Monday, November 05, 2012

Movie review - "War Arrow" (1953) **

Two of Universal's favourite stars, Jeff Chandler and Maureen O'Hara, are re-teamed in this Western. Most 50s Westerns seemed to be about heroes who wanted to keep peace with the Indians (it would never be their fault when the inevitable fight ensued), but this one has Chandler has an army officer encouraging some Indians to fight other Indians. Nice work.

The most interesting thing about this is the fact O'Hara's husband, believed to be dead, turns up alive working for the Indians. This sounds like a great character but we don't get to know him that well. O'Hara is wasted yet again, just hanging around the fort - she doesn't even get to be a spitfire heroine who gets tamed. Jeff Chandler looks confident in his role but it might have been a better film had he played the Seminole Indian chief who is persuaded to fight fellow Indians - not much of is made of this potentially interesting role either.

There is some okay action and decent support cast including Charles Drake and Noah Beery Jnr.

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