Television Review: HONDO: "Hondo and The Savage" (1967)

"Your Lives are Meaningless compared to HONDO!"






HONDO: "Hondo and the Savage"  (1967 ABC-TV/MGM/Batjac Productions) Episode 5; Original Air Date: October 6, 1967.  Starring Ralph Taeger as Hondo Lane, Noah Beery Jr. as Buffalo Baker,  Gary Clarke as Captain Richards,  William Bryant as Colonel Crook.  Guest Stars: Charles McGraw as General Rutledge, Nico Minardos as Ponce Coloradas, Tom Monroe as Dink, William Henry as Sand. Teleplay by Frank Chase.  Directed by Michael D. (Mickey) Moore.




 Series Overview for HONDO: TV's Unlikeliest Cult Hit at this link  



While lassoing a wild horse he intends to sell to Richards, Ponce Colorados is ambushed by Sand and Dink, competitors also seeking to make the Army transaction.  Witness Hondo comes to Ponce's aid, and the grateful Apache Prince (son of Chief Mangas Colorados) gifts the scout with the stallion he just captured.  The would-be thieves vow revenge.

Once he's back at Fort Lowell, Hondo learns his new assignment: assisting General Luther B. Rutledge, a veritable living legend whose battle tactics from the Civil War are required study at West Point.  The blustery thirty year veteran has been sent from Washington to inspect all frontier posts and "improve conditions" for both settlers and natives.

Ostensibly there to learn and report, Rutledge imposes his "by the book" philosophy despite Hondo's advice that the west requires flexibility.  The General's resolute belief in army regulations results in the imprisonment of Ponce after Rutledge is accidentally hit in a melee (instigated by Sand and Dink).  After five days in solitary confinement, "the book" also calls for a dozen lashes with a whip for striking an officer.  The same punishment once befell Ponce's late father at the hands of the Mexican Army, and the General is undeterred by Hondo's revelation that the Senior Colorados killed 100 enemy soldiers for every scar afterward.

Frolific TV western scriptwriter Chase crafted an atypical HONDO in his series debut.  Sam disappears after the teaser, and the Dows and Chief Vittoro are completely absent--the latter certainly would have echoed Lane's warnings to General Rutledge.  But while the Chief of the Apache Nation isn't present during Hondo and the Savage, his desire for peace is shared by Ponce Colorados.

Actually, despite his great personal pride and fearsome reputation, the Prince's ambition to maintain harmony with the white man even exceeds Vittoro's.  Witnessing his father's vengeance and the resulting bloodshed as a child affected Ponce greatly---he is determined not to follow in Magnus' footsteps.  Ponce resolves to establish mutually beneficial co-existence and trade with Captain Richards and even orders the Apache braves to stand down while their leader is brutally punished in front of them.

The younger Colorados also takes mercy on the surrounded soldiers in battle, and resists the temptation to take full Apache revenge on the captured General when the opportunity presents itself.  Ponce's almost pacifist leanings haven't diminished his ability on the battlefield (which the Prince capably displays after the celebrated General blunders into Apache land), but even-tempered, cerebral leadership away from combat is his defining quality.

Speaking of tempers, the closure for Lane's long-lasting grudge against his wife's killer in Hondo and the Superstition Massacre brought a noticeable improvement in Emberato's oft-referenced short fuse.   Lane is just as assured with the highest ranking U.S. officer as he is with Apache royalty: it is the revered "wise" elder Rutledge who is the hothead out West, with Lane more than once providing measured, cool counsel.   

The show's protagonist isn't the only one showing remarkable growth in the five episodes to date.  Formerly advocating extermination over conciliation (in Hondo and the War Cry), Captain Richards' own personal vendetta after his brother's death has softened also.  With Vittoro's consistent honesty and Lane's input taken into consideration, Richards now negotiates trade agreements with Colorados with full trust.  The Captain is in a difficult place: siding with Lane, but required to follow Rutledge's wrongheaded orders.  It's enough to drive teetotaler Richards to have a rare (offscreen) drink.

While Hondo's half-Apache status is never mentioned, it certainly wouldn't make Rutledge any more receptive to advice from the "Confederate Captain" he dismisses derisively.  The General is exalted upon his arrival, but proves to be stubborn, prideful, and bigoted.  He underestimates the "savages" every bit as much as Colonel Thursday does in the similarly themed FORT APACHE.

Even a pro like Chase isn't immune to laying it on too thick sometimes, and that's this segment's most significant drawback.  General Rutledge shows humility in his opening scene, fully aware he has a lot to learn about the West--but not one of his subsequent actions show any of this perception.  The Book Soldier's rigid adherence to the Army Manual, frequently stated to be his defining character trait, disappears quickly when he's faced with the same humiliation he subjected Prince Colorados to: the General is completely out of control, crazed enough to attempt to murder the only man who can get him back to the Fort safely.

"Prince of the Apache Nation.  General, out here he outranks even you."

In comparison, patient Ponce shows seemingly infinite discipline and wisdom.  He's Rutledge's superior in every way: handling punishment in a more mature fashion and much more forgiving of a similar accident by Rutledge at the Apache village.  As a result of the script's heavy-handedness, one is perplexed as to how Rutledge ever reached his current stature in the first place, and the General's closing monologue comes uncomfortably close to a sitcomish character change as resolution.   That it works as well as it does is a credit to Charles MacGraw's robust portrayal of an inconsistently written antagonist.

"I'm going to wash some of the stink off my soul."

Hondo knows the unintended consequences of fighting for the wrong reasons all too well from his war experience, but there's about as much chance that the General will listen to Hondo Lane as there was of Colonel Owen Thursday taking Captain York's advice.  However, Lane has the key advantage of talking to an esteemed older man at the tail end of a long career instead of a "disgraced" young officer who's been demoted.  Thursday was seeking to reestablish lost glory at any cost, and York couldn't talk him out of a foolish long-odds gamble to do it.  But Rutledge's glory is still intact to everyone outside Fort Lowell, and Hondo is able to make the General realize that a victory would be phyrric, tarnishing a still-stellar record.  Any loss of stature from his capture by Ponce is all in Rutledge's mind.  It's too bad MacGraw wasn't given steadier writing to work with--as it is, his performance still makes Hondo and the Savage worthwhile.

HOW MANY CANS OF WHOOPASS?

The softening of Emberato's temper doesn't mean we lack fisticuffs.  He and Ponce are getting the best of drunken ne'er-do-wells Sand and Dink when the fight is stopped by troopers.  Later, Hondo gets to finish the job with one punch in the saloon. 

IS THE CANTINA STILL STANDING?

For once, Hondo's one-punch knockout of Dink causes no property damage.  Chase must have been determined to avoid every audience expectation.

Maybe he shoulda listened to Hondo....

AN UNCOMMON EPISODE IN ONE MORE WAY:

Taeger keeps his shirt on for once, but MacGraw doesn't. See above.  

A DOG'S LIFE:

Sam is merely a spectator in the teaser, and M.I.A. for the rest of the installment. As is always the case when this happens, the scene stealing canine is missed.

WATCH CLOSELY:

Hondo has a wedding band on his left hand (see picture above); this was the first episode filmed after Ralph Taeger's July 1967 wedding.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Propelled by a game performance by MacGraw and solid direction from Moore, who builds some genuine tension.  Ponce's punishment is as cringe-worthy as it could be on prime time circa 1967, and check out Hondo's realization that he's hearing the Apache Death Chant when he arrives to retrieve the General.  Lane trusts Colorados, but the scout's uneasiness is palpable.  Unfortunately Chase stacks the deck too much, somewhat spoiling an interesting variation on FORT APACHE.  The ensuing Hondo and the War Hawks provided a much more nuanced and effective exploration of similar themes.  (**1/2 out of four)


HONDO: THE COMPLETE SERIES is currently streaming at Warner Archive Instant and the series also airs every Saturday afternoon at 3:30 PM Central on getTV. 

F TROOP Fridays: "Corporal Agarn's Farewell to the Troops" (1965)

F TROOP Fridays -- Number 12







F TROOP: "Corporal Agarn's Farewell to the Troops" (1965 ABC-TV/Warner Brothers) Season One, Episode Four: Original Air Date October 5, 1965.  Starring Forrest Tucker as Sergeant Morgan O'Rourke, Larry Storch as Corporal Randolph Agarn, Ken Berry as Captain Wilton Parmenter, Melody Patterson as Wrangler Jane, Edward Everett Horton as Roaring Chicken, James Hampton as Bugler Dobbs, Bob Steele as Private Duffy, Ivan Bell as Duddleson, Joe Brooks as Vanderbilt.  Guest stars: Forrest Lewis as Doc Emmett, Vic Tayback as Bill Colton, Robert Anderson as Bob Colton, Georgia Simmons as Granny, Buff Brady as the Driver.  Directed by Charles Rondeau.  Written by Stan Dreben and Howard Merrill.


The leftover beef stew from the mess hall claims two victims: the Sergeant's horse, and his VP of O'Rourke Enterprises, Corporal Agarn.  Veterinarian Doc Emmett is Fort's only doctor, so he treats both patients.   While O'Rourke gets a grave prognosis on his equine, eavesdropping Agarn believes that he is the terminal one.  Determined to leave earth with a clear conscience, the self-described "crooked Corporal" decides to fully confess his crimes to the Inspector General.  Meanwhile, Captain Parmenter hatches a plot with Dobbs' assistance to apprehend The Colton Brothers, wanted highwaymen with a $5,000 reward for their capture. 

After the bizarre, hilarious concepts of Don't Look Now, One of our Cannon Missing and The Phantom Major, F TROOP took a step back with the much more mundane primary plot of this installment.  The Mistaken for Dying trope was well-worn in sitcom circles even then, and the most remarkable attribute of this usually inventive show's spin on it is how conventional it is.  

Hypochondriac Agarn is ready to believe the worst about his "topsy turvy tum tum" on the word of a horse doctor.  Doc Emmett's examination of the Corporal is F TROOP at its silliest, a starter weak enough to require half-hearted attempt at lampshading ("he's the only medical man we have!").  The usual clichés follow, with few twists on the weathered concept.  Agarn misinterprets innocent and well-meaning comments from the Doctor and Jane, and ultra-kindness from Captain Parmenter and Sergeant O'Rourke (on the former's suggestion) only heightens the Corporal's paranoia.  

Not that the episode is devoid of surprises.  The secondary plot provides the biggest: after three episodes of near-complete bumbling, the Captain displays a rare trait for him in a black and white F TROOP: competence.  Hatching a plan to end the stage robberies, Parmenter correctly detects a pattern to them, accurately predicts the site of the Coltons' next heist, and actually apprehends the thieves successfully--without assistance from the best marksman available to him (Jane).  True, his trademark clumsiness is still very much in evidence, but for once, Wilton saves the day and isn't oblivious to the fact.

I fear him, don't you?

Rondeau tones down the slapstick a bit in Corporal Agarn's Farewell to the Troops, with subtler physical humor (i.e. the Captain struggling to remain calm after puncturing his palm) rather than copious pratfalls.  Agarn even bests usual champ Parmenter two falls to one, though the latter causes a second (Dobbs).  Speaking of the always reliable Storch, he shoulders the lion's share of the humor in this outing.  His V.O. narration of the military funeral and realization about his not-so-illustrious career is a winner, as is his reaction to O'Rourke's scheme to retrieve the incriminating letter.  The latter gives us this segment's best sight gag.

Among the supporting players, Horton isn't the only wizened presence, as he is joined to two guest stars with 19th century birthdates.  Longtime "that guy" Forrest Lewis deadpans his way through the best medical exam that Agarn can find, and 81 year old Georgia Simmons is a fiesty bride to be(!) telling the Coltons to "get on with it" (meaning their robbery).

A much younger Vic Tayback (BLOOD AND LACE, with Patterson) plays Bob.  His face is hidden during most of his screen time, but the voice is unmistakable.  "Why don't you shut up, you old crow" is delivered the way that only Vic can.at the unsuspecting Simmons. 

If you're not a fan of Vic's, well, STOW IT!!!!

Corporal Agarn's Farewell to the Troops isn't really a bad segment, just disappointing after the wildly funny twin triumphs preceding it.  Four segments in, the writers were still seperating the laugh-getters from the clunkers, and many of the running gags the show is now known for (the falling lookout tower, Hekawi words of wisdom) are missing from this early outing.

Despite being the weakest of the four segments to date, Corporal Agarn's Farewell to the Troops finished 22nd in the Nielsen ratings for the week ending October 10, 1965, with a 20.8 rating, improving on lead-in McHALE'S NAVY and lead-out PEYTON PLACE II, which both tied for 37th with a 19.3.  F TROOP was ABC's fourth highest rated show of the week.


THINGS YOU LEARNED:

Agarn would want a last meal of chicken, peas, watermelon and candied yams.  (Curious request, since he supposedly still had a topsy turvy tum tum at the time he made the request.)

Marinated corn cob can cure stomach problems for horses or humans.  However, only take one pinch at a time, for it is very hot.

Corporal Agarn says he wouldn't want a blindfold during an execution, though when the situation comes up later (The Day They Shot Agarn) he doesn't refuse one.

Chief Wild Eagle's assessment that his medicine man is a "big quack" in Scourge of the West doesn't appear so well founded now.  More on this below.  (Roaring Chicken is also a 'terrific dancer' per Agarn, another improvement from the pilot.)


NUMBER OF TIMES O'ROURKE COULD HAVE BEEN TRIED FOR TREASON?

None this time, though he could have been arrested for the felonious crime of robbing the U.S. Mail if Parmenter hadn't bought into his story of going undercover to capture the real robbers.

WISE OLD HEKAWI SAYING?

No words, wise or otherwise, from our esteemed Chief.  Corporal Agarn's Farewell to the Troops is the lone episode not to feature Frank de Kova, and Don Diamond's Crazy Cat is also M.I.A.  Horton's Roaring Chicken has the tribe's only scene to himself.

PC, OR NOT PC?

In his scant screen time, Roaring Chicken manages to prescribe a successful medicinal cure for O'Rourke's horse, proving the "professional" veterinarian's grim prognosis to be laughably wrong.  Score one for the Hekawis!


BOTTOM LINE:

Slightly funnier than I remembered, with Storch having some very bright moments (the best: his spot-on vocal impression of Horton) and the script allowing the Captain to grow into his duties a bit.  Still, this installment's slightly slower pace makes every groaner stick out like a sore thumb and the hackneyed primary storyline is handled in mostly perfunctory fashion.  The F stands for "flat" more often than usual in this offering.    (** out of four)



F TROOP currently airs on Me-TV for a full hour each Saturday morning at 5 AM ET/4 AM CT and on Sunday mornings at 7 AM ET/6 AM CT.

Hollywood's Hispanic Heritage Blogathon 2015: Adele Mara

It's Blogathon Time again!  Today's post is The Horn Section's contribution to Hollywood's Hispanic Heritage Blogathon 2015, hosted by Horn Section friend and fellow blogger Aurora of Once Upon a Screen!  Check out all of the other great participating posts by clicking the link above, including Aurora's own contribution on Velia Martinez, co-star of our of our faves, The Big Boodle.  And check out the archives there for more classic film blogging by Aurora.

For my contribution, I'll highlight one of the most beautiful actresses of the 1940's and 1950's, who delighted us for nearly two decades before retiring to raise a family.

Adele Mara was born Adelaida Delgado on April 28, 1923 in Highland Park, Michigan.  Though it was sometimes written that she was half-Irish, Mara stated for the record to western biographer Boyd Magers that she "is adamantly" all Spanish.  Her father was a Ford Motors executive and her brother, Luis Delgado, also became an actor and James Garner's long-time stand-in.

One of the most popular pin-up models during WWII.  No, not the cat

She got her show business start at the young age of six by winning dance lessons as a door prize at a theatre.  Starting with tap, young Adele progressed into adagio and ballet.  By the time Miss Delgado was 15, she was singing and dancing with Xavier Cugat's orchestra.  It was at Cugat's suggestion that she shortened her last name, and the newly billed Adele Mara was spotted by a talent scout at New York's Copacabana.  The result was a contract with Harry Cohn's Columbia Pictures in October 1941--just six months after Adele's 18th birthday.  (Also notably signing with Columbia simultaneously, per UPI: 18 year old dancer Ann Miller and 20 year old big band singer Janet Blair).

with Victor Jory and Joe E. Brown in SHUT MY BIG MOUTH (1942)

By year's end, she was popping up in Columbia "B"s.  Adele Mara's screen career began modestly enough--she was uncredited in her first two films, Navy Blues and the Lupe Velez vehicle Honolulu Lu (both 1941) but she was a leading lady by her fourth, appearing opposite comedian Joe E. Brown in Shut My Big Mouth (1942).  While the film was Brown's vehicle (witness the title) all the way, his brown-eyed co-star with the bright smile attracted a lot of press, and with good reason: you couldn't take your eyes off her.   Subsequently, she was Chester Morris' leading lady in his next BOSTON BLACKIE adventure.

One of the few roles Adele Mara was up for and didn't win: the plum part of Ada in The Moon and Sixpence, which went to fellow Cugat alum Elena Verdugo.  She did have the opportunity to work with the studio's most popular comedy team, The Three Stooges.  Mara appeared in four short subjects during the team's prime years with Curly in 1943 and 1944.

Yes, that's Adele in I CAN'T HARDLY WAIT (1943)

Years later, Mara admitted that she was "a little unhappy" at Columbia: "I wasn't doing things I really wanted to do"--dance.  She wasn't that disappointed when the association only lasted two years.  As fate would have it, her new agent secured an interview with Herbert J. Yates' Republic Pictures in 1944, and they needed an actress to jitterbug with John Wayne (and to teach The Duke how to do the dance) in The Fighting Seabees.

Her 1948 Bowman Movie Stars card.  You shouldn't flip this one!

The auspicious beginning at Republic led to a seven year contract.  At Republic from 1944 through 1951, Mara not only received more opportunities to display her dancing skills (Vampire's Ghost and the Gene Autry vehicle Twilight on the Rio Grande, among others) but a wider range of roles--she proved she could play 'bad girls' as well as sweet, innocent types.  While Adele Mara was most frequently appearing in westerns, she was given opportunities to play choice parts in film noirs, thrillers, mysteries and war films as well.

In Exposed (1947), Adele Mara was top billed as wisecracking P.I. Belinda Prentice.  While the film didn't yield a signature role for the starlet (or even a sequel) it's a must for her fans.

My opinion: we should have had at least one more Belinda Prentice adventure

The daughter of a homicide Inspector (Robert Armstrong), Prentice is hired by Colonel Bentry to investigate his son and heir Bill, who ends up murdered with his butler (Harry Shannon) standing over the body.  There's no shortage of suspects, with the dead man's sister (Adrian Booth).  Adele Mara gets to try her hand at the snappy dialogue, and the brisk 59 minute "B" also features William Haade as Prentice's assistant and venerable Bob Steele as a mob enforcer (tougher than his size would indicate, as always).  This watchable mystery is streaming at Epix HD.

Looking stunning as always in Blackmail (1947)

During her stay at Republic, Adele also received top billing in The Inner Circle (1946), memorably supported John Carroll in Angel in Exile (1948) and had high profile supporting roles in John Wayne's Wake of the Red Witch (1948) and Sands of Iwo Jima (1949).  The latter film also gave a breakthrough role to Forrest Tucker, who like Mara had been at Columbia (and appeared with the starlet in Shut My Big Mouth and Honolulu Lu) prior to signing with Republic in the late forties.  Tucker was given his shot at top billing with Ms. Mara as his leading lady for a pair of 1950 films, Rock Island Trail and California Passage (which I wrote about just last month).

In California Passage (1950)

The former was a highly entertaining "A" and one of the studio's most highly promoted films of the year, with Mara singing the title song.  However, it was the lower profile Christmas release California Passage that gave Adele one of her most memorable roles, as an Eastern transplant caught between feuding saloon partners Tucker and Jim Davis in the Sunshine state.  Read the reviews above for more, but suffice to say that I agree with the assessment of Allmovie's Hans J. Wollstein that Mara was "given a chance to shine".  California Passage is also currently streaming at Epix HD.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be Mara's last hurrah at Republic, for her contract was up in June 1951 and Yates, citing studio budget cuts, elected not to renew it.  By then, Adele Mara was engaged to TV writer/producer Roy Huggins (their marriage lasted a half century until Huggins' death in 2002).

Mara most frequently worked in television throughout the fifties; she made only five features after her stint at Republic ended.  As was the case on the big screen, she remained a popular presence in westerns, guesting on BAT MASTERSON, TALES OF WELLS FARGO, LARAMIE and multiple appearances on CHEYENNE, which was produced by Huggins.  She also made multiple appearances on her husband's shows 77 SUNSET STRIP and MAVERICK for Warner Brothers, and the latter contained Adele Mara's most memorable television roles.

Wowing the cowboys in Seed of Deception

The first season MAVERICK finale Seed of Deception (1958) gave her a chance to briefly show off her still-formidable dancing skills (though Mara claimed she was 'a little rusty'), but it was the second season's The Spanish Dancer that gave her a more extensive showcase as well as the titular role. 

While The Spanish Dancer was not included in the series' Columbia House boxed set, it is one of the most underrated installments of the show's legendary second season.  The lengthier dance sequence for its leading lady is especially welcome--director James V. Kern wisely shows the entire routine.  As a bonus for her fans, the memorable flim-flam involving Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) and Gentleman Jack Darby (Richard Long) also gives Adele Mara her best small screen opportunity to show off her comedic chops.  Robert Bray (LASSIE) is the worthy foil, who, like Bart and Jack, is crazy about 'Elena Grande' .

With Myron Healey in Seed of Deception

She returned for one final MAVERICK in its third season, again opposite Jack Kelly and again playing the title role in The Marquessa (1960).  Semi-retired and raising three children by this time, Adele Mara appeared much less frequently on the small screen, with only two 1970's cameos after the 1962 ALFRED HITCHCOCK episode House Guest.

Adele Mara left quite an impressive body of work in her two decades on film and television, but remained remarkably modest about it when interviewed by Boyd Magers years after her retirement (for his 1999 book with Michael Fitzgerald,  Ladies of the Western).  "It was like make-believe, and I was being paid good money for it.  Except I never thought I was too good at it."

I'm sure I'm not the only fan who begs to differ with her assessment.

ROCK ISLAND TRAIL (1950) and CALIFORNIA PASSAGE (1950): Tuck Becomes a Hero

This post is The Horn Section's contribution to the Republic Pictures Blogathon hosted by two great bloggers: The Hannibal 8 and our longtime friend Toby Roan at Fifty Westerns From the 1950's. Follow Mr. Roan on twitter and keep up with all the great posts on classics from arguably the Western's greatest decade, the 1950's.

ROCK ISLAND TRAIL (1950 Republic) Starring Forrest Tucker, Adele Mara, Bruce Cabot, Chill Wills, Adrian Booth, Grant Withers, Jeff Corey. Written by James Edward Grant.  Directed by Joseph Kane.

ROCK ISLAND TRAIL (based on Frank Nebins' novel Yankee Dare) was announced as one of Republic Studio's upcoming A-listers for the following year in August 1949.  Quite a cast had already been assembled at the time of that initial press release: Adele Mara, Bruce Cabot, Chill Wills and Grant Withers were among the actors announced, and each played a substantial role in the resulting feature.

Adele Mara

Six-foot-five Rod Cameron was considered the initial favorite to play Reed Loomis, but when filming of James Edward Grant's script actually began in Oklahoma, the hero was played by another tall young Republic actor who had made a significant impression in two of the studio's biggest 1949 successes.

After mostly playing bullies and villains his first two years with the studio, Forrest Tucker had the sympathetic supporting role of Marshall Bucky McLean in the Wild Bill Elliott starrer HELLFIRE, then made an even bigger splash butting heads with John Wayne in the Marine tribute SANDS OF IWO JIMA.  With Elliott's expiring contract creating a void near the top of Republic's stable, the thirty-one year old actor nicknamed "Tuck" graduated to top billing by headlining Joseph Kane's Trucolor adventure.

Forrest Tucker

Reed Loomis (Tucker) is President of the Rock Island Trail Railroad Company.  He draws the ire of steamboat operator Kirby Morrow (Cabot), first by winning the stage line's lucrative mail contract, then by wooing away Morrow's intended, Constance Strong (Mara).  Morrow tries to stop Loomis by hook or crook, sensing that the handsome railroader will be taking a lot of business away from his boats.  First Kirby tries bribing Loomis' subordinates, but Loomis' loyal sidekick Hogger McCoy (Wills) thwarts the effort.  After Reed is able to convince Strong's wealthy father (Winters) to invest in his railroad, Morrow turns to direct sabotage.  Meanwhile, exotic French-educated Keokuk Princess Aleeta (Adrian Booth) tries to woo Mr. Loomis away from the banker's daughter.

Wills and Tucker

The role of Loomis was a real breakthrough for Forrest Tucker.  He mostly played snarling, tight lipped villains throughout the 1940's, but ROCK ISLAND TRAIL gave the husky actor a chance to play not only an extrovert, but an unreserved hero.  Tucker's Reed Loomis is persuasive enough to sway investors, quick-witted and skilled at any weapon of choice (more on than in a bit).  Loomis' magnetism attracts both the banker's daughter and the Indian princess, with sufficient charm to keep the latter's loyal friendship even after he sidesteps her pass in favor of the former.  Tucker is forceful and convincing throughout, clearly relishing the opportunity to play a protagonist in an "A" feature (he did receive a few leads in poverty row productions such as Monogram's EMERGENCY LANDING (1941) before achieving more substantial stardom at Republic).  Tuck's image would eventually change dramatically with similarly brash roles as Professor Harold Hill in THE MUSIC MAN and, of course, Sergeant O'Rourke on F TROOP.  But ROCK ISLAND TRAIL was the first real display of his affability on the big screen.

Oh, and that comment about his aptitude with weapons: Loomis puts on an impressive display with his fists (several times) and his firearm, but when Morrow challenges him, he chooses an unconventional weapon: mops dipped in boiling soup.  The resulting duel provides the one truly unconventional moment in this kitchen-sink actioneer, with Loomis proving his point by the end of the conflict: "Dueling is stupid!"

Bruce Cabot (R)

Kane provides a surfeit of action as expected.  In addition to that mop duel, ROCK ISLAND TRAIL gives us train/stage race, an exploding bridge, several fist fights, the inevitable attack from a hostile tribe (instigated by Cabot, of course)....there's even a courtroom trial with Abraham Lincoln (Jeff Corey) representing Loomis' railroad (and winning the case, of course).

Corey, he of the deep, smooth voice (his career would hit an unfortunate roadblock with HUAC a year later) is a fine choice to play the future President.  The offbeat casting of Booth doesn't quite come off without a hitch, though I can't think of anyone else under contract who could have played the role of a French-Indian princess more effectively.  (And yes, that certainly includes Mrs. Yates, Vera Ralston.) Booth's multicultured Aleeta refreshingly takes the high road romantically and has several intriguing character traits, such as enjoying a good cigar. 

Adrian Booth (L)

Surprisingly, the film's major weakness is a mediocre script by the usually reliable James Edward Grant (SANDS OF IWO JIMA).  Dialogue is frequently stilted, and it's simply impossible to believe that Morrow got to the engagement stage with Constance given that neither she nor her father seem to have the slightest warmth for him, even in the beginning.  Another drawback is distractingly obvious use of rear screen projection in a few key scenes, cheapening an otherwise impressive-looking Trucolor production.

These problems notwithstanding, ROCK ISLAND TRAIL is consistently fun, a quintessential example of old school action and a good showcase for its leads with beautiful Mara matching Tucker's work.  Republic had high hopes for the film, providing an ambitious all-out promotion that included its stars (joined by Roy Rogers) traveling by train to the premiere in Rock Island, Illinois on April 27, 1950.  Despite the heavy publicity, ROCK ISLAND TRAIL was something of a box office disappointment, though the chemistry between its stars was undeniable, and Mara was cast as Tucker's leading lady in his next stab at top billing for Republic, CALIFORNIA PASSAGE.

CALIFORNIA PASSAGE (1950 Republic) Starring Forrest Tucker, Adele Mara, Jim Davis, Estelita Rodriguez, Peter Miles, Paul Fix, Iron Eyes Cody, Bob Williams, Charles Kemper, Lee Tung Foo.  Written by James Edward Grant.  Directed by Joseph Kane.

Mike Prescott (Tucker) and Linc Corey (Jim Davis) are uneasy partners in the Golden Bear, a Maricosa saloon circa 1850.  Unbeknownst to Prescott, Corey is involved in another partnership: he's been masterminding stagecoach robberies in cahoots with Bob Martin (Bill Williams).  After Prescott wins the saloon's profits via their business agreement (cutting cards, with winner taking all) for the 17th week in a row, resentment overcomes Martin.  Despite Corey's warning, hotheaded Bob is spoiling for a fight, and Prescott kills him in self-defense in the ensuing skirmish.  A short time later Bob's sister Beth (Mara) arrives from the East with youngest brother Tommy (Peter Miles) in tow.  Mike and Linc are both attracted to the new girl in town, deepening the antagonism between the shaky business partners.  After Prescott gains the upper hand for Beth's affections, Corey frames Mike for the stagecoach robberies, eliminating him from both that contest and the business partnership by forcing him on the lam.  Then Beth Martin uncovers evidence of Corey's guilt.

In contrast to the publicity blitz that accompanied the Trucolor ROCK ISLAND TRAIL, black and white CALIFORNIA PASSAGE was issued quietly in December 1950.  Still, it's the better film for my money.  The key is that screenwriter Grant is in much better form, providing dialogue that is much snappier and funnier, with Tucker and Davis puncturing one another with sharp one-liners frequently enough to require a scorecard.

Grant also throws us more curveballs this time around (that memorable mop duel notwithstanding).  Self-described "irregular, not incompetent" Sheriff Willy Clair (a terrific Kemper) shocks Beth with his passive reaction to a lynch mob.  But he's no coward, nor corrupt--he simply realizes he must pick his fights wisely while "civilizing" Maricosa, one resolved conflict at a time.  After an Indian attack is repelled in the opening scene, hero Prescott is the one who takes a scalp (from uncredited Iron Eyes Cody)!  His explanation to young Tommy?  "He'd have taken yours!"

Trucolor ROCK ISLAND TRAIL presented its hero and villain in straightforward black and white--black and white CALIFORNIA PASSAGE filters its foes through subtler (and changing) shades.   Reed Loomis was gregarious and affable but PASSAGE's Mike Prescott bluntly states: "I don't like people."  As mentioned above, Prescott's barbs are mostly aimed at not-so-beloved partner Linc, but also find their way towards Beth (one of those immigrants who has no idea what she's in for) and wary Sheriff Clair, who is treated to a "short beer" after Mike offers him one "on the house" (Kemper's reaction is priceless).

Likewise, Cabot's Kirby Morrow was unlikable from the get-go, but it's hard not to have some sympathy for Jim Davis' Linc--at first, anyway.  We learn that he's 0 for his last 17 in the "winner take all" method of determining profit sharing--and the most recent loss came after his partner was away for several months.  But Linc proves as unworthy of any sympathy as he is of Mike's reluctant loyalty by the final reel.  Our first impressions of Prescott, Corey and Clair are proven erroneous by film's end, as is Prescott's initial take on those immigrants from back East.  The same fog that exposed the vulnerability faced by Beth and Tommy in the opening scene plays a prominent role in their survival on the mountain later, suggesting they just might be more adaptable than Prescott thinks.

Estelita Rodriguez

CALIFORNIA PASSAGE boasts a typically outstanding Republic supporting cast.  In addition to Kemper, the film also offers an opportunity to enjoy a meatier-than-usual part for starlet Estelita Rodriguez, playing Williams' girlfriend and the saloon's singer,  (She gets two songs,  "Goin' Round in Circles" and "Second Hand Romance"). Rodriguez, only 22 at the time, would lead a sadly troubled adult life. Married four times, she passed away at age 37 from influenza in 1966.  Lee Tung Foo plays his familiar stereotypical Chinese cook, this time insisting repeatedly to Davis that everything is 'kosher'.

Rodriguez, Kemper and Davis (L to R)

The film isn't perfect--Beth's realization about her brother is a bit rushed, and the otherwise sharp Sheriff's suspicion of Prescott in the robberies seems pretty questionable.  (What would Mike's motivation be?  He's been winning the weekly take!)  Still, CALIFORNIA PASSAGE is suspenseful and entertaining.

While neither project catapulted him to A-list stardom, ROCK ISLAND TRAIL and CALIFORNIA PASSAGE established Forrest Tucker as a viable choice for heroic roles, and his ability to seamlessly alternate between friend and foe would make him one of the decade's busiest stars.  Tuck became one of Republic's top male leads (THE WILD BLUE YONDER, JUBILEE TRAIL opposite Joan Leslie) while sprinkling in vehicles with other studios, such as Fox (THE QUIET GUN), UA (COUNTERPLOT) and Hammer (BREAK IN THE CIRCLE) among others.  He continued to play villains effectively as well, most notably in SAN ANTONE (1953, for Republic) and RAGE AT DAWN (1955).  Forrest Tucker's Republic swan song, 1958's GIRL IN THE WOODS, arrived just a year before the studio's demise after a quarter century and nearly 1,000 features.

CALIFORNIA PASSAGE is currently streaming at Epix HD.