Six Black Horses

One of a series of interesting westerns Audie Murphy made for Universal in the 50s and 60s. As in all of these oaters, many veteran performers turn up in various roles. This one is no exception.

Dan Duryea appears in one of his patented good bad guy roles as a character called, now get this, Frank Jesse. At the beginning Murphy is almost strung up for hoss stealin' by veterans Roy Barcroft and Bob Steele. What makes this scene unique is that they attempt to hang him from a wagon tongue, a method that I haven't seen employed before or since. Also, Republic serial veterans George (Commando Cody) Wallace and stuntman Dale Van Sickel turn up briefly as various bad guys.

The story is basically two drifters (Murphy and Duryea) hired by a mysterious and gorgeous blond (Joan O'Brien), to escort her across Apache territory to meet up with her long lost husband. There are the expected Indian attacks and of course, the final showdown between Murphy and Duryea.

The film is a good western competently handled. But what I still can't figure out is who the Joan O'Brien character is trying to signal during the trek across Apache country.

A gunfighter about to be hanged is saved by a hired pistolero. Later on, a gorgeous married woman called Kelly : Joan O'Brien hires two gunmen, Ben Lane : Audie Murphy and crooked Frank Jesse : Dan Duryea, so that she can be reunited with her hubby . But this woman has an ulterior motive , a planned revenge to be developed during the dangerous journey throughout the Indian territory. Both gunmen team up to escort the beautiful woman, outwitting several attempts on their lives and along the way being attacked by Indians Coyoteros while she attempts to achieve her actual goal. Both pistoleros become good friends and threir friendship prevails. On the way Kelly attempts to seduce Ben by offering to give him share of the bounty, but he resigns to it. One was a deadly danger the other two! Adventure that explodes with violence and fury! He owed his life to his hired gun!

Nice-looking and enjoyable Western from Universal International Pictures that benefits itself thanks to an interesting script by prestigious Burt Kennedy, Bud Boetticher's regular writer. That's why it contains some novelties, but also usual elements as noisy action, thrills, shootouts, riding pursuits, Indian attacks and some spectacular scenes. The film is well starred by Audie Murphy, the soldier most decorated of WWII. Audie played several Westerns, such as : The kid from Texas, Cimarron Kid, Gunpoint, Night passage, The gunrunners, Gunfight at Comanche, Rifles Apaches, The unforgiven, 40 guns at Apache pass, The Texian, Posse from hell, Ride clear of devil, Red badge of courage, among others. And co-starred by Dan Duryea who steals the show as a bad/good outlaw redeeming himself and he has an only wish, a funeral carriage, a hearse pulled by six black horses, the reason for the title film. They are accompanied by a good but brief support cast as George Wallace, Rory Barcroft, and Bob Steele.

It is colorfully photographed in brilliant and glimmer Technicoloy by Maury Gertsman. Furthermore, thrilling and moving musical score by ordinary Universal composers : Herman Stein, Milton Rosen and Henry Mancini. Being shot on location in St. George Utah and Universal studios. The motion picture produced by Gordon Kay, was well directed by Harry Keller. He was a good craftsman who directed a lot of westerns, such as : Quantez, Sheriff Hour H, Rose of Cimarron, Fort Dodge stampede, Phantom stallion, Thundering caravans, Tarnished. And he also made of TV series as Dysneyland National velvet, Letter to Loretta, among others. Rating 6.5/10. Notable oater Western that will appeal to Audie Murphy fans. Well worth watching.

For two-thirds of this film I thought it was pretty good, but I ended up feeling that it had disappointed.

It did seem improbable that a very attractive woman would risk a very dangerous journey with two wanderers she didn't know, but that's Hollywood for you. It seemed a very foolhardy way of seeking revenge, and, like another reviewer, I couldn't work out what she was trying to achieve by building up the fire so that it smoked. And from her knowing smirk it was she who had loosened a horse's shoe to delay the journey. And she chose a darned funny time to try to get her revenge, during the fight in the old mission, when the trio was already out-numbered.

A nod of approval to the script-writer for putting into context the $1,000 that Kelly was offering to Ben and to Frank - three or four years' pay. But a big frown for the improbable long-distance effectiveness of Ben's revolver. (I wonder what Audie Murphy, with his WWII experience of fire-arms, thought of that.) I'm not sure what was achieved by including the dog, except to show that Ben was kind to ill-treated animals. During the chases, it looked fixed improbably securely to the pack-horse saddle.

And the ending was an anti-climax.

What I noticed first about this movie is the colors. I don't know whether it is because the Eastmancolor print aged in odd ways, whether the colors around St. George in Utah are actually those colors, or some combination of the two, but the distant hills that vary from periwinkle to lavender, the bright orange dirt and the varying blues of the sky (indicating to my mind that time passed between the two shots, despite the in-movie continuity) are startling.

It starts when Audie Murphy cuts out what he thinks is a wild horse; his own had died some time earlier. Soon enough, he is being hanged for horse rustling, only to be rescued by Dan Duryea, playing one of his quixotic gunfighters. The two of them are hired by Joan O'Brien to get them to her husband, through warring Apaches.

In other words, it's plot 2: the Anabasis, getting from point A to point B. It's also got a script by Burt Kennedy, filled with exciting situations, dark humor and homely phrases. Good pictures, good stories, good actors.

The title is as misleading if you haven't seen this film as it is apt if you have, being concerned with character rather than horses, as you'd expect of a script by Burt Kennedy.

Presumably originally written for Randolph Scott, with Audie Murphy as Scott and Dan Duryea as Dan Duryea. Duryea plays a sympathetic role for once and he and Murphy work well together, the problem as usual being a woman; on this occasion Joan O'Brien as a cool blonde called Kelly with a knowing smile and an ulterior motive.