Black Horse Canyon

I love this movie! I have seen many western movies and the only question is how to get a DVD of this movie!!!

The scenery, the theme and lack of violence is actually quite amazing. This is an ideal movie for those who love westerns and horses. And yes, this horse is a great actor and also a wonderful animal. Joel McCrea and everyone in the movie did well. A straight forward and lovely movie. The real ranch setting adds much to the movie. The taming techniques used to "break" this horse are legit and although the well trained horse is not really wild the whole story set well with me. The canyon terrain and water hole attractions and all make this quite authentic to the way a real wild horse would behave and Mari Blanchard and The young man Ti in the movie role do well. Outlaw the movie name of this black horse is simply movie magic. Any horse rancher should want their own copy.

A mundane and simple Western with gorgeous outdoors and paying tribute to Joel McCrea . The story of a wild black stallion and various people attempting to capture the excellent horse . As two cowboys and a wonderful woman set out to capture him . Concerning a veteran cowboy "Rock" Rockwell : the always laconic and top-notch Joel McCrea, aided of his adopted-son , the 20-year-old Til , Race Gentry, who help hot-headed neighboring ranch girl , the fiery Mari Blanchard . Dealing with their relationships and the hunt for a valuable horse and ending up in a triangular romance . Along the way they confront a pair of gunfighters bringing some conflict to the proceedings and causing wreak havoc.

Enjoyable , agreeable minor Western with only a couple of shots , emotion , thrills and no blood-letting . Nice film regarding a family story with Joel McCrea as a world-wise drifter and wannabe rancher comes out of drifting and teams up with a rancher , and then both of whom attemping to tame a brave mustang. Here is shown Wilderness with a magnificent stallion that runs and runs along the gleaming landscapes . Plenty of splendor and animal fury , but not so much Western , this is a kind of alfresco attractive tale , a refreshingly different movie . Here appears a lot of wildlife , as Universal later reused footage of the horse Highland Dale in Black Horse Canyon 1954 , Cattle Drive 1951 and Fury series . A few years before Sam Peckinpah's Ride in High Sierra, aging Joel McCrea stars one of his later roles , as he came out of a partial retirement to play a likeable and upright starring as a two-fisted West hero . Pleasant to watch the old cowboy up and about , here he is a man wise to the nature of women and horses , attempting to establish a homestead. MacCrea was a B-actor , though ocassionally he played A films as Sullivan's travels and The Dangerous game . Joel perfomed a lot of Westerns, as his interpretations are ideally suited for the take-it-easy and laid-back nature attitude , such as : Union Pacific , Buffalo Bill, The Virginian , Ramrod , South of Saint Luis , Four Faces West , The Oklahoman . MacCrea is well accompanied by a sympathetic and young pal , Race Gentry . And of course , the laughing and likeable Mari Blanchard who was never better . And other secondaries as Irving Bacon , John Pickard ; furthermore , Murvyn Vye and Bill Williams scowl effectively the nasty gunslingers .

It contains colorful and briliant cinematography by George Robinson. Showing spectacular and breathtaking landscapes shot on location in Bloomquist Ranch, Douglas, Guadalupe Canyon,Pirtleville, McNeal, Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge, Baker Canyon,Arizona . As well as evocative amd moving musical score by Universal's regular : William Lava , Henry Mancini , Hans J. Salter , Frank Skinner , Herman Stein , though all of them uncredited . This B-title motion picture was well produced by Universal Pictures and professionally directed by Jesse Hibbs who carries out a more of a character study of three people than it is a routine western and some pedestrian scenes . It was a limited box-office for Universal Pictures , but nowadays , being considered a very decent movie . Hibbs was an American director of second features , primarily westerns , at Universal in the 1950's . Being especially known for TV series as ¨Perry Mason¨ (1957) , ¨Gunsmoke¨ , ¨Laramie¨ and ¨F.B.I.¨ (1965) as well as Westerns and Thrillers . He directed various Audie Murphy vehicles such as : this ¨To hell and Back¨ (1955) , ¨World in My Corner¨ (1956) , ¨Ride a Crooked Trail¨ (1958) and ¨Medal of Honor¨ . Rating 7/10. Entertaining adventure western in familar style that will appeal both, children and adults.

Whereas I know very little about Director Jesse Hibbs - TO HELL AND BACK is the only other film he directed that I recall watching - I have always liked Joel McCrea, one of the most unassuming actors I have ever had the privilege to see on the silver screen.

In line with most of his performing output, McCrea does not deliver a memorable performance as he helps Mari Blanchard find and break a tough black horse that manages to free other equestrian creatures from their pens, and is anything but welcoming of humans and of being saddled and mounted.

Blanchard does not stand out in any way, Race Gentry is quite engaging as Ti, the young man in love with her. Good time passer 7/10.

Joel McCrea is one of those no-truck-with-women guys, raising Race Gentry out in the west. When Mari Blanchard needs help catching and breaking a mustang that's gotten free, the two of them help her out. Gentry yearns for her, but Miss Blanchard sets her cap at McCrea. He seems mostly amused, but there seems to be more to it.

It's a handsomely shot Universal "Shaky A" with scenes of the horse lifted from 1949's RED CANYON. McCrea offers his lines in his usual straightforward manner, Gentry struggles to make the transition from boy to man, and Miss Blanchard, who was the inspiration for Al Capp's Stupifyin' Jones, oozes sex appea.

Excellent western in Technicolor! It's about a wild black stallion that Mari Blanchard wants for stock rearing purposes. Joel McCrea and Race Gentry as her neighbors set about to help her capture the horse. Another neighbor, Murvyn Vye,also wants the horse for his own purposes. As things proceed, both McCrea & Gentry fall in love with Blanchard. There are no shootouts only some fighting. The scenery is incredible. I've always liked McCrea--especially in the westerns that he did. He was an excellent horseman in real life. Another interesting aspect of this film was the close relationship between McCre and Gentry. McCrea had raised Gentry after the death of his parents &they have a very close and neat relationship.