User reviews

Tumbleweed is directed by Nathan Juran and adapted to screenplay by John Meredyth Lucas from the novel "Three Were Renegades" written by Kenneth Perkins. It stars Audie Murphy, Chill Wills, Lori Nelson, Roy Roberts, Russell Johnson, Lee Van Cleef, K.T. Stevens and Madge Meredith. Music is by Joseph Gershenson and cinematography by Russell Metty.

It's atypical Audie Murphy fare, which for his fans (of which I'm firmly one) is enough for a rollicking good time. Plot has Murphy as Jim Harvey, a Wagon Train leader who mistakenly gets called out for being a coward when the train he is leading is attacked by the Yaqui Indians, leaving all the men folk dead. Forced to evade lynch mobs and the law, he goes on the lam, armed with only his wits and an aging horse called Tumbleweed.

What follows for the 80 minute run time is plenty of action and near scrapes, some barely concealed romantic yearnings, and of course heroics from both man and beast. The locations used for the story are gorgeous, as Death Valley and Vasquez Rocks form a mightily impressive back drop to the unfolding drama. While stunts and machismo are up to the requisite standard. Cast are fine, with Audie being Audie, Wills a gruff lawman and Cleef in loose cannon side-kick mode. The girls are mere tokens, but the beauty of Nelson and Meredith is breath taking. While costuming (Bill Thomas) is high end as well.

A Technicolor treat for Murphy and B Western fans. 7/10

In Tumbleweed Audie Murphy plays a young scout of a wagon train which is massacred leaving only Audie and two women, K.T. Stevens and Lori Nelson as survivors. The women hid in a cave, but Audie had gone out to parley with the Yaquis and they held him instead.

When Murphy gets back to the white settlement he's a most unpopular man. His only chance at regaining popularity and keeping his right to walk and breathe permanently is to find which white man gave the location of the train to the Yaquis for his own venal purposes.

Tumbleweed is also the name of a horse that Audie gets from sympathetic rancher Roy Roberts for his flight. The horse kind of marches to his own beat, but his brand of horse sense proves invaluable to Murphy.

There's a nice climax of an Indian fight with the Yaquis before the dying chief Ralph Moody reveals all. All in all a good western with Audie Murphy giving a good characterization of a wrongly accused man.

10 years ago, as a forty-year-old, I "discovered" Audie Murphy, and since then have tried to tape as many of his movies that are shown. Why? Because they entertain, and they also show the imperfect people that we all are, and even so, the good that can come out and how we can move on with our lives. Too bad Murphy had a sad personal life, for all the good messages he gave to us through his films over the years. But "Tumbleweed" is one of my favorites, and also of my 6 year-old granddaughter! It's the horse. Give credit to the horse for his quiet role in ALL westerns, without which they could not be made. This Tumbleweed horse shows the intelligence and stamina and unsung heroism that has lived in the breed, since early times. Add that to the HUMOR and the melodramatic "give a guy a chance because I was given a chance once myself" plot, and you have a nice mix of all the Western elements of the the wild, vast, half-civilized country we used to long for. I know Audie loved it, and understood the conflict in all our souls when faced with our raw natures and the better person inside. I pray he finally found rest from that conflict. So thank you, Audie, for giving the horse his due, and giving us some fun, in "Tumbleweed"!

Celebrated War Hero Audie Murphy followed His WWII Exploits with an Underrated Movie Career (mostly Westerns) with usually Above Average Films.

For some Reason Murph's Movies were Ignored, Dismissed and Not Regarded much by Critics, but Not so with the Public.

The 1950s Unleashed an Enormous amount of Westerns on the Big and Little Screen.

He Soldiered through these Stories Never giving a Bad Performance. He once said..."Acting was a battle I didn't win".

But Modesty aside, He was and Still is a Screen Star and His Professionalism and Boyish Appeal is Resonant, even Today.

This one has Plenty of Action and Charm. He shares the Star Power with the Titular Horse who Captivates and Sides the Action with Abilities Far Beyond the Normal.

Other Humans who Impress are Chill Wills who gives an Atypical No-Comedy-Relief Role a Certain Down-Home Rendition of the Sheriff. Lee Van Cleef in Yet another Edgy Good-Bad Guy Character also makes His Presence Known.

Lori Nelson is a Beauty who Looks Great in Technicolor but Doesn't have Much to do Except be Beautiful and Stand By Her Man.

Overall an Above Average Western with Wide Open Spaces, a Goodly Amount of Gun-Play and the Indians are Given a Fair Shake.

It's Stunningly Attractive in all the Glory that is the Hollywood Hey-Day of the Western, and Audie Murphy and All Involved can be Proud.

This exciting Western packs thrills , noisy action , spectacular struggles and lots of gutsy adventure . Brawling , sprawling , almost primitive action in which our protagonist is forced to go on the run , teeming across the screen by means of escapes , attacks , rescues , and ambushes .The picture contains whirlwinds of manic action , fights , sustained energy and often commendable results . It deals with an unfortunate , disgraced scout called Jim Harvey (Eddie Murphy) is pursued , that's why some families were slaughtered by the Indians and being accused of desertion and cowardice . Harvey is nearly hanged as a deserter and helped by his friend Indian Tigre (Eugene Iglesias) getaways from prison and then the sherifff (Chill Wills) and deputies pull off an implacable hunt for him . His sweetheart Laura Saunders (Lori Nelson) comes to believe Harvey's story , and supports him in his fight to demonstrate his innocence . Along the way Harvey is pursued by a posse who carries out a merciless chase . Harvey attempts to prove his actual identity , that's why he tries to clear his name by find out the real culprit and catching him . By the way he has to face off the ruthless chief Aguila (Ralph Moody) . He Fought the Fury of the Apache Warpath . While his back was the target for 100 guns! .The story of Jim Harvey...the savage terror he faced...the desert woman he loved!

Nice-looking but run-of-the-mill International Universal Pictures Western , including some novelties , but also with usual elements , such as noisy action, thrills , crossfire, drama , romance and some spectacular action scenes . Along with a love triangle in which implicates Audie Murphy/Jim Harvey , Lori Nelson/Laura Saunders and Russell Johnson/Lam Blanden who is also in love with Lori . The plot is plain and simple, a wagon train results to be chased , ambushed and massacred by the savage Indians , then the survivors blame a distressed guide to leave and sell them to Yaqui Indians . A blending of functional main actors with great character players of whom Audie Murphy holds the best role as a brave frontiersman . A warm and sometimes wryly humorous storyline -thanks to a personable and well trained horse- makes an enjoyable movie , a real pleasure to listen to as well as watch . The hothouse plot drives mercilessly forward with frantic action , breathtaking shooting , thrills , impressive attacks , treason , twists and turns . The tale is strong one and the yarn is wonderfully located against a spectacular background from Death Valley , California . Well directed by Nathan Juran who made a lot of low-budget movies , though he followed to work for a big-budget cinema and was capable of making large-scale movies as ¨Tumbleweed¨ revolving around a wagon train assaulted by Indians . Finely performed by Audie Murphy as a wrongfully accused wagon train guard accused of desertion and his fight for innocence as well as freedom and here director takes a fine penned script by John Meredyth Lucas , based on the novel "Three Were Renegades¨ written by Kenneth Perkins , creating an attractive tale that is far from ordinary , exploring the anguish and desperation of an innocent man and villany of the pursuers . Audie Murphy delivers a fine acting as an innocent passer-by who mistaken for a deserter is relentlessly chased , though some his own scenes are stolen by a sympathetic horse . Murphy won more than 20 medals , being the most decorated American soldier , including the Congressional Medal of Honor and he was also awarded with five decorations conceded by France and Belgium country . He starred a rendition based on his own self-biography titled ¨To Hell and back¨ that was an acceptable picture based on actual events about Audie Murphy who played himself following his Army career in WWII , being professionally directed by Jesse Hibbs and it was a box-office hit for Universal Pictures and its record was apparently not broken until Jaws (1975 ). Murphy starred a great number of Westerns , such as : ¨The kid from Texas¨, ¨Cimarron Kid¨, ¨Gunpoint¨, ¨Night Passage¨, ¨The Gunrunners¨, ¨Posse from Hell¨, ¨Gunfight at Comanche¨, ¨Rifles Apaches¨, ¨The Unforgiven¨, ¨Red badge of courage¨, ¨Legend of Sam Ward¨, ¨Whispering Smith¨, ¨40 Guns at Apache pass¨ , ¨Texas kid¨ , among others . Being usually directed by Jesse Hibbs who made various Audie Murphy vehicles , such as : ¨To hell and Back¨ (1955) , ¨World in My Corner¨ (1956) , ¨Ride a Crooked Trail¨ (1958) , ¨Medal of Honor¨ and ¨To Hell and Back¨. Support cast is frankly nice , providing splendid interpretations , such as : Chill Wills , Roy Roberts , Russell Johnson, Eugene Iglesias , Phil Chambers , Ross Elliott , Lyle Talbot , King Donovan , K.T. Stevens who was actress daughter of director Sam Wood and Ralph Moody gives the best acting as a cruel and hysterical Indian chief , Aguila . Furthermore , Lee Van Cleef , pre-Sergio Leone , makes an early appearance as one of the bad guys .

It contains colorful and brilliant cinematography in glimmer Technicolor by director of photography Russell Metty . And thrilling and atmospheric musical score by Universal regulars and uncredited : Henry Mancini , Milton Rosen , Herman Stein . This classic as well as traditional movie was produced Ross Hunter from Universal Pictures and compellingly directed by Nathan Juran , containing some vigorous scenes . Juran was a good craftsman who made a lot of movies of all kinds of genres . Nathan Juran, who sometimes used pseudonym "Nathan Hertz" collaborated with Charles H. Schener in several films . Here Nathan directed it all in stylish Technicolor . Before entering the film industry as an art director in 1937 Nathan ¨Jerry¨Juran won an Academy Award for art direction on How Green Was My Valley (1941). World War II interrupted his film career, and he spent his war years with the OSS . Returning to Hollywood, he turned to directing films in the 1950s. He handled mostly low-budget westerns and sci-fi opuses, as ¨First man in the moon¨, ¨The brain from planet Arous¨, ¨The deadly Mantis¨ , ¨20 million miles to Earth¨ , ¨Jack the Giant Killer¨ , his most famous being ¨The attack of the 50 foot woman¨(1958) . He was also responsible for the superb fantasy adventure ¨The 7th voyage of Sinbad¨ (1958). Juran directed some Westerns starred by Audie Murphy such as ¨Drums Across the River¨, ¨Tumbleweed¨ , ¨Gunsmoke¨ and ¨Law and Order¨ with Ronald Reagan . In the early 1960s, he journeyed to Europe, where he spent several years piloting adventure epics and spaghetti westerns such as ¨Land raiders¨. Juran made sensational Sci-fi and fantastic movies , his main legacy , such us : ¨First men oh the moon¨, ¨The 7th voyage of Simbad¨ , ¨20 million miles to earth¨, ¨Jack the Giant Killer¨ and several others .

I feel the Summary misses the real point. True Jim Harvey has to right a wrong against him, but when making his getaway he is given what he thinks is a broken down nag. Tumbleweed turns out to be anything but broken down. The horse steals the movie and saves the hero over and over. It really seemed the plot of the movie was there just to show off the ability of Tumbleweed. As Nick Buckley tells him "I told you it was the best horse I have". I hope to get a copy of this movie just to show it to my grand kids so they can see a great example of not judging someone just by looks.

The best horse in a movie next to Trigger.

An Audie Murphy Western from 1953. Murphy is an escort shuttling a family to a town when their party is besieged by a band of Yaqui Indians. Fending off the first wave of attack, Murphy fears a larger force is on the horizon so he decides to intercede hoping him having saved the chief's son (seen in the film's opening) will spare his party further harm. Not believing him, the chief leaves Murphy pegged to the ground only to be saved by the chief's wife but when he finally arrives at his destination, the survivors of the massacre accuse him of abandonment which prompts the sheriff (played by western stalwart Chill Wills) to jail him for his own safety. Soon enough Murphy is sprung from the hoosegow by the chief's son who tells him the initial attack was set up by someone which spurs Murphy to find the person who wronged him before the ensuing posse catches up to him. A little busier than Murphy's usual fare but his steadfastness & determination makes you root for him even when the odds aren't so good. Russell Johnson & Lee Van Cleef also appear in supporting roles.

Audy Murphy was always good at what he did and carries this oater along its familiar ground. The story is patchy and was given a far better treatment in 1948 with the more interesting "Relentless" (recommend this one in preference) The IB Technicolor that Universal often used is superb, as is the classy Cinematography by Award-winner Russel Metty ( Spartacus '60, The Misfits '61, A Woman's Vengeance '48). The cast are OK with some exceptions but the unusual horse offers the best element of interest.

There are far better Murphy westerns out there but those not overly demanding may enjoy this - if nothing better on offer.

I'm pretty sure this is the movie I saw when I was six years old,with my three sisters that caused my baby heart to go pittypat for Audie Murphy. For years the four of us argued about who would grow up first and marry him. I recall an interesting bondage scene where he has been tied up by the Indians; an old woman takes pity on him and releases him. Why I didn't get warped for life by my keen interest in this, I don't know. All of us eventually grew taller than Murphy and outgrew the crushes too. Murphy's movies are surprisingly suitable for children. He was a fine natural actor and I notice he generally takes a high moral tone. Notice how often there is a message of racial tolerance, with Indians being portrayed as rounded characters with genuine grievances, oppressed by an uncaring or racist white government.

Tumbleweed made part of the successful early career of the young and charismatic Audie Murphy on western, the producers put the same scope as Jim Harvey he was framed as wagon guide through the desert around the territory of native Indians the dangerous Yaqui tribe, being friend of the Chief's son named Tigre, he plans a peace meeting with the Yaqui's Chief in order to make a fair truce, without success he was captured to die on sundown, helped by Tigre's mother he escaped, after the massacre of the settlers he is wrongly accused by whole town in collusive with the Yaqui killers, imprisoned at city's jail he got escaped helped by Tigre who sadly die in the action afterwards.

Jim and his horse were wounded during the getaway, he got helped by a good rancher nearby that borrow his best horse allowed to escape by the posse, well at this point the movie had another kind of approaching, a humor-oriented treatment, actually he gets a white nag half breed horse-mule, as may seems at first look down the line to escape of those fastest thoroughbred horses of the Sheriff's sidekicks, moreover the rickety and stubborn horse overcame all steep ground leading the staggered cowboy to overhaul the early thoughts, actually Tumbleweed stolen the picture, don't miss it for nothing, assuredly directed by Nathan Juran!!!

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First Watch: 2022 /How many: 1 /Source: DVD /Rating: 7.

This film essentially begins with a cowboy by the name of "Jim Harvey" (Audie Murphy) agreeing to guide a small wagon train out west through hostile Indian country. Just prior to meeting up with these settlers, however, he stops to tend to a wounded Yaqui by the name of "Tigre" (Eugene Iglesias) who had been grazed by a bullet. It's during this time that he learns that Tigre is the son of the Yaqui chief " Aguila" (Ralph Moody) who is currently at war with the American people in that area. Be that as it may, having patched Tigre up, the two go their separate ways with Jim eventually meeting up with the wagon train. Although things go according to plan at first, Jim is surprised when the hostile Yaquis suddenly come out of nowhere and attack them in great strength. To that effect, realizing that they cannot hold out for long, Jim makes the decision to hide the two women in the wagon train and then ride out to negotiate with the Yaqui chief "Aguila" (Ralph Moody) hoping that he will leave them alone since he saved his son's life. Unfortunately, much to his consternation, he finds that Aguila is in no mood to make peace and--after tying him up in order to torture him later--decides to finish off those in the wagon train first. Fortunately, not everyone is ungrateful and, after the warriors ride off, a female Yaqui unties Jim and allows him to escape. However, when he finally reaches the nearest town he receives a hostile reception by the townspeople who believe that he deserted those in the wagon train. Not only that, but even though the two women escaped death because they were hidden, neither of them comes forward and try to exonerate Jim because they were unaware of his plan to negotiate for their release. Not only that, but when Tigre secretly appears that night things become even worse. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this turned out to be a decent grade-B western due in large part to the solid cast of characters and the rather in-depth plot. Admittedly, I would have preferred a bit more chemistry between Audie Murphy and Lori Nelson (as "Laura Saunders") but even so I thought the film was good enough for the time spent and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

With lesser performers and a less-capable director, probably this would have been a lesser movie.

But with the terribly under-rated Audie Murphy, the veteran and versatile character actor Chill Wills, the lovely Lori Nelson, and the later-in-his-life-wildly-popular Lee Van Cleef, among many others, "Tumbleweed" earns high praise.

Oh, and the title character himself? No credit is given for the superlative horse actor. Which is a shame, especially considering how many movies have the performing horse's name above the title, even when he doesn't show as much talent as this one.

This story is involved, although I figured out the bad guy early on. Still, even if you know pretty quickly, you will be on edge wondering how he finally gets caught and, more important, how the hero manages to clear his name -- IF either ever happens.

"Tumbleweed" is a movie I never had heard of before seeing it at YouTube on 13 April 2016.

That print is out of sync for much of the presentation, and another print is too dark to watch.

Still, never mind: It's a good movie. I recommend it.

A truly fun old western and Audie Murphy was fantastic as always. One of the great fight scenes on film come at the end between Audie Murphy and Russell Johnson (The Professor from Gilligan's Island)

Recommended viewing for western and Audie Murphy fans.

Audie Murphy is a scout on his way to meet a party he's guiding when he stops to help a wounded Yaqui. Later, when the party is attacked by Yaquis, he makes sure the women are safe, then goes to talk to them. They don't believe his story. After he escapes, he makes his way back to town. The women got away, but saw their men butchered. They think he's a turncoat. There'd be a necktie party, but sheriff Chill Wills sticks Murphy in protective custody. Things are getting ugly, when the Yaqui Murphy saved shows up and frees him from jail (getting killed in the process). Murphy heads off, but his horse is done for. Roy Roberts lets him have a horse, and he's on the run, hoping to get to the Yaquis to corroborate his story, with Wills and the posse trailing him.

Audie Murphy has a great co-star in this movie, the white horse he's on in the second half of the movie. Murphy thinks he a crazy horse, but he turns out to be smarter than Murphy, taking him over a pass that no one else can make, finding water when there is none. Amidst the conventional story and a great role for Wills, that horse makes this a fine picture -- that and the final slugfest between Murphy and the real villain, with Murphy doing some of his own stunts.

Just love this western. A rollicking fun with a clever horse and Audie Murphy. Both of their abilities undermined - one of the things I liked about Audie was the fact that most characters would undermine him, thinking he was just a weak kid, but he proves them wrong- they soon prove their worth in rousing western topped off by a great finale.

This would be a fairly commonplace Western if not for the one stick out piece of the puzzle.

The title itself tells you. A character who isn't even human, Tumbleweed, doesn't appear for what would be called the first act.

Yet it is Tumbleweed the off beat horse, who makes the show and constantly saves the day.

Ironically, he is never given credit, even by the human hero who is the beneficiary of Tumbleweed's heroics.

I only recall the name being mentioned once. Maybe twice.

So we get a bit of a social statement, too, about how true heroes are never recognized.