Thursday, January 17, 2013

CURRENTLY WATCHING/THE HALF BREED/1952

In this category I will sometimes just mention a film I am currently in the middle of and rather than give a big review of the movie I  will just mention it in passing and supply a few images. I think you can tell what this film is about already from the title and who knows knows, it may have inspired the Cher song.  Robert Young (Marcus Welby MD) plays a "tin-horn" gambler who is just passing through town when he suddenly finds himself in between an Indian uprising and the local towns people. Also while just passing through he falls in love with a saloon hall performer (Janis Carter) and befriends the half-breed of the film title, Charlie Wolf, played by Jack Buetel (Billy the Kid in Howard Hughes's The Outlaw). Lots of mono-syllabic dialog from the Apaches - you know, you just leave out all the articles and prepositions and say me when you should say I - some who seem to be dressed more like Sioux or Cheyennes than Apaches, or actually more like hippies from the late 60's with beaded hand bands and frilly knee high moccasins).  The barbs directed at the corrupt white man's world as seen through the eyes of the Indians is little corny at times, and they all but come out and say "white man speak with forked tongue". Lush Technicolor makes it a treat for the eyes and the poster of the white man saving the white woman from the horny half-breed is a bit misleading. It never happens quite in this fashion. Jack Buetel couldn't act his way out of a tee-pee and that is half the fun of this one.  Gotta get back to the rousing conclusion. 


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