Tumbleweed

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

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.

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.

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.

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.