Arrow in the Dust

A devotee of westerns I have watched some classics and disasters. Arrow in the Dust wasn't offensively bad but it does lack in most areas.

A great western will have a great lead/s that you can root for or rally against. They hunt down the killer, complete the impossible drive or defend the town/farm/girl etc.

Hayden lacks the charisma (in this film) to make you care about the cause and the supporting cast don't really fill you with a need to want them to get to safety.

You feel indifference.

The film has some good action along with some poor scenarios, the outcome being a sense of ho-hum.

Watch it but be warned it won't stir your emotions :)

In this western Sterling Hayden has more or less the same role that Glenn Ford had in MAN FROM ALAMO, a deserter seeking to redeem himself. So, you see, this is not that new but still worth watching, and a not so bad movie from western specialist Lesley Selander, but not at the scale of SHOTGUN, my favourite and his best for me, who saw so many of his movies. This one however takes its promises in terms of action, excellent atmosphere. So, you can watch it without any problem, despite the predictable scheme, Sterling Hayden does more than his job, you won't be deceived. Lee Van Cleef in an early role as a supporting villain.

Army deserter Bart Laish (Sterling Hayden) is trying to escape pursuing soldiers and catch a wagon train to Oregon. After losing his pursuers, he encounters some destroyed wagons and an Army camp devastated by Indians. He is challenged by a dying former comrade if he still has some good in him. He decides to impersonate his dead comrade and save the wagon train from impending Indian attacks.

The story is simply written. It's broadly acted. It's redemption for the cowardly act of desertion. Indians are bad. It's a B-western. It does put in some good location shoots. The action is not the best but there is a good amount of it. There is a lot of riding horses and big landscapes. The fighting can be a bit old fashion. Bart's tactics are supposed to be superior but I don't see it. It's about half and half. It's fine for a B-western.

The use of stock footage and uninspired acting and direction make this a very slow, routine western effort. Despite the cast (Hayden, Larson) this one is just too predictable to suffer through. And yet, in spite of it's failings, it often appears on TV while better efforts rot in a can somewhere. Go figure.

With the Indians about to attack a wagon train, deserter Bart Laish is torn between warning the cavalry or remaining on the run with many lives on his conscience - but then a daring though much more dangerous course occurs to him.

An efficiently made B-western finds Sterling Hayden looking broody and acting angsty and suitably conflicted over running for the hills or warning the wagon train of impending attack. It has a redemptive type of storyline and it's done well with plenty of skirmishes, well-staged action and exciting moments in the backdrop of great location. Of course, there's stock footage, a dummy thrown over the cliff and the formula is working like clockwork, however that's minor criticisms. Personally, I have always enjoyed this good b-western, which delivers that neat 80 min of action, but I also found the story quite thoughtful, and the acting - even Sterling Hayden who I'm not too keen on - quite satisfactory.