Trooper Hook

I saw this film years ago, and still remember it for the incredible photography of the traveling stagecoach and backgrounds.The Cinematography rivals anything John Ford has done. The movie has received mediocre reviews, however, one should remember that the story was told as a ballad. I felt it dealt surprisingly well with inter-race prejudice. Barbara Stanwyck had a reputation for being pro-native-american. She acted her role as the white mother of an indian child well. Joel McCrea also was under-rated in his role as the sympathetic cavalryman. The supportings were solid gold character actors-Royal Dano as the stagecoach driver, Earl Holliman as the shy drifter, Rudolfo Hoyos as the Apache leader determined to get his son back. For a non-color film, it was better than most westerns of the era. I hope that someday it can be released on vhs for all to enjoy the wonderful camera work in it.

Another fine McCrea Western with more substance than most. Cavalry sergeant McCrea must get white Indian squaw Stanwyck and little half-breed son past bigoted whites and hostile Apaches to her former husband Dehner. Along the way, they encounter many difficulties from both whites and Indians.

Those scenic Utah vistas, even in b&w, lend real credibility to the proceedings. And catch that opening scene. Note the brutality from both cavalry and Apaches, as latter execute prisoners, while former lays waste to Indian encampment. Throughout, the subtext hints at an underlying commonality between the two races despite the hostility. Or, as Apache Nanchez and cavalryman McCrea observe during a peace parley, there's a little of each in both of them.

Now, the question logically arises—given the warfare and brutality, why is McCrea so basically kind to enemy Stanwyck and son. Sure, she was captured and made a squaw and still has white skin, but she's also born Nanchez's son, captivity or no captivity. That's enough for most whites to hate her. Thanks to an intelligent script (except for the contrived ending), we find out. McCrea was a captive during the Civil War and stayed alive by imitating a dog, of all things. So, he knows what it's like to humiliate oneself in order to stay alive, which is what the unrepentant Stanwyck has done as a captive of the Apaches. It's a solid psychological point and a credit to McCrea that his character would risk such a demeaning episode in his background.

There's also the suspenseful stand-off around the fallen stagecoach. It's pretty clear that McCrea will shoot the boy if Nanchez attacks. It's also a pretty cold-blooded gamble. What's rather surprising is that McCrea shows no doubts or compunctions about risking the boy's life. Not too many Westerns of the time showed the hero holding a gun (through Holliman) to a little boy's head, amounting to an unusual departure, particularly for McCrea's apparent lack of feeling. Of course, what's going on underneath the steely resolve is likely entirely different.

Stanwyck is excellent as the stoical Cora Sutcliff. Her career had fallen off since there weren't many A-pictures available to a middle-aged star. But being the down-to-earth person she was known to be, she gives this B-Western her best, and it shows. I just wish Earl Holliman had more screen time. Some people are born to play certain parts, and he was born to play a good-natured, slightly oafish cowboy. His scenes with McCrea amount to little gems of unspoken affection. At the same time, I'm guessing young lady Kohner's part was added to Holliman's to give the movie more youth appeal. But most of all, the film has the great Joel McCrea. No actor brought more quiet dignity and less egotism to the traditional cowboy role than he. Unfortunately, I expect it's that very low-key approach that has lowered his public profile over the years. Too bad.

This 1957 release came at a time when both movies and TV were saturated with cowboys and six-guns. As a result, many quality Westerns got lost in the crowd, and, I expect, this humane little effort is one of them. Nonetheless, the ending is much too conventional and conveniently pat to distinguish the results completely from the pack. I just wish the script showed the same imagination in the last 5 minutes that it showed in the other 70-some. Then we would have had a complete little gem.

After a deadly battle between Apache warriors and cavalry soldiers, the leader of this Indian tribe named "Nanchez" (Rodolfo Acosta) is taken prisoner and escorted back to the fort pending his removal to a reservation. Also captured are a few braves along with several women and children. However, it's only after the soldiers have rounded all of them up that they discover that one of their prisoners is a white woman-and she has a young half-Apache boy with her. To that effect, it is later learned that her name is "Cora Sutliff" (Barbara Stanwyck) and after being captured by the Apache several years earlier was forced to become the wife of Nanchez--and the small child named "Quito" (Terry Lawrence) is a result of this relationship. Complicating matters is the fact that she was married prior to being abducted and, not knowing what else to do, the Army decides to send her and her son back to her husband "Fred Sutliff" (John Dehner) on the next stagecoach to Tucson. And to make sure she gets there safely, a soldier by the name of "Sergeant Clovis Hook" (Joel McCrea) is assigned as her escort. What they don't know is that Nanchez has escaped from custody and, after reuniting with several warriors. Has followed in pursuit--and he has every intention of reclaiming his son in the process. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a fairly decent Western that focused heavily on the issue of racism which was rapidly becoming quite contentious during this particular time in America. Admittedly, there are some scenes involving Quito which were a bit too cutesy but other than that I enjoyed this film, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Joel McCrea and Barbara Stanwyck are well-matched in an okay western with a theme that's been done before in other films, namely "Duel at Diablo" several years later. Most of the film take place in a stagecoach as a white woman with a half-breed son journeys home to her husband after years of captivity among the Indians. The citizens are unwelcoming to mother and son and McCrea is along to serve as an escort and buffer against the bigotry shown to his charges. There are a few action scenes but the film centers on Stanwyck's hardships against frontier attitudes about her situation. McCrea is a comforting presence in Stanwyck's life and their friendship and trust deepen during the journey. Rudy Acosta is good as the Indian chief who wants to reclaim his son, as is Earl Holliman as a wandering cow puncher. John Denher is the hard case rancher who reluctantly accepts his wife but not her Indian son. Royal Dano has some colorful lines as the stagecoach driver.

This is a true good western, made by THE specialist Charles Marquis Warren, one of the best masters in this category, but unfortunately underrated. This movie starring Joel McCrea and Barbara Stanwyck could not be bad anyway. The topic is predictable but unusual and interesting to watch. Joel MccRea has here a role which seemed to have been made for him. Barbara Stanwyck is also wonderful, as usual. Rodolfo Acosta is terrific here as Natchez, one of his best characters but amybe not the most know, like the film. It is well written, edited, providing exciting action sequences. Don't miss the opportunity to catch it if you can.