Before a battle with Scar, Mose erroneously prays, ‘That which we are about to receive, we thank thee, oh Lord.’ Shortly thereafter, Martin has mixed feelings about his first Indian kill, but he quickly gets over it and continues firing. This observance of white hypocrisy parallels the relationship between Ethan and Scar, for both fights to avenge killed family. Ethan constantly refers to evil Bucks, non-human Comanche, scalping-he even shoots the eyes out of a dead Indian so the man will ‘wonder forever between the winds’.

Why don’t we think good of Scar-a man who has lost two sons-when he takes in a young and lost Debbie and raises her as his own? Are we to be pleased when Ethan scalps Scar? It’s not a question of if the situations were reversed, for in many ways Ethan and his Indian enemies are not that different. We’re supposed to like the white guys even if we know their ways are wrong and hate the Indians for their misunderstood violence. Although The Searchers has a feel good ending, the getting there is uneasy, complex, and complicated. The irony is that Ethan hopes to find Debbie and return her to the Jorgensen’s homestead. It’s not even really her home, merely neighbors from when Debbie was five years old. We are given the impression that she’s better off with an unrelated white family than Indians who raised her as their own. It’s never even considered that she might be better off staying where she’s acclimated. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Once Ethan sees Debbie as a full-fledged squaw, his sentiments that living as a Comanche isn’t worth the living are fulfilled.

The Legacy

Perhaps its no longer in the younger, mainstream media’s mind, but film schools, scholars, contemporary filmmakers, and movie historians are intimately familiar with The Searchers. Ford’s vision and Wayne’s performance have been imitated, studied, and written upon long before me. First released in several DVD sets and collections beginning in 2001, my now out of print single disc edition only contains an original trailer and the Warner Brothers behind the scenes shorts. When the blu-ray release came out in May 2009, I quickly moved it to the top of my netflix queue. Though affordable, I think my husband is trying to talk me out of buying the set and passing along my DVD copy to my Dad. My husband is not a fan of westerns or classic films, you see, and he knows I will beg and plead and somehow find a way of conning him into watching The Searchers. The blu-ray feature “The Searchers: An Appreciation” showcases directors Curtis Hanson, Martin Scorsese, and John Milius discussing why they love this film. Along with the Two Disc Anniversary DVD and the Ultimate Collector’s Edition, the blu-ray set has introductions by Patrick Wayne, commentary by Peter Bogdanovich, original trailers and behind the scenes recollections for the uninitiated viewer.

The Searchers’ numerous releases on DVD and now blu-ray; its preserved status with the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry; and its countless placing on numerous Top lists, critics’ choices, and American Film Institute countdowns should give you some indication as to how important this picture is to American cinema. Ranked as the number 1 western and 12^th best film of all time by the AFI, you can’t consider yourself a fan of great movies unless you’ve seen this picture. Despite my praise, The Searchers is not a film one watches obsessively like others. It certainly takes more than one viewing to catch all its complexities, but The Searchers also needs time to germ and stew. There has to be time for you to forget, if possible, touching pieces or perhaps change yourself and thus your viewing perceptions. This film should be watched every few years or so and only in a proper viewing format-not cut up with commercials on television. The Searchers must be seen in its entirety every time for full effect-Ford’s epic vision demands it.

Sweet Jesus, I’ve spent 10 pages and over 3,500 words on The Searchers. If nothing else, that has to count for something!