Copper Sky

As has been said before, this is "The African Queen" out west. Colleen Gray does well and is far easier on the eyes than the starchy Katherine Hepburn.

If I had to put my finger on the film's weakness, it would be Jeff Morrow. He plays a drunken ex-cavalryman like a skid row alcoholic. Morrow's character is an experienced man of the west despite his drinking problem, yet when getting ready to set out across the desert, he packs 10 times more whiskey than food or water. Drinking that much alcohol in the western desert would kill him faster than the Indians.

The movie neither explores the humor of mismatched people, nor the drama of weak people rising to meet a challenge. This them was also better done in "Heaven Knows Mr. Allison" with Robert Mitchum & Deborah Kerr.

The writing is bad but I can't help feeling that a different B actor like Lee Marvin for example, could have done more with a limited script. Marvin always found the humor in the tough guy. He also know how to play drunks.

Morrow doesn't show any shame at his condition, yet he's a former cavalryman. He does show some competence once Gray disposes of his liquor.

i have not seen this film for over 40 years, at least. i loved it then and long to see if my memories of it have held up over the years. the main character was sleeping off a drunk in the jail house when the indians attack and left him the sole survivor. his journey has him meet the female lead, for a person of my age there was some "mushy stuff" but there was a few scenes that were erotic and may even hold up, today. if there is any way to see this film again, i am waiting to find out.

I would bet that most people missed that firearms which were used in the production of this picture. They were actually authentic to the period. The rifle used was a Henry, long made before the recent import of Italian copies. They had to get it out of a museum. The handguns, too, which would have been appropriate for this time were the open top conversions. This was a breath of fresh air from western shot of the 1860s', and early 1870's, where everyone has a new model Colt - 0001 manufactured in 1873 and a model 92 Winchester of like 1982 date. The truth is these weapons were not seen by the average Westerner until 10 years after they were introduced.

Watch the movie again. It is unusual for a western love story, but it does have good story line, and AT LEAST IT IS ACCURATE. Undoubtedly due to Charles Marquis Warren who produced Gunsmoke - whose weaponry was not time period accurate. Matt Dillon carried a '92 Winchester. In the last season, Festus advises a deluded gold prospector that it was 1873. Festus Haggen would not have gotten one of the first in 1873! Every Western movie collection should have a copy.

"Copper Sky" pulls you in and then let's you down. Even right to the end you are hoping for more insight into the characters' pasts. You want to like the two leads "Coleen Gray and Jeff Morrow," but the plot gets in the way. It has a very structured script to the point of predictability. He's lost his manhood without explanation and she can't figure out why he's the only man who doesn't want her, reminding her of her father. The fix is in. The music composition was nice, but more dialog would have had a better effect. It would have, also, looked much better filmed in color displaying the beauteous landscape of Utah where it was filmed. I still enjoyed watching it, despite it's sophomoric tone. Some characters were miss cast in the lessor rolls, I guess the budget didn't allow for studied actors in every part. Looked like some family members might have been given bit roles.

I thought it was a good movie. I've watched it several times and I keep noticing things I have not seen before. I know people just like Nora, played excellently by Coleen. Her facial expressions speak as loudly as the dialog. Jeff Morrow as Hack was also great casting. He knows that when he is condemned to die that it was useless to protest. Strorther Martin also added a bit of humor. I think it was courageous of Hollywood in 1957 so make a film with such an overtly religious theme. I doubt it would pass today, where everything stresses the insignigicence of life. Every time I see the movie, it becomes more and more real. A great movie.