Baker's Hawk

This poorly made production features Clint Walker as Dan Baker, a homesteader in 1876 Utah who refuses to join a local vigilante organization, led by the town dry goods grocer (Alan Young), and the resultant effects his independent actions have upon his son Billy (Lee H. Montgomery). Ancillary plots involve Billy's nurturing of a wounded fledgling hawk, abandoned from the nest, and the boy's friendship with Mr. McGraw (Burl Ives), a recluse whose vocation is the preparation of damaged wildlife for their return to freedom. It is not possible to include a kind word about the direction, screenplay and editing, as all are at levels which might, at best, approach that of student-made cinema. The acting is wooden, due largely to the rambling script and weak direction, with Montgomery embarrassingly inept, and only Ives rises above his shrunken material, giving some meaning to his scenes. Although there is precious little to like about this film, the scenery is remarkably beautiful, as the production was located within two of Utah's National Forest regions.